Legislation Would Promote Diesel Emissions Retrofit
In an effort to reduce emissions from diesel engines now in service, Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, has introduced a bill that would offer federal funds for voluntary emission reduction projects.
The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2005 would distribute $1 billion over five years in grant and loan programs for voluntary retrofit of existing diesels.
The measure is needed because the health benefits of tougher restrictions on new engines will not be fully realized for another 25 years, due to the long life of the 11 million diesels now in service, Voinovich said.
Under the bill, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Thomas Carper, D-Del., Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the bulk of the funds would be distributed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Twenty percent of the $200 million a year would go to states to develop retrofit programs. In addition, the bill would establish priority areas for projects, based on where the money would do the most good for the most people, and contains provisions to support new technologies.
Among the entities eligible for the money would be nonprofits that represent organizations that own or operate diesel fleets - such as trucking associations.
The bill is supported by a variety of environmental and industry organizations, including Caterpillar Inc.
"This national retrofit legislation is another important component of the emissions reduction effort that will provide Caterpillar customers a more consistent national approach to retrofitting machines and engines," said Jim Parker, vice president of the Power Systems Marketing Division.
"As more of our customers bid on projects that include emissions requirements, this bill will help them to remain competitive."
Also backing the bill is Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, a group that lobbies for diesel power in Washington.
"The diesel industry is committed to being part of the clean air solution," Schaeffer said in a statement. "The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2005 will play an important role in helping deploy clean diesel retrofit technologies to thousands of small businesses and equipment owners who might otherwise not be able to afford to upgrade their equipment."
The proposal has been attached as an amendment to the Senate energy bill. That bill and the House's energy legislation are now being reconciled in conference.
Diesel retrofitting is a topic of growing interest and concern. A group of Southern California governments, for example, have begun supporting the scrappage of pre-1983 trucks that serve the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, with the aim of ultimately helping to retrofit the replacement trucks. And in New Jersey the Senate has legislation that would require fleets to retrofit diesels in trucks, tractors, generators and other equipment - provided the citizens vote to pay for it.
— Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor
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