Voluntary Agreement To Develop In-Use Diesel Emissions Testing Program

The Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) has announced an emissions testing program for heavy-duty diesel vehicles that will help assure lower emissions and cleaner air throughout the United States.
EMA’s members, together with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), will implement an in-use testing program to provide information on how systems installed on the new trucks and buses perform to control emissions.
“The voluntary agreement to develop, conduct, and fund a new in-use testing program demonstrates the continued strong commitment of diesel engine manufacturers to produce heavy-duty engine systems that reduce emissions and improve air quality in our cities and states,” stated Jed Mandel, EMA President. “Together with the cleaner engines scheduled for introduction with the 2007 model year, the in-use testing program announced today will help assure that high emissions levels from diesel trucks and buses are truly a thing of the past. Clean diesel technology is here today and will provide real in-use emissions reductions.”
Beginning with a pilot program for model year 2005 and 2006 trucks and buses, heavy-duty engine manufacturers will measure exhaust emissions on selected vehicles to determine how the emissions control system is working and to assure that emissions meet all applicable EPA and California standards.
The collected data will verify whether the emissions levels required when the engine is new remain at those levels for the useful life of the engine. The agreement also includes a jointly funded research program to simultaneously develop the procedures needed for accurate in-use emission measurements. Based on the results of the pilot program, the in-use testing program will become a regulatory requirement for model year 2007 and later engines and vehicles.
“This landmark agreement among EMA, EPA, and CARB to finalize an in-use testing program is the result of cooperation with focused attention on the end result of cleaner air,” continued Mandel. “Each of the parties worked long and hard to address the technical issues and to develop an effective solution. We are pleased with the end result and the fact that EMA and its members were able to work with both agencies to develop and implement a practical and workable program.”
The in-use testing program announced today was developed as a means to demonstrate compliance to EPA’s and CARB’s Not-To-Exceed (NTE) emissions requirements. The NTE standards impose strict controls over heavy-duty engines by establishing emissions limits throughout the range of an engine’s operating conditions, rather than the traditional set of discrete compliance points. By measuring emissions under real-world conditions, the in-use testing program will provide a means for manufacturers to verify compliance with NTE standards.
In summing up the importance of today’s announcement, Mandel concluded, “The agreement on an in-use testing program with EPA and CARB is truly a milestone for heavy-duty diesel engine manufacturers and cleaner air because it moves emissions testing from the laboratory into real-world operating conditions. The program not only will verify that the near-zero emissions levels measured under laboratory certification conditions are being achieved on our streets and highways, but also will provide valuable feedback to engine manufacturers on any need to further improve and enhance emissions control systems. The clear winners here are our communities and our citizens who will benefit from cleaner air as a result of this program.”
The Engine Manufacturers Association is a trade association representing worldwide manufacturers of internal combustion engines used in applications such as trucks and buses, farm and construction equipment, locomotives, marine vessels, and lawn, garden and utility equipment. EMA works with government and industry stakeholders to help the nation achieve its goals of cleaner fuels, more efficient engines and cleaner air.