SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board has fined Henkels & McCoy, Inc., a construction firm based in Blue Bell, Penn. $10,000 for diesel emission violations that occurred in 2006 and 2007 throughout California.

An ARB fleet audit found that the company had not been conducting the required annual inspections on their heavy duty diesel vehicles.

"The inspections are part of a system designed to make sure that diesel trucks meet California's stringent emissions standards," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "Failing to conduct these inspections can lead to an increase of toxic diesel particulate matter in the air."

As part of the settlement, Henkels & McCoy must comply with the following:

• Guarantee employees that are responsible for conducting the inspections attend a mandatory class on diesel emissions and provide certificates of completion within one year;
• Provide documentation to ARB that the inspections are being carried out for the next four years;
• Revise truck engine software with the latest Low NOx programming; and
• Ensure that all diesel trucks are up to federal emissions standards for the vehicle model year and are properly labeled with an engine certification label.

Per the terms of the settlement, the company will pay $10,000 in penalties; $7,500 will go to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, which provides funding for projects and research to improve California's air quality, with the remaining $2,500 going to Peralta Community College District to fund emission education classes.

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. California has aggressively worked to cut diesel emissions by cleaning up diesel fuel, requiring cleaner engines for trucks, buses and off-road equipment, and limiting unnecessary idling.