The California Air Resources Board has indicated it will delay enforcement of its Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU) regulation.


Citing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's delay in granting authorization for the regulation, CARB now believes a six-month delay from either the original compliance date of Dec. 31 or the date EPA grants authorization, if later, is appropriate.

The California Trucking Association had requested that CARB delay enforcement for one year.

The regulation requires all transport refrigeration units that operate in California, regardless of where they are based, to meet in-use performance standards that will be phased in over the next several years based upon the model year of the TRU engine.

Under the first phase of the ATCM, all model year 2001 and older TRUs are required to be in compliance by December 31, 2008 (this is the deadline affected by grace period). Phase-in for 2002 and subsequent model year TRUs must be completed by the end of the seventh year after the TRU engine model year (not affected by grace period). All TRUs operating in California must eventually meet the most stringent in-use standard.

The TRU ATCM also requires owners of California-based TRUs to apply for ARB identification numbers (IDN) by January 31, 2009. And, operators of California-based TRUs must submit Operator Reports by January 31, 2009. Both of these dates are now delayed.

CARB says this delay will allow carriers to pursue compliance in good faith and address some of the uncertainties caused by the EPA delay.

Separately, CARB has indicated the reporting requirements for operators of California-based TRUs will be delayed until mid-March 2009. Paper reporting forms are expected to be available in December with electronic forms available in January.

CARB will be explaining the regulation in a webinar on Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. EST. For more information on the webinar or regulation, visit www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/tru.htm.