(Adopted August 18, 2000)(Amended June 4, 2004) 

(Amended September 9, 2005)(Amended May 5, 2006) 

(Amended June 6, 2008)(Amended January 9, 2009) 

RULE 1186.1. LESS-POLLUTING SWEEPERS 

(a) Purpose 

To reduce air toxic and criteria pollutant emissions, this rule requires certain 

public and private sweeper fleet operators to acquire and operate alternative-fuel 

or otherwise less-polluting sweepers when purchasing or leasing these vehicles 

for sweeping operations undertaken by or for governments or governmental 

agencies in the jurisdiction of the South Coast Air Quality Management District 

(District). 

(b) Applicability 

(1) This rule applies to any federal, state, county, city or governmental 

department or agency, any special district such as water, air, sanitation, 

transit, and school districts, or private individual firm, association, 

franchise, contractor, user or owner who provides sweeping services to a 

governmental agency that owns or leases 15 or more vehicles, including 

passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium- and heavy-duty on-road 

vehicles, but excluding those vehicles exempt as defined by Rule 1191 

paragraph (f)(1). 

(2) Sweepers having a gross vehicle weight of 14,000 pounds or more are 

subject to this rule. 

(c) Definitions 

For purposes of this rule, the following definitions shall apply: 

(1) AFFECTED GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY means any governmental 

agency in the District’s jurisdiction that owns or leases 15 or more 

vehicles, including passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium- and 

heavy-duty on-road vehicles, or contracts for sweeping services, excluding 

those exempt as defined by Rule 1191 paragraph (f)(1). 

(2) ALTERNATIVE-FUEL SWEEPER means a sweeper with engine(s) that 

use compressed or liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas 

(propane), methanol, electricity, or fuel cells. Hybrid-electric and dual1186.1 - 1 
Rule 1186.1 (cont.) (Amended January 9, 2009) 

fuel technologies that use diesel fuel are not considered alternative-fuel 

technologies for the purposes of this rule. 

(3) APPROVED CONTROL DEVICE(S) is a California Air Resources Board 

(CARB)-certified exhaust control device(s) that reduces particulates and 

possibly other precursor emissions. To be considered fitted with approved 

control device(s), all diesel exhaust from the sweeper, including the 

auxiliary engine (if applicable) must be vented through such a device(s) 

that have been certified by CARB at the time of vehicle purchase. 

(4) FLEET OPERATOR is any federal, state, county, city, or governmental 

department or agency, any special district such as water, air, sanitation, 

transit, and school districts, or private individual firm, association, 

franchise, contractor, user or owner who provides sweeping services to a 

governmental agency that owns or leases 15 or more vehicles, including 

passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium- and heavy-duty on-road 

vehicles, excluding those exempt as defined by Rule 1191 

paragraph (f)(1). 

(5) GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY include any federal, state, regional, 

county, city, or governmental department and agency, and any special 

district such as water, air, sanitation, transit, and school districts. See 

AFFECTED GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY. 

(6) LOW-SULFUR DIESEL FUEL means diesel fuel that has a maximum 

sulfur content of 15 parts per million (ppm). The use of low-sulfur diesel 

fuel improves the performance of and may be necessary for the use of 

advanced exhaust control devices. 

(7) PURCHASE OR LEASE means that a purchase or lease contract has been 

signed by both parties for a sweeper to be delivered within 1 year of the 

purchase or lease contract date, which is the date the contract is signed by 

both parties. 

(8) SWEEPER means any heavy-duty vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 

14,000 pounds or more that is permitted to operate on public roads 

through California Department of Motor Vehicle registration or the federal 

government and used for the express purpose of removing material from 

paved surfaces, by mechanical means through the action of one or more 

brooms, or by suction through a vacuum or regenerative air system or any 

combination of the above. 

1186.1 - 2
Rule 1186.1 (cont.) (Amended January 9, 2009) 

(9) SWEEPING OPERATIONS means operations to remove material from 

paved surfaces using sweeper(s), as defined by this rule. 

(d) Requirements 

For Fleet Operators: 

(1) Beginning July 1, 2002, a fleet operator shall meet the following 

conditions for each individual purchase or lease of a replacement or 

additional sweeper: 

(A) Purchase or lease an alternative-fuel sweeper, OR 

(B) Provide alternative-fuel sweeping services where required under 

contract with a government agency, pursuant to subparagraphs 

(d)(2)(A) and (d)(2)(B). 

(C) Before July 1, 2010, if the fleet operator has an approved 

Technical Infeasibility Certification for this individual purchase or 

lease, as described in subdivision (e), 

(i) purchase or lease a non-alternative fueled sweeper with all 

applicable approved control device(s), and 

(ii) maintain the approved control device(s) per manufacturer’s 

specifications, and 

(iii) if using diesel fuel, fuel the sweeper with low-sulfur diesel 

fuel only, and 

(iv) comply with Rule 1186 without invoking the exemption 

provision in Rule 1186 paragraph (i)(3), unless a 

demonstration is made to the Executive Officer that for 

solely technical reasons no certified sweeper, as defined in 

Rule 1186 paragraph (c)(2), is commercially available. 

