Furniture Installation Company Fined for Repeat Idling Violations
Material Installations, Inc, a furniture installation company in North Andover, Mass., will pay an EPA fine of $34,692 for repeated violations of the Massachusetts 5-minute vehicle idling limit. The case settlement, which was filed Sept. 30, alleges that 19 idling violations occurred between 2005 and 2007.
The company operates a fleet of vehicles to make deliveries of modular furniture from its facility. Most of the violations addressed by this action were committed by other companies' delivery trucks that were allowed to idle excessively at the company's loading dock and parking lot.
Pollution from idling engines contributes to ozone smog, fine particle pollution, and increased carbon dioxide emissions. Excessive idling not only contributes to air pollution, but also wastes fuel and emits greenhouse gases. Five New England states have idling limits--Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine.
EPA offers assistance to companies and facilities in implementing alternatives to idling. Idling typically wastes almost a gallon of fuel per hour, and puts more wear and tear on an engine than driving, the agency notes. Driver education, improved pick-up and delivery logistics, and automatic shutdown systems are just a few of the many ways that businesses can reduce vehicle idling. For more information on reducing diesel pollution in New England, visit www.epa.gov/region1/eco/diesel.