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Mass. Furniture Installation Company Fined for Idling Violations

Release Date: 10/06/2008
Contact Information: David Deegan, 617.918.1017

(Boston, Mass. – Oct. 6, 2007) – Material Installations, Inc, a furniture installation company in North Andover, will pay an EPA fine of $34,692 for repeated violations of the Massachusetts 5-minute vehicle idling limit. The case settlement, which was filed Sept. 30, alleges that nineteen idling violations occurred between 2005 - 2007.

Material Installations is a furniture installer that operates a fleet of vehicles to make deliveries of modular furniture from its North Andover facility. Most of the violations addressed by this action were committed by other companies’ delivery trucks that were allowed to idle excessively at the Material Installations loading dock and parking lot.

Pollution from idling engines contributes to ozone smog, fine particle pollution, and increased carbon dioxide emissions. Excessive idling not only contributes to air pollution, but also wastes fuel and emits greenhouse gases. Five New England states have idling limits – Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island and Maine.

EPA offers assistance to companies and facilities in implementing alternatives to idling. Idling typically wastes almost a gallon of fuel per hour, and puts more wear and tear on an engine than driving. Driver education, improved pick-up and delivery logistics, and automatic shutdown systems are just a few of the many ways that businesses can reduce vehicle idling.

More information: Reducing Diesel pollution in New England (www.epa.gov/region1/eco/diesel).