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Diesel fuel’s national average price fell 6.5 cents to $3.958 a gallon, the 10th straight weekly decline and the first time it has fallen below the $4 mark in almost six months, the Department of Energy said Sept. 22, although a surge in crude oil prices added uncertainty to the outlook.

A federal appeals court Wednesday denied a motion to block a clean trucks program at the Southern California ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, allowing the sister ports to begin implementation of the program Oct. 1, the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times newspaper reported.

Freight railroad Union Pacific Corp. Tuesday boosted its third-quarter earnings forecast due to lower fuel prices and improved operating efficiency.

In a sweeping decision with possible national implications, the Environmental Protection Agency has granted California a waiver that will allow state environmental regulators to implement stringent new heavy-duty vehicle and engine onboard diagnostics requirements for 2010 engines and beyond.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has sent a final rule linking the driver certification to the commercial license, and a proposed rule creating a national registry of doctors qualified to certify drivers to the White House Office of Management and Budget.