Change in Regulatory Deadline to
Set Emissions Standards for New
Marine Engines at or Above 30 Liters
per Cylinder
Overview
EPA issued a final rule in January 2003 establishing the first U.S. emission standards
for new compression-ignition Category 3 marine engines (those with a displacement
at or above 30 liters per cylinder). This rule also set a deadline of April 27, 2007,
for EPA to promulgate a new tier of emission standards for these engines. This rule
schedule was intended to allow time to consider the state of technology that might
permit greater emission reductions and the status of international action for more
stringent standards.
We have worked with industry and other stakeholders since 2003 to gain a greater
understanding of the issues described in the final rule and to assess the continuing ef-
forts of manufacturers to apply advanced emission-control technologies to these very
large engines. In addition, we have continued to work with and through the Interna-
tional Maritime Organization toward more stringent international emission standards
that would apply to all new marine diesel engines on ships engaged in international
transportation. IMO is an important forum for EPA to gather new information and
data regarding emission-control technologies, costs, and other information on Cat-
egory 3 engines and vessels. IMO is also important because the majority of ships used
in international commerce are flagged in other nations.
Due to the long lead times associated with the installation and assessment of ad-
vanced emission-control technologies and to the delayed start of IMO negotia-
tions for a new tier of international standards, much of the information that will be
required to develop new emission standards for Category 3 marine diesel engines
is only now becoming available. We promulgated a direct final rule (and an accom-
panying proposal) in April 2007 that extended this deadline to Dec. 17, 2009. We
received adverse comment on that direct final rule and subsequently withdrew it. We
reviewed these comments, but concluded that the best course was to continue with
the initial plan to adopt a new regulatory deadline of Dec. 17, 2009. We are simulta-
neously publishing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking as part of this new
regulatory development process.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
EPA420-F-07-067
November 2007
-------
u
O
For More Information
You can access the rule and related documents on EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality
Web site at:
www.epa.gov/otaq/oceanvessels.htm
For more information, please contact the Assessment and Standards Division at asdinfo@epa.gov,
734-214-4636, or:
Assessment and Standards Division
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2000 Traverwood Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Change in Regulatory Deadline for Rulemaking
------- |