United States Air and Radiation EPA420-F-98-034
Environmental Protection August 1998
Agency
Office of Mobile Sources
for
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is setting stringent
new emission standards for diesel engines used in a wide range of
nonroad construction, agricultural, and industrial equipment and some
marine applications. This program reduces the recently implemented
first tier of nonroad engine standards by up to two thirds—a major step
toward reducing the harmful health effects of ozone and particulate
matter (PM) nationwide.
Of
In recent years, EPA was strongly encouraged by states and others to
pursue national regulations that would help them address the air quality
problems in many parts of the country. Prior to issuing a proposal, EPA
engaged in discussion with state environmental regulators, environmen-
tal organizations, engine manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, small
businesses, and others. One result of this activity was a Statement of
Principles signed by EPA, engine manufacturers, and the State of Cali-
fornia outlining a framework for potential nonroad diesel emission
standards.
Of The
The primary feature of this rule is a set of new emission standards for
mobile nonroad diesel engines of almost all types. Standards for hydro-
carbons, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide, and PM will be
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implemented in two tiers over ten years
(1999-2008), with different standards and
start years for various engine power rat-
ings. By the end of 2001, EPA will reassess
the feasibility of the standards and will
propose and adopt appropriate new stan-
dards for PM.
The final rule covers nonroad diesel en-
gines and equipment such as farm tractors,
bulldozers, and forklifts. The rule does not
apply to locomotives, marine engines
above 50 horsepower (hp), underground
mining equipment, and engines with
displacements under 50 cubic centimeters
per cylinder that are typically used in
model airplanes. Likewise, the new stan-
dards do not apply to existing nonroad
equipment. Only equipment built after the
start date for an engine category (1999-
2006, depending on the category) is af-
fected by the rule.
The rulemaking is part of a 3-tiered pro-
gression to low emission standards. Each
tier involves a phase in (by horsepower
rating) over several years. Tier 1 standards
were adopted in 1994 for engines over 50
hp (such as bulldozers) and are phasing in
from 1996 to 2000. This final rule sets Tier
1 standards for engines under 50 hp (such
as lawn tractors), phasing in from 1999 to
2000. It also phases in more stringent Tier
2 standards for all engine sizes from 2001
to 2006, and yet more stringent Tier 3
standards for engines rated over 50 hp from
2006 to 2008. The Tier 3 standards that
will phase in beginning in 2006 are ex-
pected to lead to implementation of control
technologies similar to those that will be
used by manufacturers of highway heavy-
duty engines (i.e., trucks and buses) to
comply with the 2004 highway engine
standards.
In addition to the standards, the final rule
includes related provisions intended to
ensure compliance with the new standards
for engines in the field and a program of
voluntary standards for engines with
superior emissions performance.
Benefits
The new standards will reduce emissions
from a typical nonroad diesel engine by up
to two-thirds from the levels of previous
standards. By meeting these standards,
manufacturers of new nonroad engines and
equipment will achieve large reductions in
the emissions (especially NOx and PM)
that cause air pollution problems in many
parts of the country. EPA estimates that by
2010, NOx emissions will be reduced by
about a million tons per year, the equiva-
lent of taking 35 million passenger cars off
the road.
Ozone causes a range of health problems
related to breathing, including chest pain,
coughing, and shortness of breath. PM
becomes deposited deep in the lungs and
results in premature death, increased
emergency room visits, and increased
respiratory symptoms and disease. In
addition, ozone, NOx, and PM adversely
affect the environment in various ways,
including crop damage, acid rain, and
reduction in visibility.
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The final rule has several elements that add
flexibility to how manufacturers comply
with the standards, reducing the costs of
compliance without harming the overall
environmental goals of the rule. For ex-
ample, the standards are designed to phase
in over several years with schedules that
recognize some engines are technologically
closer to compliance than others (e.g.,
engines similar to highway truck engines).
Engine manufacturers may also use averag-
ing provisions in choosing their most
efficient path to compliance. The final rule
also includes provisions designed to
smooth the transition by equipment manu-
facturers as they begin to install the new
engine designs into existing equipment.
In addition, since the new standards are
expected to be adopted by the State of
California and are consistent with stan-
dards being proposed in Europe, manufac-
turers should be able to use a single engine
or machine design for all of these markets,
thus avoiding the added cost of multiple
versions.
the
Because the new standards cover a large
and diverse population of nonroad equip-
ment and are expected to achieve very
significant, regional-scale emission reduc-
tions across the country, implementation of
this program will be an important part of
the overall control strategies of numerous
states and localities grappling with difficult
air quality problems.
of the
The costs of meeting the new emission
standards are expected to add well under 1
percent to the purchase price of typical new
nonroad diesel equipment, although for
some equipment the standards may cause
price increases on the order of 2 or 3
percent. The program is expected to cost
about $600 per ton of NOx reduced, which
compares very favorably with other emis-
sion control strategies.
For
Additional documents on nonroad diesel
engine standards are available electroni-
cally via the EPA Internet server at:
http://www.epa.gov/oms/equip-hd.htm
Document information is also available
from:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Mobile Sources
Nonroad Diesel Team
2000 Traverwood Road
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
(734)214-4334
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