April 19, 2007
Spring Newsletter
Recap of On-Road
Diesel Engine Standards
Standards for New
On-Road Diesel Engines
In 2001, ARB (Air Resources Board)
adopted new PM and NOx emission standards to clean up large diesel engines that
power big-rig trucks. Trash trucks delivery vans and other large vehicles. The new standard for PM takes effect in 2007
and reduces emissions to 0.01 gram of pm per brake horsepower-hour
(g/bhp-hr.) This is a 90 percent
reduction from the existing PM standard.
New engines will meet the 0.01 g/bhp-hr PM standard with the aid of
diesel particulate filters that trap the PM before exhaust leaves the vehicle.
Cleaner In-Use Diesel
Engines
Over the past two years, ARB
has developed six new regulations to reduce PM emissions and other pollutants
from diesel engines. Another six to eight
regulations are planned for adoption over the next two years. These regulations have relied on the
following four approaches to significantly reduce emissions from diesel
engines:
Replace/Repower
Replace the existing engine with a new diesel engine
Retrofit Apply an ARB-verified diesel emission control system to the existing engine
and fuel system (can include alternative fuels)
Retire the Whole Vehicle Replacing it with an alternative-fueled vehicle or
vehicle with a new, cleaner diesel engine.
Operational Modification Examples include reduced operating time, reduced
idling, or use of electric power
New Regulations for
In-Use Diesel Engines
The ARB has adopted several
regulations that will reduce diesel emission from in-use vehicles and engines
throughout California. In some cases,
the PM reduction strategies also reduce smog-forming emission such as NOx. These regulations include:
Waste Collections
Trucks
The waste collection vehicle
rule offers a variety of strategies that owners must select and apply to each
truck in a phased-in schedule from 2004 through 2010 to achieve PM reductions
of up to 85 percent. The rule includes
compliance flexibility. A key benefit
of the rule is the reduction of PM emissions in residential neighborhoods.
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Transportation
Refrigeration Units
Transport Refrigeration Units
(TRUs) are diesel-powered refrigeration units that cool temperature-sensitive
products while they are being shipped in trucks, trailers, shipping containers
and rail cars. Although the diesel
engines powering TRUs tend to be relatively small, there are about 40,000 of
them operating in California. Their PM
emission will be reduced by 65 percent by 2010 and by 92 percent by 2020.
Incentive Programs
Cleaner Air
In addition to adopted
regulations, the ARB has programs in place to provide incentives for owners of
higher polluting diesel engines or vehicles to replace that equipment with
cleaner, less-polluting equipment. Some
of the programs that will reduce diesel PM are:
Carl Moyer Program: The Carl
Moyer Program was established in 1999 to offer monetary incentives to reduce
NOx emissions from diesel engines. Some
of the strategies used to reduce NOx, such as replacing old diesel engines with
new alternative-fuel engines, have also resulted in lower PM emissions. The Moyer Program pays vehicle owners to
offset the extra cost of reducing NOx emissions below the levels called for by
current standards, agreements of regulations.
The state has paid about $155 million in Moyer incentives since the
Program began with air district matching funds bringing the total to more than
$200 million.
Compliance Assurance
Activities
ARB enforced rules
and programs are:
Field Inspection and
Testing: ARB regulations require that diesel engines not smoke. ARB has compliance teams that inspect diesel
vehicles for excessive smoke and owners are required to perform smoke tests
annually on their diesel trucks.
Violators face fines and must bring their vehicles into compliance. In addition, ARB will inspect vehicles and
engines to ensure their in-use regulations are followed. Once a vehicle or engine is in compliance,
it must remain in compliance throughout its life in California.
Retrofit Verification
Procedure: One of the options for ARBs new in-use diesel PM reduction rules is
reducing PM emissions through the application of ARB-verified diesel emission
control strategies to existing engines.
Verified control devices such as filters and catalysts or verified fuels
can be cost-effective means to reduce diesel PM from engines. ARB verifies diesel emission control
strategies to assure they significantly reduce diesel PM, are durable, and have
mandatory warranty. Owners are required
to use only ARB-verified products to ensure the mandated PM reductions are real
and durable. ARB works with companies
to verify products for those applications where they work best.
What Is Next?
ARB continues to look forward
into future reductions in air pollution in the following years. Hear are the actions to be considered:
Idling Restrictions for
On-Road Diesel Trucks
Requirements for existing
stationary agricultural engines
Rules for publicly-owned equipment
and vehicles
Rules for privately-owned
equipment and vehicles
Reducing PM from cargo
handling equipment at ports and shipping yards
Sincerely,
Randy Farrens
President
