Landscape Architect Articles

LCN August 2007 Labor, Laws & Letters08-31-07 | News

California Diesel Equipment Rule Approved

The new off-highway diesel regulations recently passed in California are the strictest in the nation, affecting over 180,000 current pieces of equipment.

California has passed the toughest off-highway diesel regulations in the nation, a move that affects more than 180,000 pieces of equipment. The rule could force contractors to buy hundreds of millions of dollars in new loaders, bulldozers, mowers, utility vehicles and backhoes.

California?EUR??,,????'???s Air Resources Board approved the rule on July 26.

The new regulations will force an estimated 180,000 pieces of equipment to be replaced or retrofitted with smog traps, filters or cleaner-burning technology starting in 2010 and phasing in until 2025.

The full emissions regulations will be phased in by 2020 for large vehicles and 2025 for smaller equipment.

Though health advocates have been pushing for the emissions regulations to be passed, the new rules have been heavily opposed by industry leaders who argue that it places too much pressure on contractors and equipment retailers to comply in too short of a time.

Gordon Downs, owner of Downs Equipment Rental in Bakersfield, estimated the rule would cost his company $2.1 million in the first year alone. ?EUR??,,????'??Why are we being punished by the very state we helped to build??EUR??,,????'?? he asked.

However, health advocates blame the diesel emissions for thousands of deaths and respiratory problems in the state every year. The new regulations are projected to eliminate 48 tons per day of nitrogen oxide and 5.2 tons per day of particulate matter in the state by 2020. Andy Katz of Breathe California, a grass-roots public health organization based in the San Francisco bay area, says that, ?EUR??,,????'??This is one of the last sectors to get regulated ?EUR??,,????'??? It?EUR??,,????'???s time for the construction industry to also come forward and do their part.?EUR??,,????'??

Snow blowers or other equipment that runs less than 100 hours per year will be exempt from the new regulations, along with emergency vehicles, agricultural equipment and vehicles that run on less than 25 horsepower.

Source: Associated Press

Economists Skittish Over Housing

New home construction remains flat across the U.S. but is up slightly in the South and West. Photo: www.habitattucson.org

A few experts were using the ?EUR??,,????'??R-word?EUR??,,????'?? in July to describe the possible effect of a weak housing market on the U.S. economy. For landscapers, that makes grim reading, although the extent of the slump remains to be seen. ?EUR??,,????'??We all may end up in a recession,?EUR??,,????'?? financial advisor Rich Toscano told the L.A. Times. ?EUR??,,????'??All the artificial stimulus [from]housing?EUR??,,????'??? is going to go away.?EUR??,,????'??

Toscano made the comments in a July 25 story about bad loans sending California foreclosures up by almost 800 percent. The analyst works with Pacific Capital Associates in San Diego.

Other experts were more optimistic. ?EUR??,,????'??The economy will bend further under the weight of the mounting housing and mortgage problems, but it will not break,?EUR??,,????'?? said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody?EUR??,,????'???s Economy.com.

Along with poor reports on new home construction, the concern is that a flood of foreclosures will further weaken housing prices. That could make people less willing to spend money on landscaping?EUR??,,????'??+and a wide range of goods and services.

Other stats reveal that housing starts rose 2.3 percent in June, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. But building permits, which generally are a harbinger of future building activity, were down sharply for both single-family and multifamily construction.

Growth was strongest in the West and South. But ?EUR??,,????'??the small overall increase in total housing starts does not signal the end of the housing downswing,?EUR??,,????'?? NAHB economist David Seiders said.

Starts of new single-family homes slipped by 0.2 percent during June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.151 million units, 21.6 percent below a year earlier. Sources: Los Angeles Times, National Association of Home Builders, U.S. Commerce Department

Industry Trends

$83.5 million: total value of Idaho-grown plants and plant material sold in 2006.

5 percent: the increase in Idaho nursery business from 2005, due to home construction growth.

3 of 4: Share of Ohio nursery workers who are foreign-born Latinos, up from 3 out of 5 in 2003. Sources: Columbus Dispatch, Capitol Press

Landscaper: No Business Out of Home

A Massachusetts man was told recently to stop running his landscaping business from his home after his neighbors complained.

Kevin Dube of Dube Property Maintenance, was issued a cease and desist order for his business after a group of 18 neighbors signed a petition saying they did not want to see their neighborhood overrun by commercial businesses. The Zoning Board of Appeals sided with the neighbors ruling that the business violated city laws. A formal cease and desist order, including details of punishment or fines if the order is not followed, will be drafted shortly. Dube can appeal the board?EUR??,,????'???s decision.

A commercial garage, built on the property two years ago, sparked the noise complaints. ?EUR??,,????'??It became a hub of activity,?EUR??,,????'?? said Donald DeSantis Jr., a neighbor whose property abuts Dube?EUR??,,????'???s.

DeSantis said the backyard and garage is used for idling trucks, loading equipment and storing materials, including mulch and grass. Source: The Eagle-Tribune