Diesel Vehicle Testing Expanded

The California Air Resources Board has voted to expand testing of diesel trucks and buses, requiring owners of two or more vehicles to survey their fleets annually.

The expanded regulation, which was approved Thursday night, is an effort to cut particulate soot emissions 10% each year by targeting the dirtiest vehicles that produce most of the pollution. The new program will affect up to 120,000 trucks and buses each year.

“Diesel soot emissions are the single largest cause of the public complaints we receive,” board Chairwoman Jananne Sharpless said in a statement. “In addition, this pollution can cause grave health problems deep in the respiratory system, and some of these particles can carry potentially cancer-causing compounds as well.”

The state air quality agency has a random roadside testing program. As of January, 1995, fleet operators are required to measure the density of smoke coming out of their vehicles, which must meet the same anti-soot standards as those used in the roadside testing program.