Diesel-rules story bigger than told
Daniel Weintraub's report on one San Diego-area contractor's efforts to comply with the new off-road diesel regulation was compelling but didn't tell the complete story ("For builders, clean-air rules' timing is tough," Viewpoints, Aug. 20).
For every one of the machines Mike Shaw has been forced to sell out of state, one high-paying operating engineer's job goes with it. More than 150,000 construction industry jobs have gone since the California Air Resources Board rules were enacted last summer. Many jobs disappeared in the housing crunch, but an increasing number are going because of these regulations.
CARB's answer, that its rule is designed to deal with economic cycles, is incorrect. These rules have rigid annual requirements, unbending, mandatory fleet actions that will force more than 80 percent of the existing equipment out of state in 10 years.
Some of that equipment will be replaced, but only a fraction – new- equipment costs are spiraling upward as new technology is required. Contractors will not be able to replace all the missing horsepower … and even if they had the money, the manufacturers can't meet the supply requirements.
Weintraub's piece concludes with "something's got to give," and in this case, it will be companies closing, jobs disappearing and costs for all construction skyrocketing.
– William E. Davis, Los Angeles