| ARB adopts heavy-duty
diesel idling control measure
(Sacramento) -- The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has adopted a
diesel air toxic control measure that requires big rig truck and
interstate bus operators to shut their engines down after five minutes
of non-essential idling.
ARB Chairman Dr. Alan Lloyd said, "This new measure expands our control
over diesel engine emissions by cutting an obvious source of this
pollution. Modern diesel engines and new, cleaner fuels do not have to
be operated differently than other types of engines, which owners simply
turn off when they are not in use."
The new regulation, approved July 22, affects the more than 400,000
heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses registered in California and all
out-of-state trucks and buses operating in California.
The regulation will eliminate 166 tons of particulate pollution per
year and about 6,600 tons per year of smog-forming nitrogen oxide
emissions from the state's air.
As a result of the new measure, California truck and bus operators
will each save about 125 gallons of diesel fuel per year, or
collectively over one million gallons each week.
Bus operators may idle for ten minutes prior to entering passenger
service in order to prepare their vehicles for customer use.
The new measure is similar to the
ARB's school bus idling measure
adopted in 2002 that prohibits any unneeded idling.
The new measure allows idling for up to five minutes but like the
school bus measure limits idling within 100 feet of residences and will
take effect almost immediately.
The penalty for violating both measures is $100 per violation.
Diesel operators often let their engines idle for long periods of
time because of fears that their vehicles might not start well when cold
or in bad weather.
However, newer engine and fuel technologies have eliminated that
problem.
As part of the new regulation's enforcement efforts, the ARB will
institute a public education program to help diesel drivers better
understand the newer technologies and how they can improve vehicle
operations.
This measure is the latest in an ARB program to reduce the toxic risk
from diesel exhaust.
In addition to the school bus idling measure, the ARB has also
adopted rules that limit emissions from urban transit buses, garbage
trucks and portable engines.
In conjunction with USEPA, the ARB has also approved standards for
low sulfur diesel fuel set to take effect in 2006 and stringent tailpipe
emission standards, which become effective in 2007.
ARB research has shown that diesel exhaust accounts for 70 percent of
the toxic air contaminants that Californians are exposed to daily.
The ARB identified diesel exhaust as a toxic air contaminant in 1998.
(Posted 8/17/04)
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