BIC data suggests that roughly 30 percent of the nearly 6,000 private sanitation trucks in the city currently don’t make the emissions upgrade cut. But industry association NWRA disagrees.

Waste360 Staff, Staff

October 28, 2019

3 Min Read
NYC: Private Haulers Face Emissions Upgrade Deadline

Some private trash hauling companies in New York City are up against a January 1, 2020, vehicle emissions deadline to upgrade their heavy-duty trucks with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-certified 2007 or later engine. According to a report in The City, data from the city’s Business Integrity Commission (BIC) suggests that roughly 30 percent of the 6,000 private sanitation trucks in the city don’t make the grade. Industry association, the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), however, disagrees, telling Waste360 that "the BIC regulates both putrescible waste trucks and heavy construction dump trucks. In toto, these vehicles account for the 6,000 truck number in this story. Trucks in the city’s commercial putrescible carting industry only number in the 1,750 range. This fleet is well along to being fully compliant with this air emissions law—on deadline! At an oversight hearing earlier this year, NYC Sanitation Committee Chairman [Antonio] Reynoso said he was pleasantly surprised with the compliance progress of putrescible waste industry companies with the city’s truck emissions law enforced by BIC; however, he expressed concerns about the status of the other 4,250 BIC-regulated construction dump truck vehicles that were not so far along in the path to compliance. Since the adoption of this air emissions law, NWRA's NYC chapter has fully endorsed it as the standard to operate any putrescible commercial waste carting business in NYC—going forward after its full compliance effective date next year."

New York City’s vehicle emission law, also known as Local Law 145 of 2013, requires that by January 1, 2020, all “heavy-duty trade waste hauling vehicles” must be equipped with either an EPA certified 2007 (or later) engine or utilize “Best Available Retrofit Technology,” as defined by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Under the law, the BIC may exempt companies temporarily from compliance with the law based on financial hardship. To receive such an exemption, a company must apply for a financial hardship waiver.

This is a major concern for city officials and environmental advocates who maintain that the law aims to reduce the levels of unhealthy fumes emitted in certain communities. The city has also finalized a commercial waste zone bill that, in part, aims to reduce emissions.  

Carting industry representatives, however, say the law threatens to run smaller operators out of business and is a major financial burden.

The City has more information:

Hundreds of privately owned garbage trucks operating on city streets aren’t likely to make it to the finish line in time to meet new emissions requirements, data from the city’s Business Integrity Commission suggests.

Under the city’s 2013’s Local Law 145, these heavy-duty trash-hauling vehicles have until Jan. 1 to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2007 diesel emissions standards.

The city said that about 30% of nearly 6,000 private sanitation trucks don’t make the grade. Meanwhile, companies are eligible under the law to apply for “financial hardship waivers” that would extend the time they have to comply with the law.

Read the full article here.

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