Cleaner Diesel
Makes Good Business Sense
Low-Cost Ways to
Cleaner Construction
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Reducing diCSel emissions is becoming more important in today's
marketplace as construction project owners increasingly call for use of clean diesel practices.
Contractors with cleaner diesel operations are finding themselves well-positioned for future
business. Funding assistance from state and federal governments might be available to help you re-
duce engine emissions.
Diesel engines provide the power needed to keep communities running, yet exhaust from these work-
horses contains pollutants that can harm public health and the environment. Fortunately, there are low
cost ways to efficiently harness the power of diesel engines while also clearing the air around work
sites. Now is the time to make your construction fleet cleaner.
"We believe the trend will continue to move toward public entities requiring
clean equipment on their projects. And we 'd like to think we are positioning
our company to be on the cutting edge of that process. "
Leonard Cherry
President/Owner
Cherry Company
Texas
How Your Company Can Benefit and What You Can Do
I
-redUCtlOll pr3,CtlCeS save money. Less idling means fuel savings, extended
engine life, and a safer and better work environment for equipment operators.
Establish and implement an idle-reduction policy.
Install idle-reduction devices.
Reward operators for reducing idling.
Track fuel usage and calculate savings.
Encourage operators to follow manufacturer-recommended warm-up and cool-down periods.
A company can save $475 to $950 per year
per vehicle by reducing unnecessary
idle time one hour per day (based on
$3.17 per gallon for diesel fuel).
"We have a couple of policies in the company that are driven by both
environment and economics. 'No idling'is one of them. We adopted a
no-idling policy at least four years ago. "
Bob Lanham
Vice President
Williams Brothers
Texas
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p
reventive engine maintenance helps avoid costly equipment failures,
maximizes fuel efficiency, and extends engine life. A well-maintained engine runs more
cleanly.
• Address equipment problems promptly.
• Follow manufacturer-recommended preventive maintenance practices.
• Track preventive maintenance needs, schedules, and warranty specifications.
• Inspect equipment daily and address any problems immediately. A smoking engine might
indicate a problem that decreases efficiency.
Kimmins Contracting of Tampa, Florida,
has saved more than $300,000 with oil
analysis done as part of its preventive
maintenance program.
T
raining equipment Operators to run equipment properly and safely
increases productivity and safety while reducing maintenance costs, fuel consumption, and
emissions. Create in-house training or take advantage of employee training provided by
manufacturers or other equipment professionals.
"The cost of the training is miniscule when compared to
replacing an undercarriage on a large dozer or fixing a
blown tire on an off-highway truck. "
George Schulz
Certified Dealer Instructor
Giles and Ransome, Inc.
Pennsylvania
s
Witching tO Ultra lOW-SUlfur diCSel (ULSD) fuel reduces engine
wear, deposits, and oil degradation. On-site fueling is simplified when both highway vehicles
and nonroad equipment use the same fuel.
"We 've been using ULSD since July 2001... It's
been transparent to us as users that ULSD ends
up performing just like our olddiesel. "
David Kerrigan
Fleet Servies Director
City of Seattle
Washington
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u
Sing blOQlGSGl lUGl can improve lubricity and reduce engine wear. Check
with your equipment manufacturer and be sure to use fuel-grade biodiesel that meets
standard D6751 set by the ASTM.
"In the construction business, green has become
apriority. Our biodiesel strategy has helped
position our company at the top. "
Tom Ambrey
CEO
RAFN Construction
Washington State
R
CC[UlpfflCnt enhances the public image of a company, improves
the work environment for operators, and can help a company stay competitive in the
contruction industry — all while reducing harmful emissions.
Installing catalysts and filters verified by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency or
California Air Resources Board ensures the emission reduction and durability of retrofit
technologies. Engine upgrade kits are also available and can be installed during routinely
scheduled engine rebuilds.
On using equipment fitted with a diesel paniculate filter: "I notice it is a lot
quieter, a lot cleaner, and it's a lot friendlier to the people in the neighborhood.
I don't end up smelling like a diesel truck at the end of the day
Steve Mobsen
Operation Engineer
Local #14
On using equipment fitted with diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs),
"We 've noticed a drastic decrease in all the exhaust plumes
coming out of the older machines with the DOCs on them. "
Michael Kusbel
TJ Lambrecht
Superintendent
Illinois
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R
equipment is one of the most cost-effective ways
to reduce emissions from diesel engines.
"It's obviously cheaper to retrofit your machines with these
diesel particulate filters and diesel oxidation catalysts than it
is to bring all new equipment in. I definitely think it makes us
more competitive."
Matt Wilke
Equipment Superintendent
Kiewit
Illinois
I
, Cleaner engines can lower fuel consumption, improve
engine reliability, extend life of equipment, and lower maintenance costs in addition to all
of the benefits of retrofitting equipment.
"The equipment performance does actually improve. It's a
newer, more efficient engine. The better technology of today's
electronically controlled engines can just outperform mechanical
engines.
Mike Hulon
Product Support Sales Manager
Mustang Caterpillar
Texas
"We are using as much capital as we can afford
to upgrade our engines... That is going to be the
price of admission to stay in this business. »
Mike Crawford
CEO
Sukut Equipment, Inc.
California
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Low-Cost Ways to Cleaner Construction
EPA's Clean Construction USA provides support to contractors, owners, and operators of
equipment who want to implement strategies that reduce emissions from diesel engines.
Options include:
• Reducing idling
• Practicing good engine maintenance and properly training operators
• Switching to cleaner fuels
• Retrofitting or repowering existing equipment
"In prior years, we were offered a job or two per year on the kind of
project that requires lower machine emissions. Since we started letting
people know three months ago that we would have repowered tractors,
we've gotten three offers to work on projects where the machines have to
run clean."
Sandi Capel
General Manager
Coburn Equipment
California
To learn about funding sources, and to find out more
about Clean Construction USA, visit:
www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/construction
For more detailed information about low-cost ways to reduce diesel exhaust, refer to the report at:
National Clean Diesel Campaign
EPA420-F-08-008
February 2008
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