Crackdown on diesel engines, vehicles, ships, jet fuel, aircraft key to California emissions 'SIP'

Diesel Fuel News, Oct 27, 2003 by Jack Peckham

California Air Resources Board (CARB) last week approved its state implementation plan (SIP) for meeting tough U.S. EPA emissions limits in smoggy metro Los Angeles and statewide.

A diesel crackdown is central to the plan. But it requires U.S. EPA to adopt far tougher emissions limits on ocean-going diesel ships, port equipment, railroads, engines, off-road vehicles/fuels, jet aircraft and even jet fuel, or else California has little chance of meeting ozone and particulate standards by the 2010 EPA deadline.

The SIP, approved during a CARB board meeting last week, largely mirrors a massive strategic plan first outlined a year ago (see Diesel Fuel News 5/13/02, p10).

Among the new actions required by both state and federal regulators:

--Tougher "LEV-3" light-duty vehicle standards (in 2010), following California's upcoming "LEV-2" limits this decade, which largely mirror U.S. EPA "Tier 2" light duty standards for ultra-low emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons (or "reactive organic gases" in CARB lingo), and carbon monoxide (CO);

--Lower-sulfur fuels for off-road engines, marine and locomotive starting in 2006, rather than the 2007-2010 phase-in scheme that EPA proposes;

--Heavy-duty truck chassis emissions tests and highway truck/bus community-based inspections (starting 2005) along with mandatory reprogramming of engine control computers on mid-1990s trucks to stop "off-cycle" excess NOx emissions;

--Anti-idling on heavy-duty trucks: CARB aims to propose by next year mandatory idle-limiting devices, taking effect with 2007 model year. It also aims to assess possible anti-idling rules on existing heavy-duty trucks/buses, by end-2003.

--Depending upon future availability of "Carl Moyer" retrofit funds, more NOx retrofits on existing heavy-duty diesels. This could involve wider use of diesel-water emulsions, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and repowering of old off-road engines with EPA Tier 2 engines.

--Retrofit and emissions inspection requirements on heavy-duty off-road equipment, starting between 2006-2010;

--Detergent additives standards for diesel fuel to control pollution-causing engine deposits, starting between 2006-2010. Also possible: limits on sulfur/ash content in lube oils, to prevent fouling of diesel exhaust catalysts;

--On-board diagnostics for new truck/bus fleets (starting 2007), in coordination with EPA;

--Low-sulfur diesel fuel standards for off-road equipment, locomotives and marine vessels in ports;

--More stringent emissions limits for new harbor craft and ocean-going ships, as well as retrofits on existing ships using cleaner fuels and technologies such as diesel particulate filters (DPFs), selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and water injection;

--Federal incentives to accelerate retrofits/replacement of old diesel engines;

--Tougher emissions limits on locomotives;

--Reduction of "Reclaim" NOx emissions credits by about 8%, and an assumed reduction in demand for such credits since many electric power producers installed emissions-reduction equipment in South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) during California's power crisis 18 months ago;

--Truck stop electrification (TSE), along with mandatory limits on transport refrigeration units (TRUs) and auxiliary power engines;

--Natural gas fuel specifications to avoid the big surge in NOx emissions from variable gas quality on CNG engines;

--Mitigation fees for federally regulated pollution sources. SCAQMD proposes to get grants or U.S. EPA funds to slash emissions from sources for which EPA has legal authority but where EPA isn't planning fast-enough national action. "U.S. EPA has the authority to promulgate regional regulations, whether control requirements or mitigation fees, in lieu of controls," CARB says.

--Special fees on off-road engines and port equipment: SCAQMD is "pursuing the legal authority to regulate existing mobile sources through strategies such as retrofit controls or mitigation fees," CARB says. "Under this measure, the District would develop regulations to require the retrofit of existing off-road engines or to accelerate engine turnover." It also could tap an emissions fee program for "in-use port-related mobile sources such as ships, trains, trucks, off-road equipment and other vehicles."

While EPA has primary authority over mobile sources, SCAQMD could impose fleet rules on off-road vehicles/equipment, CARB notes. However, SCAQMD's controversial "fleet rules" banning purchase of new clean-diesel engines currently face a U.S. Supreme Court challenge (see Diesel Fuel News 9/15/03, p8; 9/2/03, p7);

--ULSD fuel for harbor craft (including ferries), starting as early as mid-2006. Ferries carrying at least 75 persons have already switched to CARB diesel this year, so they could switch to ULSD in 2006, CARB suggests;

--National harbor craft emissions standards. "This concept would rely upon U.S. EPA to develop another tier of more stringent standards for new harbor craft engines," tougher than those foreseen in International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards. CARB recommends Tier 2/3 off-road limits, between 2007-2010, on harbor craft;