The California Air Resource Board yesterday announced that the Board has fined JR Custom Harvesting Inc. and its associates New Venture Trucking LLC, and Zion Harvest Company Inc. $140,952 for violating the state’s air quality regulations.
CARB investigators say that the Salinas-based carrier failed to “properly self-inspect diesel trucks to ensure they met state smoke emissions standards” and that the company failed to “meet the requirements of the Truck and Bus Regulation’s Engine Model Year Compliance Schedule.”
According to the CARB press release, the Board also fined the carrier for having non-compliant TRUs and failing to label them properly.
JR Custom Harvesters contracts with farmers and proves trucking services to get the produce from the field to processing facilities in California and Arizona.
CARB says this the company’s first time to be found in violation with ARB regulations.
“All businesses operating in the state must do their part to protect public health,” said ARB Enforcement Chief Jim Ryden. “We are hopeful that this company will learn from this experience that in the long run, it doesn’t pay to circumvent the rules.”
The carrier agreed to settle with the Air Resource Board– $105,694.00 will go to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, and $35,231.00 will got to the Peralta Colleges Foundation to fund diesel education classes.