The Orange County Transportation Authority Settlement
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$55,000 in Fines Paid by The Orange County Transportation Authority
The Orange County Transportation Authority paid $55,000 in penalties for violating air quality regulations; $41,250 went to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, $6,875 to the Peralta Community College District for distribution to participating California Council on Diesel Education and Technology (CCDET) colleges and $6,875.00 to the California Pollution Control Financing Authority to guarantee loans to off-road vehicle fleets that need to buy exhaust retrofits to comply with the in-use off-road diesel vehicle regulation. This settlement was reached in June 2009. An investigation by the Air Resources Board (ARB) showed that the Orange County Transportation Authority failed to comply with the Fleet Rule for Transit Agencies –Transit Fleet Vehicle Requirements by exceeding the transit fleet Particulate Matter (PM) emission total. In addition, the Orange County Transportation Authority also failed to properly self-inspect the portion of their diesel powered vehicle fleet that falls under the Periodic Smoke Inspection Program (PSIP). To settle the case, the Orange County Transportation Authority agreed to the $55,000 penalty and to comply with the Fleet Rule for Transit Agencies –Transit Fleet Vehicle Requirements and the PSIP.