Friday, March 14, 2008

New Clean Air Stardards For Locomotive & Marine Diesel

Today the U.S. EPA issued a final rule to toughen clean air standards for locomotive and marine diesel engines. The new emissions standards, when fully implemented, will reduce soot or particulate matter (PM) pollution from train and boat diesel engines by up to 90 percent or 27,000 tons and reduce nitrogen oxides emissions (NOx) by 80 percent or nearly 800,000 tons.

Nationwide this regulation will help prevent 1,400 premature deaths, and 120,000 lost work days annually in 2030. The estimated annual health benefits arevalued between $8.4 billion and $12 billion. The rule cuts emissions from all types of diesel locomotives, including line-haul, switch, and passenger rail, as well as from a wide range of marine sources, including ferries, tugboats, Great Lake freighters and all types of marine auxiliary engines.

For the first time ever, this rule requires remanufacturing standards for marine engines, reductions in engine idling, and the use of after treatment technology that will further reduce diesel emissions. Phasing in tighter long-term standards for PM and NOx will begin in 2014 for marine diesel engines and in 2015 for locomotive engines. This new rule complements the Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Rule and the Clean Air Diesel Truck and Bus Rule, currently underway nationwide. For more information about this action visit: Clean Diesel Locomotive: Clean Diesel Marine: For more information about the: Heavy-Duty Diesel Trucks and Bus Program

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