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PA EPA FINALIZES ADDITIONAL EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS STANDARDS FOR NON-ROAD DIESEL ENGINES
Release Date: 08/28/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1998
EPA FINALIZES ADDITIONAL EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS STANDARDS FOR NON-ROAD DIESEL ENGINES
EPA has finalized more stringent emission reduction standards for all non-road diesel engines with the exception of those used in locomotives, underground mining equipment and engines over 50 hp used in marine vessels and smaller engines typically used in model airplanes. The new standards which will be phased in between 1999 and 2008 will reduce ground-level ozone and particulate matter by an additional two-thirds beyond those currently in effect. The Agency said emissions of ozone-forming nitrogen oxides will be reduced about one million tons annually by 2010, the equivalent of taking 35 million passenger cars off the road, at a cost of about $600 per ton which compares favorably with other emission control strategies, adding less than one percent to the purchase of typical new non-road diesel equipment. The final rule also includes provisions to ensure compliance with the new standards and a program for voluntary standards for engines with superior emissions performance. Much of the new technology will be available in highway truck engines several years prior to the implementation of the new standards for non-road equipment. EPA worked with California and other states, the European Commission, and stakeholders to design a program that would achieve large reductions in emissions. The process resulted in the signing of Statement of Principles in 1996 which helped guide the development of a formal proposal for the program published in September 1997. The new standards are expected to be adopted by California and are consistent with those proposed in Europe giving manufacturers the advantage of using a single engine or machine design for all markets and avoid the added cost of multiple versions. Small businesses were consulted by a Small Advocacy Review Panel, the first one convened by the Agency under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. In response to the panel’s recommendations, several flexibility provisions were adopted in the final rule to minimize cost impacts and assist small businesses in implementing the program. The Agency said that it plans to reasess the feasibility of the most stringent tier of standards in 2001 and make adjustments as appropriate, including the adoption of more stringent particulate matter standards.
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