New regulations passed by the California Air Resources Board on July 26, are expected to impact most California-based equipment owners, including those participating in two Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers unreserved industrial auctions in California in the coming month.

Considered the toughest regulations of their kind in the United States, the new rules effectively require all off-road diesel-fueled equipment with engines greater than 25 hp to be retrofitted, re-powered or replaced if they are not in compliance with the new regulations.

Approximately 180,000 pieces of equipment in California are affected, including construction equipment. Ritchie Bros., an international auctioneer of industrial equipment, will conduct the unreserved public auctions at its permanent auction sites in Los Angeles on Aug. 28-29, and Sacramento on Sept. 6-7.

"No one knows what the long-term impact of the regulations will be on the construction industry or on equipment values in California," said Richard Aldersley, Ritchie Bros. regional manager. "But right now, California is probably the best place for out-of-state buyers to find good quality construction equipment. And for California buyers looking to upgrade their fleets to satisfy the new regulations, we're selling a large selection of tier-compliant construction equipment at the auctions."

Among the more than 1,600 equipment items being sold in the Los Angeles auction are hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, loader backhoes, motor scrapers, motor graders, crawler tractors, mixer trucks and a large selection of transportation equipment. The Sacramento auction include two 2006 Cat 623G motor scrapers, a number of late model wheel loaders, and a large selection of crushing equipment, including a 2007 Terex cone crusher.

Like all Ritchie Bros. auctions, the Los Angeles and Sacramento auctions will be open to the public and completely unreserved. There are no minimum bids or reserve prices and registration is free. Interested bidders can find a complete listing of equipment in both auctions, including photos, on the Ritchie Bros. web site at www.rbauction.com.

Ritchie Bros. operates through more than 110 locations in more than 25 countries around the world.