Air quality board to consider another relaxation of diesel rules

The United States and California air quality officials are again moving to relax tough rules to clean up aging diesel trucks that are among the state’s worst remaining sources of air pollution. The changes being considered this week by the state Air Resources Board come in response to pressure from small trucking firms and owner-operators, required to install costly diesel particulate filters or upgrade to cleaner models for the first time this year, who have pleaded for more time to comply. “We’re all struggling,” said Allen Forsyth of Los Angeles, who operates a three-truck fleet that hauls local freight near LAX. “I used everything I had to buy a 2012 truck. But I’m absolutely broke now.” Read More