# Presentation: 505971

## An Environmental Perspective:  Implementing the 2007 Highway Diesel Rule

**Rich Kassel**
**EPA Implementation Workshop**
**Chicago, IL**
**August 2003**

## Why We Care About Diesel Emissions: 

- Particulate matter:
- Exacerbates asthma and other pulmonary impacts, cancer and linked to roughly 20,000 premature deaths/year
- More prevalent in urban corridors
- Toxics:
- At least a likely carcinogen, according to EPA, CARB, IARC, etc.
- 40 different TACs and HAPs interacting together
- Changes in fuel composition and combustion can lead to unintended consequences that must be addressed
- Nitrogen Oxides:
- Summertime smog, acid rain, nutrient pollution of waterways, crop and forest damage
- 12% of miles traveled = 1/3 of national NOx emissions
- Global Warming:
- Switching to diesel improves fuel economy, but does it reduce global warming?
*News Flash*: Black Carbon in Diesel Soot may create a short-term global warming problem with regional impacts—but may be fixed by PM traps

## Diesels Emit Disproportionately Higher PM 

**Average PM Source Contribution in Midtown Manhattan **

## Diesels Emit Disproportionately Higher Toxics

**Average Los Angeles Basin Cancer Risk Apportionment**

## Benefits of the 2007 Highway Diesel Rule

- Systems Approach maximizes environmental and health benefits, while spreading costs of compliance
- Cost-benefit analysis overwhelmingly positive
- $66 Billion/year net benefit, when fully implemented
- Opens door to cleaner diesel NREs and LDVs
- Extending sulfur and emissions standards to nonroad sector now proposed
- Diesel LDVs at Tier 2 Bin 5 now possible—could this unlock the fuel economy debate?

## Annualized Benefits of the 2007 Diesel Rule (when fully implemented)

- Will cut 8,300 premature deaths
- Will eliminate more than 360,000 asthma attacks and 386,000 cases of respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children, and 23,000 cases of acute or chronic bronchitis.
- Will save 1.5 million lost work days.
- Will provide net annual benefits that should exceed $66Billion (1999 US$)
- Consumer fuel cost should be less than 5 cents/gallon
- Upgrading refineries and pipeline distribution systems
- Increased vehicle cost should be roughly 1%
- Developing advanced emission control technologies
- Will be the “environmental equivalent” of eliminating  13 million trucks without any limitation on trucking or travel.

## Regulatory Certainty Breeds Innovation and Investment...

- CDIRP:  “very encouraged by the rate of progress to date”... “significant progress is being made to develop emission control technologies” for 2007
- CDIRP on NOX adsorbers:
- “Rapid technology development is due to the certainty” of the Rule’s standards and dates
- NOx adsorbers at 70% efficiency already, said CDIRP
- “Technological challenges remain, but none is considered to be insurmountable at this time.”
- CDIRP on PM Traps:
- International has already certified school bus at 2007 PM standard

## ...so ATA members are wrong to object now...

- In June, some ATA members called on EPA to delay the rule
- But 0.2 g/bhp-hr NOx deadline is still 7 years away—and PM target has already been reached
- EGR, SCR, NOx adsorbers are all progressing rapidly
- Historical precedent is clear:  standards will be met, at lower cost than expected
*See, e.g., catalytic converters and the acid rain program*

## ...And, the glass is more than half-full

- EPA struck the right balance among many different stakeholders with diverse needs
- Systems approach spreads costs widely throughout affected industries—and benefits are achieved throughout the nation

## Source: Umweltbundesamt, 2003 

- Source: Umweltbundesamt, 2003** **

**Looking Beyond NOx Adsorbers, SCR Can Be Clean...**

## ...But Are They Right For The U.S.?

- European emission tests and Centrally-Fueled Fleet (CFF) experiences are encouraging
- But lack of U.S. urea infrastructure is huge hurdle
- No plans to create infrastructure exist
- SCR w/o urea = uncontrolled NOx emissions
- So, companies that choose SCR must bear the burden of keeping their engines clean by:
- Building engines that protect against operating w/o urea
- Including OBD systems that warn about low urea levels
- Calibrating their systems to assure NOx levels maintained even w/o urea, because there are no “tamper-proof” systems
- Supporting state I & M programs that include NOx testing
- Can a nationwide urea system by ready by 2010?
- Without it, SCR might be for CFFs only

## Concluding Thoughts

- Cleaner diesels must be a critical component of our future’s good health
- There are at least 8,300  reasons to ensure full and timely implementation of the 2007 Highway Diesel Rule
- And, there are another 9,600 reasons to extend this Rule’s successes to the nonroad sector

## For more information

- NRDC looks forward to working with all stakeholders towards a successful implementation of the 2007 Highway Diesel Rule
- For more information, please contact Rich Kassel at _[rkassel@](mailto:rkassel@nrdc.org)__[nrdc](mailto:rkassel@nrdc.org)__[.org](mailto:rkassel@nrdc.org)_