The California Air Resources Board announced it settled 256 cases last year involving air quality violations by heavy-duty diesel truck and bus fleets that failed to comply with its various air quality programs with fines totaling nearly $2.2 million.

Violations included failure to comply with the statewide truck and bus program, verification/certification procedures for diesel particulate filters, properly self-inspect diesel fleets to assure trucks met state smoke emission standards, dispatching noncompliant trucks on California highways along with other infractions.

The companies paying the highest amounts were:

• Thermo King Corporation - $213,200

• California Gas Transport - $136,125

• GC Harvesting - $120,000

• KS Industries - $230,250

• Roly’s Trucking - $58,000

• White Arrow- $50,700

• THX Transport - $50,000

There were 40 other companies involved in other settlements.

The remaining 209 cases that were individually settled below $10,000 had a total of $449,838 in penalties.

The amount collected will be distributed to the California Air Pollution Control Fund and to a community colleges foundation. The fund will receive more than $1.7 million for research projects to improve California’s air quality, with the remaining money going to the college district to fund diesel emission education classes and diesel technology certificate and degree programs, conducted by participating California community colleges around the state, and nearly $58,000 to fund school bus diesel particulate filter installations.