On Thursday, Virginia-based trucking company Estes Express Lines announced that they will be paying approximately $390,000 in fines and settlement costs for violating the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB) diesel emissions regulations.
According to the LA Times, Estes will pay a $100,000 fine to the EPA, as well as an additional $290,000 to fund several non-trucking EPA projects. One of the projects includes paying for California residents to replace old pollution causing stoves with cleaner wood burning stoves.
Since 2008, California law requires all heavy-duty tractor trailers that operate within the state to be equipped with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), which reduces the amount of diesel emissions by up to 85%.
CARB’s investigation began in 2014, when they sent a letter to Estes and 12 other large carriers that do business in the state, requesting information on their compliance with emission standards.
As a result of the investigation, CARB determined that Estes was in violation of state regulations, because they operated 73 heavy duty tractor trailers in California that were not equipped with DPFs.
“We think that’s an appropriate use of the penalty and we look forward to a compliant future within California” said Estes’ spokesman, Nick Scola, in a statement.
He added that the company is “working diligently” to meet California’s emission regulations.
