New diesel truck regs disastrous for locals

* Thousands of Siskiyou County workers will be regulated out of a job overnight if this is adopted, according to Brandon Fawaz

By Daniel Webster

Pioneer Press

Fort Jones , CA

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

page W1, column 3

pioneerp@sisqtel.net

It's an expensive regulation for local heavy duty diesel truck companies to have to comply with, but the state is adamant that by reducing the emissions from these large trucks, the air quality in California will improve.

"The people of California don't have a clue what the cost of goods is going to be," Richard Stidham, of Stidham Trucking in Yreka said.

Indeed, of the 85 trucks Stidham has on the road right now, only three of them are currently compliant, all the rest will be retrofitted for the new regulations or replaced altogether.

"It's expensive," admits Tony Brasil, manager of the In Use Control Measure Section of the California Air Regulatory Board.

An emission filter alone for the big rigs runs about $10,000 and the engine retrofitting at this juncture is impossible because the frame rails in the older trucks won't allow for the new engine requirements.

The regulations are so onerous that buying a new truck is one of the only options, which is exactly what the state ultimately wants.

There are two million trucks nationwide that do not meet the state's requirements and, according to Brasil, the state wants them to be sold to "someone not coming into California ."

These regulations apply to all diesel trucks and busses over 14,000 pounds that operate within California , regardless of where the truck is registered.

But, this is just the start, next year, the board will hit off-road agricultural equipment with the next phase of regulations, according to Brasil.

Currently, the Air Resources Board is seeking the input from the public on how these regulations will impact the individual businesses.

"We need to understand better the impact this proposal will have on the economy," said Brasil. "we need to minimize the likelihood of going out of business."

There are a series of public workshops set throughout the state to make the public aware of the specific regulations and seek comments.

Brasil also is strongly encouraging businesses and individuals to fill out the online survey which will be used to calculate the economic impact these regulations will have.

There are some exceptions to the regulations, such as an individual who only owns one truck will have until 2012 to upgrade or replace their pre-2005 rig or have until 2013 to replace their 2005-2006 rig.

There is financial help through grants for some truckers, but these state dollars don't seem to be making their way to Siskiyou County .

A $50,000 grant is available for a new truck, according to Stidham, but you have to work in Sacramento , Los Angeles , the Bay Area or San Joaquin Valley . Plus, you have to sign a eight year contract with the state that your truck will never leave California , a notion which applies to only one of Stidham's trucks.

A Stidham big rig should last a million miles or seven to nine years. These regulations will likely force the company to retire much of its fleet early at an outrageous cost to this private, local company.

For folks in our rural area, where our air is pristine, the grants and financial assistance don't seem to qualify, according to Eldon Beck, Siskiyou County 's Air Pollution Patrol Officer.

The county will have to spend upwards to $2.5 million to deal with these new regulations, according to Beck.

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