SACRAMENTO - The California Air Resources Board has fined Don E. Keith Transportation, a transportation firm based in Bakersfield, $9,750 this month for diesel truck emission violations that occurred in 2005.

An ARB fleet audit found that the company had not been annually inspecting their heavy-duty diesel vehicles at a fleet center in Bakersfield, as required by California law.

"Shrewd business owners carry out regular inspections and ensure employees are up-to-speed on clean air requirements," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "The penalties for not doing so can cost a business money and their reputation."

As part of the settlement, Don E. Keith Transportation must comply with the following:

• Guarantee employees that are responsible for conducting the inspections attend a mandatory California community college training class on diesel emissions and provide certificates of completion within one year;
• Instruct employees and drivers on ARB's truck idling regulations;
• Provide documentation to ARB that the inspections are being carried out for the next four years; and,
• Ensure that all diesel trucks are up to federal emissions standards for the vehicle model year and are properly labeled with the manufacturer's factory engine certification label.

The company will pay $9,750 in penalties: $7,312 will go to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, which provides funding for projects and research to improve California's air quality, with the remaining $2,437 going to Peralta Community College District to fund emission education classes conducted by participating California community colleges under the California Council for Diesel Education and Technology.

A decade ago, the ARB listed diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant in order to protect public health. Exposure to unsafe levels of diesel emissions can increase the risk of asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases. California has aggressively worked to cut diesel emissions by cleaning up diesel fuel, requiring cleaner engines for trucks, buses and off-road equipment, and limiting unnecessary idling.