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| Environment |
Air Quality UpdateMarch 11, 2002
Ahead of Schedule, Low Sulfur Diesel to Power NYC TrucksFour years ahead of an EPA mandate for the cleaner fuel, New York City is about to begin running some of its garbage trucks on ultra-low sulfur diesel. The pilot project is a cooperative effort between the city and Cummins, Inc., one of the country's leading engine manufacturers. About 260 diesel garbage trucks are slated for retrofitting with emissions filters and other pollution control technologies. The goal of the program is to reduce particulate matter and diesel emissions in general. While the clean diesel is not required by EPA rules until 2006, the low-sulfur fuel is a boost to the filter and other technologies generating diesel emission reductions. A private refiner, Sprague Energy, will be providing the new fuel for the pilot study, while Cummins is expected to furnish the retrofits at a cost of about $1.5 million. The program is part of a consent decree between a number of engine builders and the U.S. Department of Justice involving an accelerated schedule for emission reduction efforts. The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) proposed the New York project as a platform for testing the impact of low-sulfur fuel and the technology developed for the engines. An official with NESCAUM noted the added significance of the pilot project due to its cold weather venue. The filter technology is designed to work more efficiently in areas where engine exhaust temperatures are able to rise considerably. Given cold winter temperatures and the slow operating speeds of the vehicles, Cummins technicians are adjusting the design to accommodate the less-than-ideal conditions. Fine PM Further Linked to Lung, Heart ProblemsBreathing second hand smoke from cigarettes carries about the same health risk as long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM). This is one of the key findings of a new study released by U.S. and Canadian researchers on the relationship between dust and soot exposure and the incidence of heart disease and lung cancer. Exposure to particulate laden air was evaluated by the research team over a 16-year period and employed data that covered about 500,000 adults. The period of study was from 1982 to 1998 and targeted particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Researchers from New York University and Brigham Young University led the project with collaboration from the University of Ottawa. While earlier studies on PM exposure established a link with a host of respiratory ailments, this latest work is considered the most definitive yet on the long-term impacts of air pollution and the risks of living in cities with elevated PM levels. Professor Arden Pope, one of the study team leaders, stressed that the risk of lung cancer and heart disease from PM exposure is clearly less than that associated with active cigarette smoking. However, the BYU professor pointed out that the risks to heart and lung health from intense particulate exposure were comparable to those experienced by nonsmokers exposed to second hand smoke over extended periods. Major sources of the fine PM pollution include power plants, industrial smokestacks and incinerators, and diesel motor vehicles. While many areas exceed the annual standard of 15 micrograms per cubic meter, PM levels have fallen during the duration of the study. From 1979 to 1983, the annual average in New York City and Los Angeles stood at 24 and 27 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively. The annual average figures for 1999 and 2000 dropped to 16 in New York and 20 in Los Angeles. New national standards for fine PM were set in 1997 and passed the scrutiny of the U.S. Supreme Court in February 2001. Rules for implementing the standards remain in development with EPA. Northeast ZEV Plans Tied to California ProgressA trio of Northeast states hoping to establish a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) rule is again facing roadblocks to the embattled program. Beyond their own control, officials in Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont must play wait-and-see with California regulators who are now deciding the fate of their own ZEV program. California's Office of Administrative Law rejected several adjustments to the state's ZEV compliance plan submitted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Because of the Clean Air Act provision that allows states to adopt national or California vehicle rules but not a third alternative, those that have opted for the Golden State's ZEV program are bound by its survival. The three Northeastern states that have pursued the California strategy are now in a position of moving forward with a ZEV rule modeled on a rejected plan. Officials with the three states claim that they are optimistic about the ZEV program and have pledged to continue toward program implementation. One Massachusetts source downplayed the latest obstacles and felt that his state would continue on while CARB dealt with its ZEV complications. |
