A little-noticed state emissions regulation that could increase some equipment costs for business is on the verge of passing.

At its monthly board meeting this week, the California Air Resources Board is set to consider tougher emission standards for the “spark-ignition” engines commonly used in portable generators, air compressors and other industrial equipment.

Those new standards come more quietly than controversial efforts to control emissions from diesel vehicles.

Assuming the spark-ignition regulation passes after the Nov. 21 hearing, emission levels of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide must be slashed by 90 percent by 2015 for those engines.

According to a board staff report, roughly 100,000 of those engines were sold in 2007. That number is expected to increase to about 170,000 by 2020.

“The number of engine families and the maximum power ratings of these engines have grown significantly, making emissions from these engines a greater concern,” the report states.

Unlike the diesel rules, this regulation applies only to new engines, not existing ones. As a result, the main opposition has not come from companies, but from engine manufacturers. The engine makers have argued that meeting these requirements would require liquid cooling instead of air cooling, which would be more expensive.

Board staff members have countered that liquid-cooled engines are more effective in their cooling power. They also note many engine manufacturers have already been using new cooling and fuel-injection systems and that those manufacturers not using these technologies will have seven years to make the switch.

If the regulation passes, it’s likely that manufacturers and other end users of these devices will have to pay a bit more for them in years to come.

For more information on the regulation and the hearing, log on to the Air Resources Board Web site at arb.ca.gov and go to the Board Agenda section.

Torrance Targeted Again

Retailers and other businesses in Torrance, beware: State regulators are targeting you to make sure you’re paying your sales taxes.

It’s part of a crackdown by the Board of Equalization aimed at catching retail scofflaws and participants in the underground economy. The clampdown was prompted by a pilot program a few years back that found 3 percent of businesses in the state are not officially registered with the agency and do not pay the sales taxes they owe, resulting in an estimated loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to state and local governments.

The 90504 ZIP code in Torrance is one of four ZIP codes statewide targeted in the second round of sweeps under the program; the neighboring 90505 ZIP code was hit in the first round in September.

Targeted businesses receive a letter warning of upcoming visits from board inspectors. Board spokeswoman Anita Gore said the agents will ensure that each business they visit has a valid seller’s permit and any other permits or licenses they require, such as one for selling tobacco products.

The agents will also monitor sales volume and see if it is consistent with what the business reports. For example, Gore said, if a business reports selling $5,000 worth of merchandise a month and the inspectors see major lines and large numbers of big-ticket items being sold, they will send a follow-up letter asking for more detailed records of monthly sales.

The inspections can have some benefits for business. Gore said that some businesses overpay their sales taxes. In those cases, the businesses are advised to file refund claims.

For more information, log on to the state Board of Equalization Web site at boe.ca.gov.

License Gathering

Businesses and professions that require state licenses are the focus of a four-day conference this week at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel organized by the state Department of Consumer Affairs.

According to department spokesman Russ Heimerich, there are about 2.4 million professionals in California holding various licenses, ranging from acupuncturists to landscape architects to veterinary technicians. The department and various professional boards oversee the licensing procedures for hundreds of professions.

On the agenda at the conference starting Nov. 17:

– What a predicted shortage of professional license holders in the state will mean for California’s economy.

– Issues surrounding online prescriptions and labeling of prescription containers.

– Discussion of the types of services that licensed professionals are now offering online.

Heimerich said the conference will also focus on consumer protection issues, including scams targeting seniors and other vulnerable populations.

For more information, log on to dca.ca.gov/summit/.

Staff reporter Howard Fine can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 227.