Politics & Government

Clean Trucks, but Who's Paying?

This letter to the editor refers to a plan Granite Construction instituted to only allow trucks with clean-burning engines onto the quarry site.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This letter to the editor comes from Temecula resident Fred Bartz.

Granite Construction its commitment to allow only clean trucks to use the proposed Liberty Quarry site.

While the commitment would address PM10 particulates from heavy duty trucks, it effectively does nothing to address PM2.5 particulates, which are considered an even greater health impact. 

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Further, it does not address Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Monoxide and other quarry-related pollutants. 

The quarry would also generate nearly ninety-percent of its electricity on-site using natural gas-powered generators adding pollution, instead of purchasing from local electrical utilities, and crystalline silica is also still an issue.

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According to Liberty Quarry’s Environmental Impact Report, of the 800 trucks expected to visit the quarry daily, only 164 would be Granite-operated asphalt trucks.  The remaining 636 trucks would be owned by others, and it would be their – not Granite’s – responsibility to pay for any upgrades.

Also interesting is San Diego County recently announced it would pay up to $45,000 per truck for clean truck upgrades. So if those small truck fleet operators need to have help upgrading their trucks, they will look to San Diego County, which means the taxpayers could be paying up to $45,000 for each of the 636 trucks to meet Granite’s Clean Truck Program. 

Thanks Granite!


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