TORONTO, Ont. — The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has posted a proposed regulatory change to the Drive Clean program on the Province’s Environmental Registry for comments over the next 30 days. Under the proposed new regulations, the requirement for the first emissions test would be extended from five to seven years for all vehicles, including heavy-duty trucks, effective Sept 1.

The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) applauded today’s move by the province to extend the testing period by two years, saying that the fact that heavy-duty vehicles were included in the changes is recognition of the greening of technology present in today’s modern heavy trucks.

“With the evolution of the near-zero emission engine through Environment Canada regulations the need for programs like Drive Clean become less and less relevant,” the OTA said in a release. “For some years now, the OTA has been arguing that with the significant changes to truck engines over the last 10 years the industry has reached a point where trucks should not be seen as gross polluters. This policy move by the Province of Ontario is part of this growing recognition by governments at all levels.”