New Jersey explicitly bans practice of Rolling Coal

New Jersey has just explicitly banned the practice of “rolling coal.” Signed into law last week by Governor Chris Christie, State Senate bill 2418 will make sure you can breathe a littler easier in the Garden State.

As a refresher, The whole “rolling coal” business involves turck owners modifying their diesel engines to spew black soot and crap, polluting the environment as noted by the Jalopnik team Truck Yeah.

This Bill is as follows:

SYNOPSIS

Prohibits retrofitting diesel-powered vehicles to increase particulate emissions for the purpose of “coal rolling”; prohibits the practice of “coal rolling.”

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

As introduced.

AN ACT concerning certain retrofits to diesel-powered vehicles and supplementing P.L.2005, c.219 (C.26:2C-8.26 et al.).

BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. No person shall retrofit any diesel-powered vehicle with any device, smoke stack, or other equipment which enhances the vehicle’s capacity to emit soot, smoke, or other particulate emissions, or shall purposely release significant quantities of soot, smoke, or other particulate emissions into the air and onto roadways and other vehicles while operating the vehicle, colloquially referred to as “coal rolling.” Any person who violates this section shall be subject to the penalties established pursuant to section 27 of P.L.2005, c.219 (C.26:2C-8.52) and any other applicable law.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill prohibits, and establishes penalties for:

1) retrofitting any diesel-powered vehicle with any device, smoke stack, or other equipment which enhances the vehicle’s capacity to emit soot, smoke, or other particulate emissions; and

2) purposely releasing significant quantities of soot, smoke, or other particulate emissions into the air and onto roadways and other vehicles while operating the vehicle.

The bill would prohibit “coal rolling” – the practice of intentionally releasing thick, black diesel smoke and soot from smokestacks on specially retrofitted diesel-powered trucks, which has gained some popularity recently. Coal rolling increases air pollution in the State and creates unsafe driving conditions on New Jersey’s already congested roadways.

The penalty for rolling coal totals up to $5,000 for a first offense. Good riddance we say!

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