EPA  Re-Issues Amendments for
                    Nonroad Engines  and Equipment
                        The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adopting
                        amendments to accommodate engine and equipment manufactur-
                    ers in the effort to transition to Tier 4 standards for nonroad diesel
                    engines, and to adjust various provisions related to the exemption for
                    new replacement engines. These provisions were included in a direct
                    final rule published in June 2013, but were withdrawn in response to
                    adverse comments. After considering these comments, we are finalizing
                    these provisions, with some adjustment to address the concerns that
                    were raised.
                    Overview
                    EPA is revising the existing technical hardship relief provisions so the Agency
                    has wider discretion to allow equipment manufacturers to use greater numbers of
                    previous-tier engines during their transition to the Tier 4 standards. Hardship cases
                    will continue to be resolved on a case-by-case basis for equipment manufacturers
                    experiencing exceptional difficulties in obtaining certified Tier 4 engines from engine
                    manufacturers. The technical hardship provisions were originally adopted with the
                    Tier 4 standards in June 2004. The revised regulations are effective on the day of
                    publication in the Federal Register,

                    The replacement engine exemption allows for limited production of new engines
                    built to earlier standards to replace in-use engines in certain circumstances. The
                    direct final rule included a range of revisions to the replacement engine exemp-
                    tion to replace broad circumvention limits with specific measures to ensure that the
                    exemption is used properly. Based on adverse comments, we withdrew these specific
                    measures in August 2013, but left in place the change to remove the broad circum-
                    vention limits. This rule finalizes the specific measures to ensure that the exemption
                    is used properly, with some adjustment to address the concerns that were raised.
SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
                  EPA-420-F-14-002
                     January 2014

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Specifically, we are finalizing a provision disallowing the use of the replacement engine exemp-
tion for equipment that is more than 40 years old. The regulatory changes in this action are
expected to have no appreciable cost or environmental impact.
For More Information
You can access the direct final rule, the proposed rule and related documents on EPA's Office
of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Web site at:

          wwwepa.gov/otaq/nonroad'diesel.htm.

For more information on these and related rules, please contact EPA through EPA OTAQ
Public Inquiries at:

          wwwepa.gov/otaq/omS'Cmt.htm

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