What is Track Out?

When leaving job sites and vehicles track out mud and other debris onto roads or other areas that can cause storm water pollution or other adverse effects.

Quarries, ready-mix plants, construction sites and other industrial facilities have become the targets of new regulations designed to prevent track-out of mud, dust and dirt on to public roads. These regulations have been developed primarily in response to Federal EPA actions that have designated many metropolitan areas as “non-attainment” for their failure to comply with air quality standards for fine particulate. Fine particulate, known as PM10 and fine respirable particulate, PM2.5, are now regarded as the number one health hazard in urban environments. These particles are so small that they become lodged in the alveoli of the lungs where they can cause or aggravate a variety of respiratory diseases including asthma, emphysema and lung cancer.

Local governments in non-attainment areas are forced to take drastic measures to comply with fine particulate standards or face the loss of federal highway funds. As a result, cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix, have or are in the process of adopting rules that require affected facilities to install wheel washes. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in California, for example, has recently passed Rule 1157 that will mandate the use of rumble grates and tire washes.

In other areas of the country, encroaching residential and commercial development around industrial sites has led to an increased demand for wheel washes. Many companies, particularly stone quarries, have installed wheel washes in order to get out in front of regulation and demonstrate their willingness to be good neighbors. Other facilities are forced into compliance through fines and litigation.

Faced with state and local governments under the threat of federal action and a public unwilling to tolerate any pollution, companies need to take a hard look at how best to respond. Because the costs of pollution control equipment are difficult to recover, affected facilities have a real incentive to develop affordable and effective technology to prevent carryout.