COEJL ACTION ALERT:

CLOSE THE DIRTY DIESEL LOOPHOLE
(08/14/03)

"The quality of urban air compared to the air in the deserts and forests is like thick and turbulent water compared to pure and light water."
    Moses Maimonides, "The Preservation of Youth": The Guide to Health, pp. 70-71

EPA is currently accepting comments on a strong and positive proposal that would extend the pollution control standards for diesel trucks and buses to other types of big diesel engines like bulldozers and tractors. Just one diesel bulldozer pollutes as much as 26 new cars. If enacted, the new rule would reduce cancer-causing particulate soot by 90 percent and smog-forming nitrogen oxides by 95 percent by 2014. Sulfur in fuels would be cut sharply enough to allow the use of catalytic converters. It is crucial that the administration receive as many supportive comments as possible by the August 20th deadline. Comments can be sent by mail or email.

Write: Send two copies to:
Air Docket, EPA
Mail Code 6102 T
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Attention: Docket ID No. A-2001-28

E-mail: nrt4@epa.gov and mention Docket ID No. OAR-2003-0012

Make sure to let EPA know that you support the rule and want to see it enacted as quickly as possible. Specifically, urge them to limit the sulfur in all "non-road" diesel fuel, including locomotive and marine engines, to 15 parts per million by 2010, and require all new diesel equipment, including the smallest and largest engines, to use pollution controls that reduce soot by at least 95 percent and smog by at least 90 percent no later than 2012.

Background
For more information on this topic-
EPA website: Reducing Non-road Diesel Emissions