Calif. Says Mack, VTNA, Cummins Engines Meet NOx Standard, Exempt From Idling Rule
By Frederick Kiel, Staff Reporter
This story appears in the May 12 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.
The California Air Resources Board has confirmed to Transport Topics that Mack Trucks Inc., Cummins Inc. and Volvo Trucks North America have received certification that their heavy-duty engines meet California’s nitrogen oxide emission standards, providing users an exemption from the state’s five-minute idling regulation.
Mack said on April 30 that its MP7 and MP8 engines have been certified and its new 16-liter MP10 would meet the requirements when it goes into production later this year.
Previously, Cummins said its “full lineup of on-highway engines” has been approved, while VTNA said the D11, D13 and D16 engines can be ordered to meet the standard.
David Chen, air pollution specialist at CARB’s Mobile Source Control Division, said these are the only approved heavy-duty engines thus far, although a number of light and medium engines also have been approved.
Drivers with “low NOx certified engines who display the sticker have no idling restrictions, as long as they are parked beyond 100 feet of a residential dwelling,” he said.
“Drivers with certified engines can idle them during the entire 10-hour rest period,” CARB spokeswoman Gennet Paauwe said. “Certainly, it is best if drivers shut down to cut emissions and conserve expensive diesel fuel.”
The rule, posted on CARB’s Web site, states that 2008 and newer engines must “be equipped with a nonprogrammable engine shutdown system that automatically shuts down the engine after five minutes of idling or optionally meet a stringent oxides of nitrogen idling emission standard.”
“Heavy-duty engines can receive an exemption from this rule if they emit no more than 30 grams per hour of nitrogen oxide, or NOx,” Chen told TT.
Trucks with these engines are issued a special decal that denotes the exemption.
Chen said that the fine for first-time violators has been raised to $300 a day from $100, with a maximum of a $1,000 per day fine.
“Egregious offenders can face jail time,” Chen said.
Chen said the open-ended waiver will not last more than a few years.
“We plan to look at this matter in the future and will probably ban extended idling for every heavy-duty engine but not for several years,” Chen said.
Spokeswomen for Caterpillar Inc. and Detroit Diesel Corp., two other major engine manufacturers in North America, told TT that their 2008 engines meet only the automatic shut-down rule currently, but both plan on submitting engines for low NOx certification this summer.
Navistar Inc. and Paccar Inc., which both plan to begin manufacturing heavy-duty engines over the next two years, said they would not submit any engines to CARB until they go into production.
Paauwe told TT that California carried out 3,790 idling inspection in 2007, issuing 224 citations and collecting $15,400 in fines.
Chen said that CARB has developed a decal that is difficult to counterfeit and that agents will be doing spot checks in truck stops and other locations as well.
