EPA Announces New Diesel Regulations
Today the U.S. EPA put in place tough new regulations on off-highway diesel engines — tractors, bulldozers, locomotives, etc. — which produce more soot than the nation’s entire on-road vehicle fleet. The agency says the regs will cut emissions from such equipment by 90 percent over a decade by requiring that 99 percent of sulfur be removed from diesel fuel and that engine makers install new controls to remove other pollutants. The agency estimates that the rules will prevent 12,000 premature deaths and 15,000 heart attacks a year. Virtually every concerned party had praise for the EPA’s move, including enviro and industry groups. “From the beginning, this rule was worked on together, collaboratively, with a wide range of stakeholders,” said Allen Schaeffer of industry group Diesel Technology Forum. Emily Fignor of U.S. Public Interest Research Group said, “It’s remarkable that these strong rules come from the same administration that has otherwise turned back the clock on 30 years of environmental progress.”
