EPA Region 1 Diesel Initiative Partnership Projects

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EPA Region 1 Diesel Initiative Partnership
Projects
Dan Brown Air Quality Planning Unit
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Why Focus on Reducing Diesel Pollution?

• New England has some of the highest asthma rates
  in the nation
• Boston and New Haven may not meet EPAs new
  standard for fine particles
• There are cost-effective ways to reduce pollution
  from existing diesel engines
• Reducing diesel exhaust is part of our
  comprehensive approach to improving air quality
• We are working aggressively to address
• Environmental justice concerns
• Childrens health issues
• Urban environmental issues

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Diesel Exhaust in New England

• The particles in diesel exhaust can pose health
  risks including aggravated asthma symptoms and
  respiratory symptoms
• Children are especially sensitive to air
  pollution because their lungs are still
  developing and they have a faster breathing rate
• Diesel engines are significant contributors to
  air pollution, especially in urban areas and
  contribute more than 20 percent of the human-made
  fine particle emissions in New England
• EPAs National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment shows
  high predicted concentrations of diesel exhaust
  in New Englands urban areas

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EPAs Emission Standards for Trucks and Buses
HC, NOx (g/bhp-hr)
PM (g/bhp-hr)
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EPAs Emission Standards For Non-road Engines gt
175 hp
Proposed
Assumed Uncontrolled Emissions for a 1984 Engine
50 of the engines are required to meet final
NOx and HC standards in 2011
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Regional Diesel Initiative

• In New England, we are working with our state and
  local partners to reduce emissions from diesel
  vehicles in four ways
• Anti-Idling Enforcement and Education
• Diesel Retrofits
• Heavy Duty Vehicle Testing
• Outreach

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Anti-Idling in New England Reduces Pollution
and Fuel Use

• Education
• Targeting all vehicles (school buses, taxi cabs,
  transit and tour buses, commercial fleets, etc.)
• Focusing in urban areas with elevated particulate
  matter levels
• Enforcement
• Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have
  anti-idling regulations that cover diesel
  vehicles
• EPA is enforcing the Massachusetts regulation in
  coordination with city and state officials
  special focus on commercial and transit vehicles
• EPA has issued notices of violation to 10
  commercial operators and 2 transit agencies
• EPA has sought penalties between 29,400 and
  33,200 in two of these cases, and referred one
  case to DOJ

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Diesel Retrofits in New England

• Urban Transit Buses
• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
• Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
• Connecticut Transit Stamford Division
• Construction Equipment and Locomotives
• Big Dig in Boston (120 vehicles)
• Q-Bridge in Connecticut (contract requirements)
• Locomotive pilot project with MBTA in Boston
• Private Fleets
• Shuttle Buses in Longwood Medical Area in Boston
  (about 25 buses)

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Retrofit Options

• Diesel Oxidation Catalyst
• 20 - 30 PM reduction
• 1,500 - 2,500
• Diesel PM filter
• 90 PM reduction
• Requires ULSD (8 to 25 cents more per gallon)
• 5,000 - 9,000

• Biodiesel
• 10 PM reduction (B20)
• 15 to 30 cents more per gallon
• Compressed Natural Gas
• 70 - 90 PM reduction
• 30,000 more than diesel
• Require special maintenance facility and fueling
  infrastructure

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Heavy Duty Vehicle Testing

• Working with the states to enhance and/or
  implement programs to test heavy duty vehicles
  currently on the road
• MA DEP has a diesel I/M program with opacity
  testing that includes school buses
• RI DEM has proposed a similar program

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Diesel Outreach Materials

• Regional web site (www.epa.gov/ne /eco/diesel)

Brochure on diesel exhaust
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Anti-Idling Fact Sheets

• We have developed anti-idling fact sheets for (1)
  trucks (2) school buses and (3) buses

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Clean School Bus USA

• Clean School Bus USA is EPAs new initiative to
  partner with communities, businesses, educational
  leaders, and heath care professionals to
• Reduce school bus idling
• Retrofit existing buses with pollution control
  devices
• Replace the oldest buses with new ones
• Technology exists that will reduce emissions of
  harmful particulate matter by up to 90 percent
• By cleaning up school buses, we can help reduce
  childrens exposure to diesel exhaust

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School Bus Facts

• 24 million children in the US ride the bus to
  school (1.7 million in New England)
• On average children spend between 20 minutes and
  several hours per day on the bus
• There are 450,000 school buses in the country
• 1/3 of these buses are pre-1990, can pollute up
  to six times as much as new buses, and should be
  replaced
• 2/3 of these buses were manufactured between 1990
  and 2002 and are good candidates for retrofits

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Federal Funding forClean School Buses

• 5 million in EPAs budget for 2003
• Competitive grant program
• Will be announced in the coming weeks
• 20 million from a Clean Air Act settlement with
  Toyota Motor Corporation
• For more information visit www.epa.gov/otaq/retro
  fit

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Reducing Pollution from School Buses in New
England
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School Bus Outreach

• Collaborate with states and school districts to
• Develop outreach materials
• Fact sheets, model letters, op-ed
• Organize workshops for school officials
• Establish idling guidelines and retrofit policies
• Partner with the New England Asthma Regional
  Council (ARC)
• ARC is a coalition of high ranking state and
  federal officials representing environment,
  education, housing and health agencies
• We have collaborated with ARC to
• Develop anti-idling and retrofit strategies
• Provide technical support to the states

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Reducing School Bus Idling in New England

• Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire have
• Signed anti-idling agreements with their school
  transportation associations
• Sent letters to superintendents on school bus
  idling
• Produced creative materials to educate and
  involve drivers and school officials
• Massachusetts has developed a training video for
  school bus drivers
• Vermont prepared a newsletter on school bus
  idling for superintendents
• Rhode Island is pursuing similar efforts

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Current School Bus Retrofit Projects in New
England

• Boston, MA
• 200 buses using ULSD
• 100 buses retrofitted
• Norwich, CT
• 42 buses retrofitted and using ULSD
• New Haven, CT
• 120 buses using ULSD

Diesel Particulate Matter Filter on a Boston
School Bus
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Future School Bus Goals in New England

• Continue to promote school buses as the safest
  way to transport children to school
• Pursue school bus retrofit projects in areas with
  high asthma rates and/or elevated levels of
  particulate matter
• Work with Boston to retrofit 500 more school
  buses
• Work with New Haven to retrofit 120 school buses
• Develop other projects in urban areas such as
  Hartford
• Expand and intensify school bus outreach
• Continue to work with the Asthma Regional Council
  and the states on idling, retrofit and
  replacement
• Market the Clean School Bus USA Initiative and
  identify new funding opportunities

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Future Retrofit Goals in New England

• Promote retrofits of public/private fleets
• Expand urban transit bus and construction vehicle
  retrofits and reach out to commercial fleets in
  order to
• Increase demand for ULSD and retrofit technology
  which will help reduce costs for all vehicles
• Reduce particulate matter levels in urban areas
  which will especially benefit urban residents
  including children and sensitive populations
• Encourage the development of new technologies
• For more information visit www.epa.gov/region
  01/eco/diesel

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