Epstein questions industry panel on truck confrontations and regeneration timing

And I recognize Councilmember Epstein for questions of this panel.

Yeah, thank you, Chair.

I want to thank this panel.

Do people really think on this panel that a human being who's concerned about idling should knock on the– you actually think too much to knock on the window of the truck and say, hey, you're idling and that violates the law.

Can you turn off your car?

You think that is a realistic solution here?

Well, I just last week got a citizen's complaint from a truck that was idling in March of 2025.

It just came last Friday.

And when I looked at the video, after the three minutes were up, the citizen went to the driver and was asking him questions.

How many tons are you pumping off?

So if they could have that conversation and the objective is to reduce or minimize unnecessary idling, they could have that.

So we only have a couple minutes.

So the answer is you think yes.

You think it's a healthy thing for someone to go knock on the truck and say, hey, you're idling.

Can you stop?

That's what you think is the solution here.

It's having a civil conversation.

Sure.

I understand that.

But do you think the driver.

Communication solves all problems.

Do you think the driver would, that would result in a civil conversation?

Well, if they have their video camera on, my driver.

Yeah.

was disrespectful in any way, that I would pay the fine.

I'll make sure question.

How would they contact you if your driver was being uncivil?

Like, what would be the goal?

Like, you think they should just send an email to you notifying you that the driver was being uncivil?

Like, somehow contact the business connected to the driver?

They could, but all I'm just...

I mean, I'm just, let's be realistic.

This is New York, right?

I mean, we all want to be civil.

We all want to be respectful.

But I've actually, in front of my building, you know, for the last, you know, decades I've been living there, said to someone, hey, you're idling in front of my building.

It's right next to a school playground.

Do you mind stopping?

And I've been cursed at more than one time for doing just that.

At the same time, I've been civil to people who take their dog and put them on the swings and the playground equipment and say, hey, this is like my kids play here.

Don't do that.

And they are uncivil back.

So I don't think our goal is to put people into difficult situations.

Our goal is to try to reduce particulates in the air, right?

Yes.

Okay.

So I just want to be clear just to make sure that this regeneration, can that happen when the vehicle's actively being used, like driving around?

Yes.

So you can do regenerate.

You don't have to idle to regenerate.

You can regenerate while the vehicle is moving.

I'm sorry.

You have, when...

Talk right into it.

Okay.

Of course.

When you, when that light goes on, you have to pull back.

Okay.

When that light goes on.

Right.

The regeneration light, you're saying.

Yes.

You have to pull over within a very short period of time.

Okay.

Stop.

And that's when you.

Do the regeneration.

You're not driving when you regenerate.

So regeneration only happens when you're not moving, and that's the technology that exists today?

Yes.

And how long does that regeneration take?

I'm not sure about that.

Could you find out and get back to us about how long that regeneration takes?

It's about 15 to 20 minutes.

So basically, whenever that happens, you're going to have to pull over wherever you are and regenerate for 15 to 20 minutes?

Within a reasonable location.

When that light goes on, the driver is told to pull over, not immediately, but within a reasonable time period.

Because you have to stop this vehicle, else it's going to destroy the vehicle.

And so you pull over where you find a place which is an appropriate place to just stop and let it regenerate.

That's what you do.

And I just want to, I know you mentioned the issue of like fines being centered in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

He's saying that.

More of these should be happening in other parts of the city.

I'm just saying the DEP's own testimony at the last hearing was that the fines were concentrated in those areas and not in the areas that...

could benefit from cleaner air.

So just so I'm clear, you're saying areas of Manhattan won't benefit by cleaner air?

No, of course they will.

But I do think that it's easy bait for a citizen to use the most densely populated areas to try to

capitalize on the program.

Right.

And so the densely populated areas, which have a lot of trucks and a lot of humans, are the ones that have a higher particulate matter, too, because they have less trees.

What?

The DEP said it doesn't.

Well, I mean, in my district, which is Manhattan, which is also a residential part of the city, also has a lot of high particulate matters, especially with the FDR that's in my district.

We have a lot of truck traffic in my district.

And so we see a lot of pollution and we want to reduce those that behavior, right?

That makes sense.

So creating more exceptions to idling, I don't think would incentivize.

Actually, in my more complete testimony, I simply said that I thought that you should base fines on the areas where there's the most air pollution versus necessarily concentrating them in one area.

All right.

Thank you, Chair.