Mobile fueling on-demand tank vehicles.
One of the significant impacts of AB 2792 will be the establishment of consistent statewide performance standards and testing procedures for vapor recovery systems in mobile fueling tank vehicles. It aims to improve air quality by minimizing gasoline vapor emissions that occur during fuel transport and dispensing. The bill also expands regulatory oversight, ensuring compliance through a certification process that will include regular inspections and maintenance requirements for vapor recovery systems. However, it exempts certain systems from these certifications, such as those using onboard refueling vapor recovery systems, which has raised discussions regarding potential loopholes.
Assembly Bill No. 2792, introduced by Assembly Member Quirk, seeks to amend several sections of the Health and Safety Code concerning air pollution management. The core of the bill classifies mobile fueling on-demand tank vehicles as a mobile source, thus requiring them to be regulated by the State Air Resources Board (ARB). This classification aims to streamline the regulation process for these vehicles, ensuring that they adhere to specific operational and emission standards designed to mitigate air pollution. Additionally, the bill mandates the ARB to adopt regulations aimed at reducing emissions from mobile fueling operations within a statewide framework, thereby avoiding discrepancies in local regulations.
The bill has garnered attention due to concerns over its implications on local government authority and its broader environmental goals. Supporters argue that centralizing the regulation of mobile fueling vehicles will lead to more effective air quality management and a reduction in pollution from these sources. Critics, however, express that the bill may reduce local jurisdictions' ability to implement stricter regulations tailored to their unique environmental challenges, undermining local governance's effectiveness. Furthermore, the bill imposes a state-mandated local program, which raises the debate on whether such mandates should come with financial assistance or whether they could impose additional burdens on local agencies.