CALIFORNIA LIMITS TRUCK WAITING TIME AT TERMINALS

CALIFORNIA LIMITS TRUCK WAITING TIME AT TERMINALS    A new state law in California, effective Jan. 1, 2003, limits how long
trucks can wait idly outside the gates of maritime terminals.
   The new statute penalizes terminal operators with a $250 fine for every
truck that has to wait more than 30 minutes to get inside a terminal’s gate.
   Sponsored by Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal, a Democrat from Long Beach, the
law allows terminals to avoid penalties if a facility remains open for 70
hours over a five-day period, or maintains an appointment system for trucks.
   Implementation guidelines will soon be available from the South Coast Air
Quality Management District, which will enforce the new law in the Long
Beach-Los Angeles harbor area.