California Air and Climate: CARB Focuses on Vessel and Truck Emissions
September 2020
California Air and Climate, Vol. 16
CARB Finalizes Amendments to At-Berth Vessel Rules
On August 27, 2020, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted new emission reductions requirements for At-Berth Vessels. These regulations will require additional reductions from auxiliary diesel engines used to power vessels while docked at California ports. We previously covered this topic here. The existing regulations were adopted in 2007 and now will be expanded to additional ports and types of vessels including “ro-ro” vessels used to transport automobiles and oil tankers. Additional information is available here.
CARB Adopts “Omnibus” Heavy Duty Truck NOx Regulations
Also at its August 27, 2020 meeting, CARB adopted what it is calling the Heavy Duty Truck Omnibus Regulations, to drive additional NOx emission reductions from Heavy Duty Trucks. These rules will lower Heavy Duty Truck NOx emission standards by about 75 percent in 2024 and 90 percent below current standards by 2027. The current in-use testing program for model year 2024 and later Heavy Duty Trucks will also be updated. The Omnibus Regulations also include amendments that impact warranty, useful life, emissions warranty, and reporting requirements. Additional information on the Omnibus Regulations is available here.
CARB to Hold Public Workshop on Proposed Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation
On September 18, 2020, CARB will hold a public workshop on CARB’s proposed Advanced Clean Fleets regulation. CARB is pushing several initiatives to achieve zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) truck and bus fleets in California by 2045. This specific proposal focuses on larger entities and the vehicles they use or hire to meet their needs. At the workshop, CARB is hoping to solicit feedback on fleet rules to compliment the manufacturer ZEV sales requirements in CARB’s recently approved Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which we previously reported about here and here. For additional information about the workshop, please click here.
CARB to Hold Public Webinar on Clean Truck Reporting Requirements
On September 22, 2020, CARB will hold a separate webinar for truck fleet operators to learn more about reporting requirements under the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation. This specific webinar is intended for large entities to meet the one time April 2021 reporting requirement about their vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8,500 pounds. The mandatory reporting requirement applies to entities that operate a facility in California and have more than $50 million or more in revenue, own 50 or more vehicles, dispatch 50 or more vehicles into or throughout California; or is a government agency (federal, state, local, and municipalities). For additional information about this webinar, please click here.