Rockland passes law to stop cars from idling more than 3 minutes

NEW CITY - Rockland drivers could soon face jail time for leaving their vehicles idling for more than three minutes. The Rockland County Legislature passed the idling bill earlier this month. It takes effect as soon as County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef signs it. Vanderhoef proposed the law more than 18 months ago, along with two other clean-air bills that were approved in February 2006. Violators of the new law face fines of as much as $1,000 and 15 days in jail. Exemptions to the law include emergency vehicles, vehicles stuck in traffic and those that need to have the engine running to perform services or for cargo temperature control. Harriet Cornell, D-West Nyack, also suggested an amendment to specifically exempt vehicles transporting disabled passengers.