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Apr 21, 2008

ARB posts record year for enforcement

ARB posts record year for enforcement
Cases net more than 100 tons of emissions reductions


SACRAMENTO - The Air Resources Board closed over 3,400
enforcement actions totaling nearly $30 million in penalties
against entities doing business in California in 2007, a
five-fold increase over 2006 penalties that resulted in more
than 100 tons of emissions reductions.

State enforcers closed 3,442 cases, collecting $29.8 million in
fines. Three of the cases - Sierra Pacific Industries, Yamaha
Motor Corporation, USA and the Evergreen Pulp Mill in Humboldt
County - accounted for $21 million of the overall penalties
assessed. Most of the money collected was used for localized
emissions reductions programs and to train workers in complying
with state air pollution regulations.
"Businesses that play by the rules and meet their pollution
control requirements obligations can rest assured that we are
catching and fining those that don't," said ARB Chairman Mary
Nichols. "Our rules aimed at cleaning California's skies are
only effective if they are enforced. With an estimated 93
percent of our population still living in areas that fail to
meet federal health standards, we must continue to do all that
we can to ensure our factories, vehicles, engines and consumer
products meet our stringent requirements.”


Over the course of the year, ARB staff inspected over:

* 20,000 heavy duty vehicles;
* 1,500 commercial vehicles and school buses;
* 1,900 locomotives;
* 1,900 cargo tanks;
* 2,500 consumer products;
* 1,900 trash trucks; and
* 9,900 heavy duty diesel vehicles in low income
communities.

Additionally, inspectors checked the quality of more than 915
million gallons of gasoline and 350 million gallons of diesel.
ARB continues to add more resources to its enforcement staff to
ensure that business and industry complies with state air
pollution laws, including several newly adopted and proposed
measures to reduce diesel emissions from trucks and marine
equipment.

For more on ARB's 2007 enforcement accomplishments, go to:
www.arb.ca.gov/enf/enf.htm

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California
Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and
protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through
effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and
considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air
pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain
health based air quality standards.

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