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California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff invites you to participate in a public workgroup to begin discussion focused on the potential additional requirements to contractors and public works projects in relation to the proposed amendments to the In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation (Off-Road Regulation).
One of the goals of these amendments is to ensure compliance with the regulation and to enhance current implementation in ways that are reasonable and achievable via the amendment process. At this workgroup, staff will be soliciting input from stakeholders on potentially adding requirements to contractors and public works projects, with the intent that these requirements will help improve compliance of the Off-Road Regulation. It’s also important to note that the requirements that will be discussed at the workgroup could impact hiring entities even if they don’t own their own fleets.
CARB is following directives from the Governor’s Executive Orders N-29-20 and N‑33-20 as well as the California Department of Public Health’s recommendations regarding public gatherings. As a result, the public workgroup will be a remote meeting only, held via webinar; there will be no physical public access location.
Webinar Information
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (PT)
Interested parties must register to participate. Staff presentation material will be posted one week before the workgroup on the In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets Regulation website.
The workgroup will consist of a presentation by staff, followed by a question and answer session. Please note that the workgroup may end prior to the specified end time if all questions and comments are addressed prior to the designated webinar end time.
Background
Mobile sources, including on-road vehicles and off-road equipment, contribute a majority of smog-forming NOx and the largest portion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in California, and are a significant source of toxic air contaminants that directly impact community health in California. These harmful emissions must be reduced from all sources of air pollution in California to not only meet the federal standards, but also to minimize negative health effects on the State’s most impacted and disadvantaged communities, and CARB is committed to adopting and enforcing policies to reduce these harmful emissions. CARB develops a multi-pollutant planning document called the Mobile Source Strategy to determine the pathways available to the various mobile sectors to achieve these emissions reduction goals. Information on the Draft 2020 Mobile Source Strategy can be found here:
This planning document highlights the need for additional emissions reductions from the in-use off-road diesel equipment sector in order to meet CARB’s emissions reduction goals, with special considerations for federally designated air quality non-attainment regions, such as the South Coast Air Basin and the San Joaquin Valley.
The in-use heavy-duty off-road diesel equipment sector includes equipment used in industries such as construction, mining, industrial, oil drilling, and others, and covers mobile, diesel-fueled vehicles with 25 horsepower and greater engines. Common examples are loaders, backhoes, excavators, forklifts, and oil rigs. The diesel equipment in this category is currently subject to CARB’s Off-Road Regulation, adopted by the Board in 2007, with significant amendments approved by the Board in 2009 and 2010. To achieve emissions reductions from this sector, the existing rule requires fleets to meet an increasingly stringent set of annual fleet average targets, through 2023 for large and medium fleets, and through 2028 for small fleets. While the Off-Road Regulation has resulted in significant emissions reductions from the sector, the regulation in its current structure does allow the oldest and dirtiest equipment to continue operating indefinitely with no activity restrictions (depending on the mix of other equipment owned by the fleet).
The intent of this workgroup’s discussion is to consider what additional requirements for contractors and public works projects would help increase compliance of the Off-Road Regulation.
Contact
We welcome and encourage the public’s participation in this process. For questions regarding the workgroup or the potential amendments to the Off-Road Regulation, please contact Mr. Nathan Dean, Air Pollution Specialist.
CARB staff will use the Off-Road Equipment (In-Use) Control Measure email list to notify stakeholders of updates to this measure's development and proposal, and of opportunities for public input throughout the process. To sign up for the Off-Road Equipment (In-Use) Control Measure email list, please visit:
Special Accommodations
If you require a special accommodation or need this document in an alternate format (i.e. Braille, large print) or another language, please contact Mr. Thien Tran as soon as possible, but no later than 10 business days before the scheduled event.
Para ayuda en español, por favor mande un mensaje por correo electrónico a Victor Sierra.
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