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The California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) will conduct a public hearing at the time and place noted below to consider approving for adoption the proposed amendments for the red sticker program for off-highway recreational vehicles.
DATE: April 25, 2019
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
LOCATION: California Environmental Protection Agency
California Air Resources Board | Byron Sher Auditorium
1001 I Street Sacramento, California 95814
This item will be considered at a meeting of the Board, which will commence at 9:00 a.m., April 25, 2019, and may continue at 8:30 a.m., on April 25, 2019. Please consult the agenda for the hearing, which will be available at least ten days before April 25, 2019, to determine the day on which this item will be considered.
Background
CARB adopted the first emissions control regulations for OHRV in 1994. To comply, the OHRV industry had to shift from predominately high-emitting two-stroke engines to cleaner four-stroke engines. As the 1997 effective date approached, OHRV dealers and manufacturers expressed concern that there was not an adequate range of certified models available. To address this concern, CARB adopted the red sticker program in 1998, allowing for the certification and sale of high-emitting OHRV with no emissions controls. The red sticker program was envisioned as a temporary program to allow additional time for the OHRV industry to develop cleaner engines.
Now, more than 20 years later, cleaner engine technology is readily available but more than half of all off-highway motorcycles sold in California are red sticker models with no emissions controls. Staff is proposing regulatory amendments that would end the red sticker program so that all new OHRV sold after 2022 must either be certified as meeting emissions standards or sold exclusively for competition use. The proposal would also end seasonal riding restrictions on existing red sticker vehicles starting on January 1, 2025, allowing those vehicles to be used year-round throughout the state.
California's standards for OHMC will be identical to U.S. EPA from 2020 through 2026 for evaporative controls and 2022 through 2027 for exhaust controls. Aligning with federal standards will reduce emissions while helping to ensure adequate model availability while the industry transitions from the red sticker program. After this transitional period, all OHRV will be subject to California-specific standards that are more stringent than federal standards but are technically feasible and cost effective. The proposal is estimated to reduce OHRV emissions by more than 50 percent in 2040.
Inquiries concerning the substance of the proposed regulatory action may be directed to the agency representative Scott Monday, Staff Air Pollution Specialist, Engineering and Regulatory Development Section, at (916) 445-9319 or (designated back-up contact) Scott Bacon, Air Resources Supervisor, Engineering and Regulatory Development Section, at (916) 322-8949.
The Notice, ISOR, and all subsequent regulatory documents are available on CARB's Rulemaking Webpage.
Written Comment Period & Comment Submittal
Interested members of the public may present comments orally or in writing at the hearing and may provide comments by postal mail or by electronic submittal before the hearing. The public comment period for this regulatory action will begin on March 8, 2019. Written comments not physically submitted at the hearing must be submitted on or after March 8, 2019, and received no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 22, 2019. CARB requests that when possible, written and email statements be filed at least ten days before the hearing to give CARB staff and Board members additional time to consider each comment. The Board also encourages members of the public to bring to the attention of staff in advance of the hearing any suggestions for modification of the proposed regulatory action. Comments submitted in advance of the hearing must be addressed to one of the following:
Clerk of the Board, California Air Resources Board
1001 I Street, Sacramento, California 95814
Please note that under the California Public Records Act (Government Code section 6250 et seq.), your written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact information (e.g., your address, phone, email, etc.) become part of the public record and can be released to the public upon request.
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