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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has issued a news release announcing it has fined three international shipping companies a combined total of $440,250 for failure to switch from dirty "bunker" fuel to cleaner, low-sulphur marine distillate fuel upon entering Regulated California Waters, as required by state law. A CARB investigation showed that on 17 visits to California ports between November 6, 2009 and July 18, 2011, the vessel, "Hoegh Inchon," operated its main engines within Regulated California Waters on bunker fuel, a dirtier fuel oil that contributes to onshore pollution levels of diesel particulate matter, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides. The parent company, Hoegh Autoliners Shipping AS Co. of Oslo, Norway, was fined $299,500.

In February 2013, prior to docking at the Ports of Stockton and Long Beach, the "Ikan Bawal" was cited for failing to switch its engines over to the required cleaner fuel while operating within Regulated California Waters. Its owner, N.C.N Corporation Panama, was fined $87,750.

In August 2012, after it docked at the Port of Los Angeles, the vessel, "K-Pluto," was also cited for failing to switch to the required cleaner fuel while operating within Regulated California Waters. Its parent company, Twin Phoenix Shipping S.A. of Singapore, was fined $53,000.

All three companies co-operated with CARB's investigation and agreed to abide by all pertinent CARB regulations, follow fuel switchover requirements, and keep accurate records. The fines go to the California Air Pollution Control Fund to support air quality research.

The CARB conducts over 500 ship inspections each year, checking for proper fuel usage, record-keeping and other compliance requirements, and takes marine gas oil or marine diesel oil samples for submission to the CARB laboratory to ensure they meet California standards for sulphur.