In California, Even Heavy Equipment Goes Green

The roughly 180,000 pieces of off road equipment in California spew nearly as much smog-forming emissions and fine particle pollution as the one million diesel trucks that have just come under regulation by the California Air Resources Board.

Board Chairman Mary Nichols said, "ARB's first-in-the nation standards are driving businesses to invest in advanced technologies to clean our air and save the planet. Even heavy duty off road equipment can be part of the solution."

The Air Resources Board adopted a precedent-setting regulation in July 2007 that Nichols says will reduce toxic and cancer-causing diesel emissions from off road vehicles used in construction, mining, airport ground support, and other industries.

The regulation requires the installation of diesel soot filters and encourages the replacement of older, dirtier engines with newer emission-controlled models.

Because many diesel engines lack emission controls and can remain in use for 30 years or longer, they could become long-term contributors to air pollution.

But Nichols estimates that under the regulation, by 2020, diesel particulate matter will be reduced by 74 percent and smog forming oxides of nitrogen by 32 percent, compared to what emissions would be without the rule.

Diesel particulate matter, or diesel soot, was identified as a toxic air contaminant in 1998.

The ARB estimates that the off-road diesel rule will prevent at least 4,000 premature deaths statewide and avoid $18 to 26 billion in premature death and health costs.

"It cannot be overstated how this new regulation will help us in preventing air pollution-related health problems for residents of our region," said Barry Wallerstein, executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

A refuse compactor at the Puente Hills Landfill (Photo by John Wiseman)

"Speeding up the transition to cleaner off-road equipment is key in our efforts to protect public health," he said.

ARB performed a comprehensive economic analysis of the rule's impact on business, which concluded that the regulation will cost industry up to $3.5 billion over its lifetime.

The requirements and deadlines vary depending on fleet size.

For small fleets, which include small businesses or municipalities with a combined horsepower of 2500 or less, implementation does not begin until 2015.

Medium fleets, with 2501 to 5000 horsepower, have until 2013, while large fleets, with over 5000 horsepower, must begin complying in 2010.

Bulldozers, loaders, backhoes and forklifts, as well as many other self-propelled off-road diesel vehicles must meet the new standard.

"This equipment is no longer just moving earth - it's moving California toward better air quality," said Wayne Nastri, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Pacific Southwest region, viewing the heavy equipment at Puente Hills.

"And with the $1 million we're giving to the South Coast Air Quality Management District to clean up 700 heavy duty trucks, more and more vehicles will be driving toward a future of cleaner air," Nastri said.

The funding for the greener heavy equipment resulted from enforcement actions that the U.S. EPA took against Chevron, Valero, Cosmed and ARCO for violations at their California facilities.

As part of their settlements, these companies agreed to use funds that otherwise would have been paid as penalties to conduct environmental projects that directly benefit the community where the violations occurred.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2009. All rights reserved.