The California Air Resources Board has fined Omega Waste Management Inc. -- known as Specialized Fibers – for $7,950 last month for diesel emission violations over the past three years.
A resource board investigation showed that Omega Waste Management, Corning, Calif., failed to properly inspect its heavy-duty diesel on-road vehicles and failed to comply with the solid waste collection vehicle rule’s retrofit and emission control labeling requirements.
“Recycling companies play an essential role in environmental protection in that they help prevent tons of waste from ending up in landfills,” said James Ryden, Air Resource Board enforcement chief. “However, improving one part of the environment at the disadvantage of another doesn’t make sense. Fleet maintenance, annual vehicle inspections and compliance with California’s clean air laws is also vitally important.”
The law requires owners of California-registered truck fleets to inspect regularly their vehicles to ensure that their engine emissions meet state air quality standards.
Omega Waste Management paid $7,950 in penalties, of which $5,962.50 was deposited in the California Air Pollution Control Fund for projects and research to improve California’s air quality. The remainder was submitted to the Peralta Community College District to fund diesel emissions education classes conducted by participating California community colleges.
As part of the settlement, Omega Waste Management is required to:
Guarantee and demonstrate within one year that employees responsible for conducting the inspections attend a training class on diesel emissions compliance testing;
Provide documentation to the board during the next three years demonstrating that inspections are being administered;
Ensure that all heavy-duty diesel vehicles in the fleet are updated with the latest low-NOx (oxides of nitrogen emissions) software;
Instruct vehicle operators to comply with the state’s idling regulations;
Comply with all requirements applicable to solid waste collection vehicles, including retrofit of the appropriate number of vehicles with the best available control technology; and,
Ensure all diesel truck engines comply with federal emissions standards for the vehicle model year and are properly labeled with an emission control certification label.
Omega Waste Management paid $7,950 in penalties: $5,962.50 of which was deposited in the California Air Pollution Control Fund for projects and research to improve California's air quality.
The remaining $1,987.50 was submitted to the Peralta Community College District to fund diesel emissions education classes conducted by participating California community colleges.