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EPA Diesel Milestones Since the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
EPA420-F-04-034, May 2004
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| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Highway Low Sulfur Diesel Rule: For the first time, the Agency limits sulfur content of highway diesel fuel to 500 parts per million (ppm). |
| 1994 | Urban Bus Rule: Sets new standards and retrofit requirements for urban buses. |
1997 |
Locomotive Rule: Sets emission standards for nitrogen
oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and smoke for newly manufactured and re-manufactured diesel-powered
locomotives and locomotive engines.
2004 Highway Diesel Rule: Sets emission standards to reduce NOx and hydrocarbons from heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses to be implemented in 2004. |
| 1998 | Tier 2 and 3 Nonroad Diesel Rule: Sets emissions standards for new diesel engines used in nonroad construction, agricultural, airport and industrial equipment, as well as in certain marine applications. Very few of these engine categories had emission standard requirements in place before the mid-1990s. |
| 1999 | Commercial Marine Diesel Rule: Reduces nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions from new large marine diesel engines. These engines are used in a variety of capacities, including fishing boats, tug and tow boats, and coastal and Great Lakes cargo vessels. |
| 2000 | 2007 Clean Diesel Truck/Bus and Low Sulfur Diesel Rule: Comprehensive national control program that will regulate
heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses and highway diesel fuel
as a single system. These new standards will apply to model
year 2007 engines and vehicles. Also, reduces sulfur in highway
diesel fuel by 97 percent (15 ppm) by mid-2006.
Diesel Retrofit Verification Program: Reduces pollution resulting from existing diesel vehicles and equipment by encouraging fleet owners to install verified pollution-reducing devices on vehicles and to use cleaner-burning diesel fuel. |
| 2002 | Recreational Marine Rule: Applies similar standards from 1999 commercial marine diesel rule to recreational marine diesel engine. |
| 2003 | Ocean-Going Vessels Rule: Sets emissions standards for new marine diesel engines on U.S. flagged ocean-going vessels.
Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Proposal: Proposal to further reduce emissions from nonroad diesel engines used in construction, mining, industrial, airport and agricultural equipment. Clean School Bus USA Program: Reduces children's exposure to diesel exhaust by eliminating unnecessary school bus idling, installing effective emission control systems on newer buses, and replacing the oldest buses in the fleet with newer ones. |
| 2004 | Clean Air Nonroad Diesel Rule: Sets
standards that will dramatically reduce emissions by over 90 percent from nonroad diesel equipment and dramatically reduce sulfur levels by 99 percent from current levels in nonroad diesel fuel starting in 2007. This step will apply to most nonroad diesel fuel in 2010 and to fuel used in locomotives and marine vessels in 2012.
Locomotive and Marine Diesel Engine Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Invites comment on a plan to propose more stringent emission standards and other provisions for new and existing locomotives, and new marine diesel engines. |
For further information or assistance regarding this web page, please contact the Assessment and Standards Division (asdinfo@epa.gov) or by telephone at (734) 214-4636.