SmartWay Transport

A reduction in long-duration idling will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter. For state and local air quality planners and transportation officials, these emission reductions can be used in air quality plans such as state implementation plans, transportation and general conformity, and new source review offsets. In January 2004, EPA published three guidance documents about quantifying and using truck and locomotive idle emission reductions in air quality plans.

• Truck guidance: "Guidance for Quantifying and Using Long-Duration Truck Idling Emission Reductions in State Implementation Plans and Transportation Conformity (PDF)" (33 pp, 379 KB, EPA420-B-04-001, January 2004)
• Locomotive guidance: "Guidance for Quantifying and Using Long-Duration Switch Yard Locomotive Idling Emission Reductions in State Implementation Plans (PDF)" (25 pp, 343 KB, EPA420-B-04-002, January 2004)
• New Source Review: Information about using idling emission reductions as new source review offsets.

In 2004, Beaumont, Texas successfully used an idle reduction project to meet the transportation conformity lapse for oxides of nitrogen. Presentation from the Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission (PDF) (14 pp, 272 KB)

NOTE: Adobe Acrobat Reader is available as a free download. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.