About Air
Diesel Emissions from Trucks and Buses?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enacted a new rule to
make new heavy-duty trucks and buses run cleaner. It's called the 2007
Heavy Duty Diesel Rule. These heavy duty vehicles (including the newest
medium duty trucks that are diesel powered) will cut harmful tailpipe
emissions by 95 percent. Sulfur in diesel fuel must be lowered to enable
modern pollution-control technology to be effective on these trucks and
buses. In 2006 EPA required a new lower sulfur diesel fuel-called ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD).
This new diesel fuel will be
required in the newest trucks and buses just like unleaded gasoline was
required in cars which had catalytic converters back in the 1980s. ULSD
can also be used in older diesel-powered vehicles without harm just like
unleaded gasoline was acceptable in cars without catalytic converters
back in the 1980s.
In addition to these changes for highway trucks and buses, EPA has
passed rules to reduce emissions from off-road equipment like outboard
engines, personal watercraft, and dirt bikes. New cars are also subject
to lower emission standards which began to phase-in back in 2004 (called
the Tier II rule). The sulfur level in gasoline has been reduced this
year to accommodate the newest emission control equipment on all new
passenger cars and SUVs. Because both gasoline and diesel are cleaner,
and the new vehicles must meet stringent new EPA emission standards, air
quality in Florida will improve significantly starting this year, and
more so into the future as the fleet turns over.
Once the 2007 Heavy Duty Diesel Rule is fully implemented, 2.6 million
tons of smog-causing nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced nationwide
each year. Soot or particulate matter will be reduced by 110,000 tons a
year. An estimated 8,300 premature deaths, 5,500 cases of chronic
bronchitis and 17,600 cases of acute bronchitis in children will also be
prevented annually. It is also estimated to help avoid more than 360,000
asthma attacks and 386,000 cases of respiratory symptoms in asthmatic
children every year. In addition, 1.5 million lost work days, 7,100
hospital visits and 2,400 emergency room visits for asthma will be
prevented.
Clean Diesel Fuel
Alliance
Last updated:
April 19, 2012
2011 State of Florida