and America takes another one in the........
Posted on 04/11/2011 1:42:59 PM PDT by jazusamo
In the latest effort to accommodate its cherished trade partner in the south, the U.S. government is paying to upgrade outdated Mexican trucks that hemorrhage illegal amounts of exhaust on their trips north to deliver merchandise.
The Mexican trucks enter the U.S. under a 17-year-old international trade pact known as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and they’ve created an air pollution crisis. The air quality in border towns has been especially impacted by the exorbitant levels of exhaust released by the Mexican trucks, which also fail to meet American safety standards.
Since the Mexican truckers have no intention of fixing the problem, Uncle Sam has stepped in to save the environment. U.S. taxpayers have picked up the cost to replace old mufflers on dozens of trucks and many more are scheduled to be upgraded by the middle of this year. The unbelievable story was reported this week by an Arizona newspaper that says replacing the old mufflers with new catalytic converters will reduce harmful diesel emissions by up to 30%.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is running the operation but the money is actually coming from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the same bloated federal agency that’s dedicated millions to “environmental justice” programs that help minorities get green. Under that brilliant EPA project, leftwing groups get federal dollars to teach black, Latino and indigenous folks how to recycle, reduce carbon emissions and participate in “green jobs” training.
In this genius case, EPA grants have upgraded 55 Mexican trucks and many more will be enhanced this year. Each truck costs U.S. taxpayers about $1,600. The feds justify the expenditure by claiming that it will improve air quality on both sides of the border, especially in towns that are helpless due to lack of resources. The director of Arizona’s Department of Environmental Quality says it’s all about establishing a “relationship on environmental issues.”
U.S. truck drivers are required to have the type of converters that Mexicans are getting from the American government, though they must pay for theirs. For years, the idea of Mexican trucks entering the U.S. under NAFTA has been a contentious issue because they follow the notoriously dismal safety standards of a third-world country.
In fact, a few years ago the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General determined that Mexican trucks that regularly travel throughout American highways are rarely checked for safety by U.S. authorities despite a provision requiring it. Rules requiring that every Mexican truck undergo a thorough safety compliance check and that every driver has a valid license and is proficient in English have been virtually ignored, according to the IG’s findings.
“”The feds justify the expenditure by claiming that it will improve air quality on both sides of the border””
Ah! Jeez! When are we going to get some peace? Each day we think we have seen everything. Didn’t someone once say, “Live long enough and you’ll have seen it all?” I don’t want to see it all... This has sure been under the radar, hasn’t it?
I’m so glad someone put such a high priority on this. Will the reason for dead bodies on both sides of the border get the same attention or just the air?
Defund the EPA? Why stop there, it is time to defund the entire federal government with the exception of the military. Send them all packing.
I used to think well, it was not rhe rank and file but as the rank and file expands, these clowns have nothing better to do then to write regs and put more spending onuses upon the taxpayers, or the bond issuers as we continue to run in the red. Let me see, would I miss the immigration service? No, put more military on the borders. The Ag department? No, if anyone needs seeds for their crops, send them to the local county extention service. Goodbye to food stamps and ethonol. HHS? Don’t make me laugh. Give everyone back what they put into social security and medicare at a decent ROR, say 6%, and let them fend for themselves. On and on.
American independent truckers have been horse whipped for years, with endless fees, fines, taxes and regulation...
They need to now hand over what little they have left, if anything, to pay for Mexican truckers.
Well unfortunately that wouldn’t work. Truckers buy fuel at the big name truck stops only. There are very few mom and pop truck stops left in America.
Just so you know truckers don’t call each other “good buddy.” A “good buddy” is CB slang for one who is of the gay persuasion. Most non truckers have received all the info they know about truckers from that ridiculous 70’s movie, “Smokey and the Bandit.” Trust me that movie and the real world of trucking aren’t even close.
My current truck was purchased in 04. Because of EPA rules it cost me an additional $5,000. No way the gov’t would give me any extra money for it. Now a days if your an American the gov’t just wants you to pay in so they can give your hard earned dollars to someone else. Just today I’ve read about the US giving money to Mexican truckers and millions going to Africans for college. I really can’t take this much longer.
bttt
The “Sandford & Son” Czar.
I’m more worried about what these “uninspected” trucks might be transporting into the US than I am about the pollution they cause. What’s to stop them from accepting a bribe to transport dirty nukes?
Anything?
“Truckers need to band together and refuse to buy diesel from any truck stop that is caught pumping diesel into one of these Mex trucks.”
I don’t know what the price of diesel is in Mexico right now, but normally it’s so damned cheap compared to the US they would be loading up to the brim before they cross the border. I doubt any of them are buying fuel here.
“”What’s to stop them from accepting a bribe to transport dirty nukes? Anything?””
I would add illegals and terrorists and absolutely nothing to stop them!
This is the kind of stuff that tells you we have gone beyond insanity. If you are not prepping for a major train off the tracks collapse at this point you are seriously not paying attention. Where is the GOP leadership? AWOL.
Pollution from Mexican semis is probably related to the quality of the diesel. They run a heavier cut than is allowed in the US.
Notice the usual extreme hypocrisy from the enviro-wacko EPA crowd on, not just allowing this, but insidiously “making” it happen. And meanwhile, they hamstring and penalize hard-working, legal and honest Americans trying to make a go of their small business.
Damned lying anti-American lefties. Words cannot express what I feel towards them. And it gets worse as every day goes by.
Pay up, gringos, you want my truck to be safe when it brings drugs to el norte, don’t you?
and America takes another one in the........
In broad daylight and with no apology whatsoever to the American jobless courtesy of our nation's politicians! Perhaps "shovel ready" will be for Americans killed by illegal aliens and the upcoming onslaught of truck drivers from Mexico (hope they can read traffic signs)!
Mexican trucks could soon be rolling through Texas
"We think, in the long run, corners are going to be cut and there's going to be potential dangers on our roads as a result," Sills said.
I'm left with nothing but contempt for those in D.C.
BTTT!
Could be just the usual bad reporting but “catalytic converters” don’t do squat against diesel particulate emissions. In fact, with soot-belching engines upstream they’d clog right up. Just take a look at the lengths Mercedes, BMW, VW/Audi et al are going to to make diesels cleaner on already highly efficient passenger car engines running on low sulfur diesel fuel. Never mind some ‘50s technology(?) Mexican truck engines running on crappy diesel fuel. SCAM!
I understand what you’re saying and basically agree but I’ve been away from trucking and new technology for some time. I don’t think it’s bad reporting, check the first live link in the article, they’ve got a pic of guys seemly changing mufflers or whatever it is.
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