United States Air and Radiation EPA420-F-99-043
Environmental Protection November 1999
Agency
Office of Mobile Sources
Regulatory
Announcement
Emission Standards for New
Commercial Marine Diesel Engines
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a final rule
to reduce emissions from new large marine diesel engines. Control of
emissions from this previously unregulated source will help reduce the
harmful health effects of ozone and particulate matter from nonroad
engines.
A National Emission Control Program
This national program will reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
and particulate matter (PM) from marine diesel engines rated over 37
kilowatts (kW) (50 horsepower). These engines are used for propulsion
and auxiliary power on commercial vessels in a variety of marine appli-
cations, including fishing boats, tug and towboats, dredgers, coastal and
Great Lakes cargo vessels, and ocean-going vessels. We will address
engines for recreational vessels in a separate rulemaking.
The results of a study we conducted in 1990 showed the need to reduce
air pollution from nonroad engines. We published this finding with the
first rulemaking setting emission standards for nonroad engines, which
we completed in June 1994. In April 1998, we published final require-
ments for emission controls for locomotive engines. In September 1998,
we published more stringent emission standards for diesel engines used
in most nonroad applications, including small marine engines below 37
kW. This final rule establishes a comprehensive emission control pro-
gram for the marine derivatives of those land-based engines.
> Printed on Recycled Paper
-------
This rulemaking sets challenging emission standards for marine diesel
engines that are similar to land-based nonroad or locomotive engines
(with displacement up to 30 liters per cylinder). These standards take
effect starting between 2004 and 2007, depending on the size of the
engine. These EPA standards supersede the requirements specified by the
International Maritime Organization (IMO).
We are also adopting a new approach to address emissions during opera-
tion that is not included in the laboratory testing protocol. Engine manu-
facturers need to demonstrate compliance with the emission standards
over a variety of operating conditions. These "off-cycle" requirements
become effective with the new emission standards.
Emissions from marine diesel engines account for about 4.4 percent of
total mobile source NOx emissions nationwide and about 1 percent of
PM emissions. We expect this final rule to lead to a 24 percent reduction
in NOx emissions and a 12 percent reduction in PM emissions in 2030
when the program is fully phased-in. These emission reductions will be
especially important in the areas around commercial ports and heavily
populated coasts. The program provides much-needed assistance to states
facing ozone and particulate air quality problems that are causing a range
of adverse health effects for their citizens, especially in terms of respira-
tory impairment and related illnesses.
For
Additional documents on marine engines are available electronically on
the Office of Mobile Sources' web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/oms/marine.htm
For further information on this final rule, please contact the CI Marine
Team at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Mobile Sources
2000 Traverwood Drive
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
(734)214-4278
------- |