---

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has fined four shipping companies a combined $146,719 for failing to switch to cleaner, low-sulphur marine distillate fuel upon entering regulated Californian waters - within 24 nautical miles of the California coast.

The companies mentioned below were fined for either failing to switch to cleaner fuel within regulated waters, or for "switching fuels in an untimely manner".

Company: Wealth Ocean Ship Management Co., Ltd. (China)
Vessel name: Uni Auc One
Fine: $27,750

Company: China Shipping Container Lines (China)
Vessel name: Xin Mei Zhou
Fine: $35,719

Company: Liberty One Ship Management (Germany)
Vessel name: BBC Arizona
Fine: $53,000

Company: Kitaura Kaiun Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Vessel name: Ocean Seagull
Fine: $30,250

"They all took prompt action after being notified of the violations, and, under ARB's supervision, are complying with state law," the ARB said in a statement.

"State anti-pollution laws require shippers to do their part to protect air quality," said ARB Enforcement Chief Jim Ryden.

"Shippers who comply are helping to protect the health of those who live, work, and go to schools near ports and shipping lanes. Many Californians don’t realize that diesel soot and other pollutants can also travel far inland to impact communities nowhere near the sea. Our Ocean-Going Vessels Fuel Rule strives to protect residents throughout the state from the harmful impacts of ship pollution," Ryden added.

Adopted in 2008, the Ocean-Going Vessels Fuel Rule was designed to reduce fine particulate pollution, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur oxide emissions from ocean-going vessels to improve air quality and public health in California.

The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California.