Mexican Trucks Allowed on U.S. Roads

[ChunkyMonkey]

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/20...mexican-trucks

Last Updated: Mon, 04/11/2011 - 3:23pm
In the latest effort to accommodate its cherished trade partner in the south, the U.S. government is paying to upgrade outdated Mexican trucks that hemorrhage illegal amounts of exhaust on their trips north to deliver merchandise.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.

I had to pay $800 last month for my registration and emission.. what the hell?!

[roberth]

Kewl.

This makes me so angry I could eat nails and spit bullets. When does this bullshit stop?

[Guylee]

Ah well. At least I'm used to bleeding money for Mexico...

[Bailey Guns]

Meanwhile DOT inspectors are busy making US truckers pay for broken reflectors and other serious safety problems.

[Jumpstart]

Why am I not surprised? Mexico, the cancer of North America, brings us down again. Build the damn wall already.

[porfiriozg]

i don't like it either but tone it down a little besides there legal trucks not border crosser's

Why am I not surprised? Mexico, the cancer of North America, brings us down again. Build the damn wall already.

[Irving]

I can't drive my car around if it doesn't pass emissions. If they can't pass emissions, then they can stay home. There is nothing yet to tone down in this thread.

[roberth]

i don't like it either but tone it down a little besides there legal trucks not border crosser's

Oh now I'm supposed to tone it down? What, are you offended? Aw I'm sorry, I'll go stand in the corner and be quiet like a good little subject.

It is attitudes like yours and most other voters in this country that got us in this position in the first place.

The only reason their trucks are legal is because WE ARE PAYING FOR IT!

[DFBrews]

I am a mechanic on trucks the new emissions standards for 2010 trucks are intense.
on a red air day in denver one of these trucks going down the road puts out cleaner air than it takes in. there is 100% particulate i.e. black smoke trapping and with a catalytic brick NOx emissions are lower than japans and europes standards. the cost of this system adds at least 20,000 dollars to the cost of a new semi truck. not including the down time and lost wages while the growing pains of a system this sized are implented. 2010 emissions systems are my bread and butter these days.
The catalytic converters as the article called them are just exhaust filters all they trap is soot and have to be changed at certain intervals. there is no reduction of nox. California is starting to mandate that these be installed on trucks older than 2005. IF the truck is even allowed in Cali at all. just like certain refrigerated trailers are not allowed along with Aux power generators needing soot filters as well.

My shop has to lock up the brake shoes we pull off because they where getting stolen and transported down to mexico to be run on the same trucks that are now rolling on american highways.

[porfiriozg]

aww dose yelling at me make you feel good about your self. i said tone it down, not shut the f@*# up and i didn't do shit to get us in this situation talk to your congress man. only problem is every politician is a $170,000+ waste of space, have you ever looked up what the government spend your money on,

20,000 to study the drinking habit's of lesbians
10,000,000 to make a simulation game for boarder crosser's that only "64 mile stretch section of the boarder "

and that just the recent shit, the list goes on

Oh now I'm supposed to tone it down? What, are you offended? Aw I'm sorry, I'll go stand in the corner and be quiet like a good little subject.

It is attitudes like yours and most other voters in this country that got us in this position in the first place.

The only reason their trucks are legal is because WE ARE PAYING FOR IT!