(D) Failure to use alternative-fuel sweepers where required under 

contract with a government agency shall be a violation of this rule 

for each day that the street sweeping services are provided. 

For Affected Governmental Agencies Contracting for Sweeping Services: 

(2) Any affected governmental agency that signs a contract after July 1, 2002 

for sweeping services must: 

(A) Contract for sweeping services that use alternative-fuel sweeper(s), 

OR 

(B) Solicit bids for sweeping operations using alternative-fuel 

sweepers and if no bids are submitted: 

1186.1 - 3
Rule 1186.1 (cont.) (Amended January 9, 2009) 

(i) Contract for non-alternative fueled sweeper(s) and ensure 

that the sweeper(s) are only fueled with low-sulfur diesel 

and outfitted with approved control device(s) that are 

installed and maintained per the manufacturer's 

specifications, and 

(ii) Contract for sweeper(s) that comply with Rule 1186, unless 

a demonstration is made to the Executive Officer that for 

solely technical reasons no certified sweeper, as defined in 

Rule 1186 paragraph (c)(2), is commercially available. 

(3) After January 1, 2003, any renewal or extension option of a contract is 

considered a new contract that must meet the requirements of paragraph 

(d)(2). 

(4) Pursuant to paragraph (d)(2), alternative-fuel sweepers shall be used for 

the entire term of the contract. If alternative-fuel sweepers are not 

available at the beginning of the contract due to the date of delivery, the 

affected government agency shall submit a signed and dated Technical 

Infeasibility Certification Request to the Executive Officer prior to the 

award of the contract demonstrating the unavailability of alternative-fuel 

sweeper service for the period of time during which alternative-fuel 

sweepers are to be delivered. 

(e) Technical Infeasibility Certification Criteria and Procedures 

(1) Six months prior to the date of purchase or lease of a replacement or 

additional sweeper, any fleet operator seeking to comply with subdivision 

(d) without purchasing or leasing an alternate-fuel sweeper [i.e., opting to 

comply with paragraph (d)(2)], shall demonstrate the technical 

infeasibility of complying with paragraph (d)(1) requirements by 

submitting a signed and dated Technical Infeasibility Certification Request 

to the Executive Officer and attest to the accuracy of all statements 

therein, that shall include: 

(A) the name and address of the fleet operator; and 

(B) current sweeper fleet composition, including make, model, and a 

complete description of the sweepers’ dust suppression systems; and 

(C) demonstration that no alternative-fuel engine and chassis 

configuration is commercially available from any manufacturer for 

sweeping operations conducted by the fleet operator (only technical 

1186.1 - 4
Rule 1186.1 (cont.) (Amended January 9, 2009) 

reasons for choosing a given chassis configuration are acceptable), 

OR 

(D) demonstration that a fueling station for alternative-fuel sweepers 

commercially available from any manufacturer for sweeping 

operations conducted by the fleet operator is not available within 

five miles of the vehicle storage or maintenance yards. 

(2) Within 90 calendar days of receipt of a completed Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request submitted pursuant to paragraph (e)(1), the 

Executive Officer will either approve or disapprove the Request, in 

writing. 

(3) The Executive Officer shall disapprove a Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request if it does not meet the requirements of paragraph 

(e)(1). If a Technical Infeasibility Certification Request is disapproved by 

the Executive Officer: 

(A) The reasons for disapproval shall be given to the applicant in 

writing. 

(B) Upon receipt of a notice of a disapproved Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request, the fleet operator shall comply with 

paragraph (d)(1). 

(C) The fleet operator may resubmit a Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request at any time after receiving a disapproval 

notification, but must still comply with paragraph (d)(1) until such 

time as the Executive Officer approves a Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request under paragraph (e)(1). 

(4) A Technical Infeasibility Certification Request is subject to plan filing and 

evaluation fees as described in Rule 306. 

(f) Exemptions 

(1) The provisions of this rule shall not apply to fleets consisting of 

evaluation/test vehicles, provided by or operated by the vehicle 

manufacturer or manufacturer representative for testing or evaluation, 

exclusively. 

(2) The provisions of subdivision (d) shall not apply to a sweeper purchase by 

a fleet operator that is solely dedicated to serving governmental agencies 

that are not subject to this rule, upon demonstration to and approval of the 

Executive Officer. 

1186.1 - 5
Rule 1186.1 (cont.) (Amended January 9, 2009) 

1186.1 - 6

(g) Compliance Auditing and Enforcement 

(1) At the request of the Executive Officer, the fleet operator shall provide the 

purchase, lease, or contract records for their sweepers to demonstrate 

compliance with subdivision (d). 

(2) At the request of the Executive Officer, any fleet operator claiming an 

exemption under subdivision (f) shall supply proof that their sweeper or 

fleet is exempted from this rule. 

(h) Severability 

If any provision of this rule is held by judicial order to be invalid, or invalid or 

inapplicable to any person or circumstance, such order shall not affect the validity 

of the remainder of this rule, or the validity or applicability of such provision to 

other persons or circumstances. In the event any of the exceptions to this rule is 

held by judicial order to invalid, the persons or circumstances covered by the 

exception shall instead be required to comply with the remainder of this rule.