SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board last week imposed Crown Disposal Company, Inc., with more than $88,000 in fines for a two-year failure to inspect their diesel trucks for compliance with the state's smoke emissions standards, and for violation of trash hauler rules.

Crown Disposal, based in Sun Valley, Calif., will pay $88,275 following an ARB investigation that found the company failed to conduct diesel truck smoke tests in 2005 and 2006. Further, a small number of Crown Disposal's trucks were missing ARB-required labels for solid waste collection vehicles.

"Compliance with California clean air laws is not an option - it is a requirement," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "Our enforcement teams are on the lookout for business owners who think otherwise."

Under the penalty, Crown Disposal must:

• Ensure that staff responsible for compliance with the diesel truck emission inspection program attend diesel education courses and provide certificates of completion within one year;
• Instruct vehicle operators to comply with the state's idling regulations;
• Complete heavy-duty diesel engine software and control technology upgrades in compliance with regulations;
• Supply all smoke inspection records to ARB for the next four years; and
• Properly label engines to ensure compliance with the engine emissions certification program regulations.

The California Air Pollution Control Fund, established to mitigate various sources of pollution through education and the advancement and use of cleaner technology, will receive $66,206.25. The remainder will go to the Peralta Community College District to fund diesel education classes.

The South Coast region faces serious particulate matter and ozone problems. A decade ago, the ARB listed diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant in order to protect public health. Exposure to unsafe levels of diesel emissions can increase the risk of asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases.