URGENT MESSAGE FOR OWNERS

OF PORTABLE CONCRETE PUMPS!

         If you have not registered your concrete pumps with the California Air Resource Board (CARB) or your local Air Quality District, you could be subject to substantial fines and penalties.

         In 1997 a statewide Portable Equipment Registration Program (PERP) was established by CARB. It allows equipment owners who work in more than one local Air Quality District to register once with the state, as opposed to registering with each Air Quality District. Under the previous regulation, you would have to register in every district. PERP allows CARB to monitor the compliance with the new measures and requires owners of portable diesel-fuel engines to report this information to CARB.

         In the last week we have been advised that CARB allowed owners of older equipment (with Tier 0 and Tier 1 engines) to register their engines with the state up through Dec. 31 of last year. Apparently owners of this equipment are not eligible for registration with the state any more. Owners of relatively new equipment (with Tier 2 engines) are still eligible to register with the state.

         It is illegal to operate equipment that is not registered with either CARB or the local Air Quality District. The local Air Quality Districts are responsible for enforcing these regulations and for evaluating the amount of the fine(s). If you are operating without permits, then you will be subject to penalties determined by the local Air Quality District. This judgement is based on the specific circumstances of the violation(s) and their interpretation of the California Health and Safety Code as it applies to these circumstances. The penalties start at less than $1000.00, but can be upwards of $10,000.00 per day per violation. Penalties can also include forfeiture of the right to operate this equipment in the state of California.

         For owners of equipment containing a Tier 2 engines (engines that burn clean enough to be eligible for registration now), you should register as soon as possible. Eligibility for REED products is described below:

         A Series Pumps: serial numbers where the last four digits are 2140 or higher

            (these A Series Pumps will be eligible for registration until the end of 2007)

         B Series Pumps: serial number where the last four digits are 2142 or higher

                (these B Series Pumps will be eligible for registration until the end of 2007)

         C Series Pumps: serial number where the last four digits are 2107 or higher

                (these C Series Pumps will be eligible for registration only until the end of 2006)

         Information on how to register is available from the CARB website at http://www.arb.ca.gov/portable/perp or by contacting the CARB direct at (916) 324-5869, or REED at 909.287.2100.

Those customers who own REED equipment that is not eligible for State registration, we suggest that you contact your local Air Quality District to find out what you can do to get a permit with them. At the very least you will be able to work inside your own district, without fear of penalties, once you have figured out the requirements for acquiring a permit. For older engines this process may involve costs for retrofitting or supplementing your emissions system. Generally..the older the engine, the more costs will be involved. Each district will have different requirements. Some will be very difficult and some will be very easy to deal with.

         REED and The ACPA will represent concrete pump owners at a meeting with CARB officials on September 28, 2006. At this meeting we will petition the board to re-open the registration process for those who own equipment that is not eligible for registration at this point (older equipment).

         We need immediate response from these customers (those currently not eligible for registration) so that we can describe in detail the magnitude and seriousness of this situation. Please fill in the enclosed questionnaire and return it to us as soon as possible.

          This information will be kept strictly confidential. We will only release information to CARB that describes general quantities (such as “REED has 1200 customers with older engines that are not registered, and 500 customers with newer engines that are not registered”). CARB officials may be allowed to view our forms if they require us to present hard evidence of our claims, however it would be a display and only in the presence of a REED representative. They will not be permitted, under any circumstances, to make copies or possess these forms for any period pf time.

                                                                                    Sincerely,                                             

                                                                                    James Shea

                                                                                    President, REED LLC

Is anyone in California having any problems with this? any fines? anyone selling there equipment? or is everyone just ignoring the problem?

Let us know what you guys are doing.

I'm selling out. bought the first putz thomkat(1985 tts2065) last Feb. in Kansas, 2 months after the CARB deadline. If I get dinged for $10000, I lose everything. I love how this state helps out the little guy