EPA Releases Details of Emissions-Measuring Plan

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he Environmental Protection Agency released initial details of a pilot program that would measure diesel exhaust emissions during highway use with portable, onboard emission measurement systems.

The onboard tests would begin in 2005 and measure hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, EPA’s June 3 draft stated. The portable testing device would also track engine temperatures, exhaust flow rate, engine speed and torque.

Tim French, legal counsel for the Engine Manufacturers Association, said, “The exciting thing about this . . . is that if [the testing] works out in the field, there is a new emission paradigm that really looks for the right information: what the emissions are out in the field.”

French told Transport Topics the portable testing would give engine manufacturers and EPA the ability to measure emissions during real-world operating conditions and provide more accurate information.

For the full story, see the June 14 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.