A few folks from the trucking industry called after our story Thursday about the delay in the Valley's ozone cleanup deadline. They wanted to know if the state's new diesel rule is delayed, too.

The rule approved by the California Air Resources Board was not delayed or changed in any way by the EPA approval for the Valley. Truckers who are in the process of complying with the rules should continue, authorities say.

The story Thursday referred only to the Valley's ozone plan, which experts say will be helped immensely by state-required diesel improvements that will begin very soon.

One trucking industry source puts it this way:

"There are fleet rules enacted by the ARB over the past nine years that require upgrades and replacement of everything from transit buses, trash trucks, municipal trucks and trucks serving the Port of Stockton or Valley railyards. In the case of the Statewide Truck and Bus Rule, the rule development proceeded over the past three years and is scheduled to be finalized in the next 60 days after being approved by ARB last December."