Air rule helps farmers

A deadline extension from the state Air Resources Board earlier this month could benefit North State growers who use remote diesel engine pumps to help irrigate crops.

The ARB last year adopted a new regulation, the Airborne Toxic Control Measure, to reduce particulate matter emissions from stationary agricultural diesel engines.

Paul Buttner, manager of environmental affairs for the California Rice Commission, said that "older, non-certified diesel pump engines" produce a "significant amount" of pollution and growers should be aware of the regulation changes.

Buttner said the ARB accepted a number of proposals last year from the commission to amend the proposed regulation.

Most significantly was an amendment for a "special remote-engine exemption" that he said should prevent a significant number of rice farmers from being impacted by the regulation.

According to the ARB, included are engines that are permitted by the districts, registered under ARB's Portable Equipment Registration Program and engines that have historically been exempt from district permits.

The regulation took effect last October. March 1 was set as the deadline for registration and compliance, according to Dimitri Stanich, an ARB spokesman.

But a lack of public awareness about the deadline forced the ARB to give local air resource boards the flexibility to decide for themselves whether or not to enforce the March 1 deadline.

Stanich said each district has been advised by the state that they have the option of extending the deadline to Sept. 2.

"Enforcement depends on where you live," Buttner said. "Some of the boards with larger populations are enforcing the original deadline and many of the smaller places are not."

Buttner said concerned growers should contact their local air resource boards to get the specifics on their own engines.å

"Growers operating in federal attainment areas, such as Colusa, Glenn, Tehama, and northern Sutter counties, will be eligible for the remote-engine exemption," Buttner said.

The rule affects all diesel-fueled portable engines rated more than 50 horsepower, according to the ARB Web site.

"Engines built pre-1996 are considered non-certified," Buttner said.

After 2010, all fleets of portable engines will be required to meet diesel particulate matter emission averages that are expected to become more stringent in the next 10 years, according to the ARB.