$152K will fund air pollution research, improve children’s
health and install air monitors
SACRAMENTO – CARB has fined Marten Logistics and Roadrunner
Transportation Systems for failure to verify that trucks hired or dispatched
for service were compliant with the state’s tough Truck and Bus regulation, and
for not keeping adequate records as the law requires.
“Any company that hires or dispatches trucks for operation
in California must verify the compliance of those vehicles with California
law,” said CARB Enforcement Chief Todd Sax.
“Failure to do so is a violation of law, and businesses that fail to
comply should expect that they will get caught and pay the price. We do everything in our power to protect
Californians from high-polluting vehicles and their many negative health
impacts, including enforcement of our strict laws.”
Diesel trucks are one of
California’s biggest sources of air pollution. Because they are so
durable, they can operate for decades and emit significant amounts of diesel
pollution. The Truck and Bus Regulation requires all older heavy duty diesel
trucks operating in California to be either retrofitted with soot filters or
replaced with a 2010 or later model year engine in order to greatly reduce
harmful emissions.
The Truck and Bus Regulation also
requires that a broker or motor carrier verify that a diesel truck is compliant
with regulation requirements before they can hire or dispatch that
vehicle. This additional check is an
important way to help ensure that compliant trucks are operating in California.
Marten Logistics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marten
Transport based in Wisconsin, was fined $100,000 for not verifying that each
truck hired or dispatched was compliant with California. Of that amount, $75,000 has been directed to
the state’s Air Pollution Control Fund to support for air quality research, and
$25,000 to the Prescott Joseph Center for Community Enhancement to fund
Northern County Breathmobile, a mobile unit that expands health care services
to children with asthma in disadvantaged communities in Northern California.
Roadrunner Transportations Systems, also based in Wisconsin,
also failed to verify compliance for each vehicle hired or dispatched and
maintain records as required by the Truck and Bus Regulation. The company agreed to pay $52,250 in
penalties, including $27,250 to the Air Pollution Control Fund and $25,000 to
California Safe Schools to fully fund their Ground Truthing project. This project allows community members to
locate and map facilities that could be potentially hazardous, and relay the
info to CARB and the South Coast Air Quality Monitoring District for follow-up
action.
Both Marten and Roadrunner have agreed to comply with all
applicable terms of the Truck and Bus Regulation, and not operate or direct the
operations of any vehicle subject to the regulation without verifying that each
hired or dispatched vehicle is in compliance.
The companies have also agreed to accurate and timely records as
required.
Diesel exhaust contains a variety of harmful gases and more
than 40 other known cancer-causing compounds. In 1998, California identified
diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant based on its potential to
cause cancer, premature death and other health problems.
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