City of Ventura Settlement
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City of Ventura Case Settles for $8,500
The California Air Resources Board fined the city of San Buenaventura, also known as Ventura, this month $8,500 for diesel emissions violations that occurred in 2006 and 2007. An ARB investigator found that the city had not conducted annual inspections on some of its heavy-duty on-road diesel vehicles. Failing to conduct these inspections can lead to an increase of toxic air contaminants and diesel particulate matter in the air. As part of the settlement, the city is required to guarantee employees responsible for conducting the inspections attend a mandatory California community college class on diesel emissions and provide certificates of completion within one year, provide documentation to ARB that the inspections are being carried out for the next four years, instruct vehicle operators to comply with the state's idling regulations, revise all heavy-duty truck engine software with the latest low-NOx (oxides of nitrogen emissions) programming, and ensure that all diesel trucks are up to federal emissions standards for the vehicle model year and are properly labeled with an emission control label. The city of San Buenaventura paid $8,500 in penalties: $6,375 went to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, providing funding for projects and research to improve California's air quality. The Peralta Community College District received $1,062.50 to fund emissions education classes conducted by participating California community colleges. The remaining $1,062.50 went to the California Pollution Control Financing Authority to fund low-interest loans for owners of off-road diesel-powered construction vehicles.