The California Air Resources Board (ARB) fined Thermo King Corporation $213,200 for violating terms of the conditional verification granted to its Thermo King eDPF (diesel particulate filter). These filters are used to reduce emissions from the Auxiliary Power Units (APUs), which allow heavy-duty trucks to use air conditioning, heat, and other functions without the need for engine idling.

On June 24, 2008, the Thermo King particulate filter was conditionally verified for use on APUs for a period not to exceed three years.  The ARB staff learned that the company continued to sell the filters after the verification expired in 2011.  To settle the case, Thermo King Corporation agreed to pay $213,200 to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, which supports air quality improvement efforts and research.  The company also agreed to comply with the ARB verification procedure, and to sell filters in the future only with ARB’s written approval.  Customers who installed Thermo King particulate filters will not be penalized.  Instead, the warranty for their filters was extended to 3,000 hours.

Thermo King received full verification of their particulate filters in August 2012.