Air Resources Board cracks down on polluters

The Air Resources Board and the California Highway Patrol are cracking down on tractor-trailers in Santa Maria. Inspectors are making sure trucks are in compliance with state clean-air requirements.

Inspectors began checking trucks in the Santa Maria Valley Tuesday morning. In one day they checked 124 trucks and handed out more than 20 citations.

Once a month the ARB sets up checkpoints, like the ones in the Santa Maria area, throughout the state.

“Our inspectors go through a series of inspections to see if there is too much smoke, to see if they have too much exhaust coming out of the exhaust stack, to see if they are in compliance with our various other regulations,” said ARB spokesman Bruce Tuter.

Inspectors will be checking trucks in the Santa Maria Valley through Thursday.