A Pennsylvania trucking company is set to be fined and placed on probation for illegally modifying a fleet of diesel trucks to evade mandated pollution controls.
What's happening?
New Oxford-based Frock Bros. Trucking pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy and violating the Clean Air Act. It will be sentenced Jan. 9. Prosecutors recommended an $80,000 fine and two years' probation; the maximum penalty is a $250,000 fine and five months' probation, the Hanover Evening Sun reported.
In late 2018, the company contracted Lititz mechanic Leon Martin to disable emission control components on eight trucks. Frock also had Martin tamper with the factory-installed and federally required onboard diagnostic equipment, enabling the machines to operate without emission control devices.
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Martin also pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act and will be sentenced Jan. 7.
Why is this important?
Emission control devices help keep air pollution to a minimum. The increased use of vehicles and the rising number of miles being driven, however, are canceling out their gains, according to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Non-electric vehicles produce harmful carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, unburned hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter, which negatively impact humans and the environment. Since 1996, vehicles have been equipped with onboard diagnostics, which can detect problems before they affect drivability or become visible.
Diesel exhaust causes respiratory and other issues, and long-term exposure is carcinogenic, the Environmental Protection Agency reported.
What's being done about air pollution?
The government's prosecution is a welcome sign for all people and the planet. Legal punishment stops criminals and deters others, and in this case, it reduces air pollution.
Going forward, the solution is to rely on trucks that don't release toxic gases and other pollutants when driven. Tesla Semis, for example, are gaining ground in the transportation industry as an alternative to traditional tractor-trailers. They're more powerful than the diesel-downers and on par cost-wise. Long-haul drivers love them, too.
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