SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Transportation	EPA-420-F-09-069
and Air Quality	October 2009
Resource
Information
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of
Transportation and Air Quality's (OTAQ) mission is to reconcile the
transportation sector with the environment by advancing clean fuels and
technology, and working to promote more liveable communities. OTAQ
is responsible for carrying out laws to control air pollution from motor
vehicles, engines, and their fuels. Mobile sources include: cars and light
trucks, large trucks and buses, farm and construction equipment, lawn
and garden equipment, marine engines, aircraft, and locomotives.
Overview
EPA's motor vehicle emissions control program was established in 1971
OTAQ is divided between EPA's headquarters in Washington, D.C.,
and the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor,
Michigan, near the headquarters of domestic automobile manufacturers.
There are about 400 employees in OTAQ. Staff expertise spans a variety
of technical and public policy fields including auto mechanics, engineering,
chemistry, economics, natural resources management, and law. OTAQ
develops national standards for emissions, evaluates emission control
technology, tests vehicles, engines, and fuels, and determines compliance
with federal emission and fuel economy standards. We also develop fuel
standards, inspection and maintenance programs, and market and trans-
portation incentive programs.

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Reducing Air Pollution from Mobile Sources
The early goals of OTAQ centered around working with industry to
reduce emissions from individual automobiles. The approach achieved
dramatic success—compared to an uncontrolled passenger car of 1970,
an average car on the road today emits 60 to 90 percent less pollution
over its lifetime. However, the amount of driving in this country has
more than doubled since then, so transportation still accounts for a large
part of national air pollution. More than half the U.S. population live in
areas where pollution levels exceed federal air quality standards.
1990 Clean
Air Act
A major challenge for OTAQ is to find ways to reduce vehicle-related
pollution given the increase in vehicle travel. With the 1990 Clean Air
Act Amendments, Congress broadened our program activities beyond the
original focus on new car emission standards.
Current OTAQ priorities include:
•	Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Develop and implement the first
national greenhouse gas emissions standards for new cars and trucks.
•	Renewable Fuels - Develop and implement the national renewable
fuel standard program to increase the volume of renewable fuel
blended into the nation's transportation fuel supply, and to ensure
that those renewable fuels are less carbon intensive than the petroleum
fuels they displace.
•	Clean Vehicles and Engines - Develop more stringent emission
standards for new cars, buses, trucks, and nonroad engines, such as
construction equipment, boats, lawn and garden equipment, locomotives,
and marine vessels.
•	Existing Fleet - Work with stakeholders through the National Clean
Diesel Campaign and SmartWay Partnership to reduce emissions
and increase the efficiency of the existing fleet.
Inspection and Maintenance and Onboard Diagnostics - Develop
programs to identify faulty emission controls and ensure their repair
so vehicles remain clean in actual customer use.
Clean Transportation Alternatives - Develop strategies to encourage
transportation alternatives to address vehicle travel growth.
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Organization Overview
Office Director
Laboratory
Operations
Division
Advanced
Technology
Division
Assessment &
Standards
Division
Transportation
& Climate
Division
Transportation &
Regional Programs
Division
Compliance &
Innovative Strategies
Division
Advanced
Technology
Division
Divisions
The Advanced Technology Division (ATD) is responsible for all automo-
tive technology development programs to improve fuel economy and to
reduce vehicle and fuel emissions from mobile sources. The major focus
of the division is the development of new and emerging technologies, such
as Clean Car (Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles), low NOx
diesel engines, and alternative fuel technologies. ATD is also responsible
for climate change policies and strategies related to vehicle efficiency and
fuels.
Assessment
and
Standards
Division
The Assessment and Standards Division (ASD) identifies and develops
future emission control strategies (such as new vehicle, engine, and fuel
quality standards) and national policy on mobile source emission control.
The division develops regulations and policies, determines the contribu-
tion of mobile sources to pollutant emission inventories, and assesses the
feasibility, cost, and in-use effectiveness of emission control technologies.
Compliance
and
Innovative
Strategies
Division
The Compliance and Innovative Strategies Division (CISD) implements
emission standards for all light-duty vehicles, and highway and nonroad
engines. The Division certifies that these vehicles and engines meet emis-
sion standards prior to being sold, and ensures that standards continue to
be met throughout the vehicle or engine's life. CISD also promotes, under
the National Clean Diesel Campaign, the voluntary use of diesel engines.
These engines could continue to be operated for another 20 to 30 years
and are not subject to more stringent emission standards that apply to new
engines.
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Laboratory
Operations
Division
Transportation
and Climate
Division
The Laboratory Operations Division (LOD) provides emission testing
services for motor vehicle, heavy-duty engine, and nonroad engine pro-
grams in support of rulemakings, enforcement actions, and test procedures
development. Testing activities include certification, fuel economy in-use
compliance, fuels and fuel additives analysis, and exhaust compounds
analysis.
The Transportation and Climate Division (TCD) is responsible for
coordinating OTAQ climate programs. These responsibilities include
the technical analyses of the potential vehicle technology and fuel path-
ways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector,
identifying and evaluating various options to promote the technology
and fuel pathways, the development or macroeconomic modeling tools
for transportation analyses, and the maintenance of transportation green-
house gas emission inventories. TCD is also responsible for interacting
with other EPA offices, external stakeholders, and the public on transpor-
tation climate issues.
Transportation
and Regional
Programs
Division
The Transportation and Regional Programs Division (TRPD) works with
regions, states, local governments, and other stakeholders to reduce pol-
lution from fuel, transportation, and nonroad sources. TRPD implements
national and regional pollution control programs, such as the reformu-
lated gasoline (RFG) and inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs.
This division develops and supports voluntary initiatives, such as the
Best Workplaces for Commuters'"1' that encourage clean air and live-
able communities. TRPD also implements a transportation-based climate
change program.
For More Information
You can access information on OTAQ programs and regulations from
our Web site at:
www.epa.gov/otaq
You can also contact the NVFEL library for document information at:
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
NVFEL Library
2000 Traverwood Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734)214-4311
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