CT Clean Diesel Plan FAQ Papers & Publications
Fact and FAQ Sheet
S.B. 920 “An Act Establishing a Connecticut Clean Diesel Plan”
Bill Purpose: To Significantly Reduce Health Risks from Diesel Pollution
S.B. 920 (with Senate Amendment - A):
v Directs the DEP to develop a strategy to significantly reduce the health risk of diesel particulate matter pollution from diesel trucks, buses and other heavy duty engines operating in Connecticut;
v Puts Connecticut on a path to reduce 75% of particulate matter emissions from heavy duty diesels over the next decade (consistent with the targets adopted in the Connecticut Climate Action Plan of 2005 – see detail about target at end of Page 2).
Diesel Emission Reduction Strategy
* The Strategy will produce recommendations for meeting the above target by reducing emissions from sources identified by the DEP
* It will include specific recommendations for achieving near-term reductions from three priority fleets – transit buses, school buses, and construction equipment working on state-funded projects. Other types of diesel vehicles will be included in the broader strategy, but these three fleets are prioritized because:
o They are publicly funded;
o Passenger vehicles (transit & school buses) expose passengers riding on the buses and travel constantly through sensitive areas – neighborhoods, urban commercial centers, etc.;
o Construction equipment emits more PM than on-road vehicles because historically, it has not been regulated as strictly. Large state construction projects often are located in sensitive urban areas where PM concentrations are high to begin with.
Transit Buses
The transit bus strategy developed by the DEP should:
* Only apply to 2006 and older model years because federal new engine standards clean up 2007 and newer engines;
* Only apply to buses over 29 feet – full sized transit buses. Smaller buses can be addressed in the broader strategy;
* Reduce PM from transit buses by the end of 2010 by installing diesel particulate filters achieving at least an 85% reduction or using alternative fuel yielding equivalent reductions;
* Note: Diesel particulate filters actually achieve a 90-98% reduction in PM and have been installed broadly in transit buses. Several hundred installations in Boston, Providence and New York City. 31 buses in Stamford, CT. No problems have been reported. This provision also allows for the use of alternative fuels or technologies (biodiesel, compressed natural gas, fuel cells, etc.) that achieve at least 85% reductions in PM.
School Buses
The school bus strategy developed by DEP should:
* Maximize emissions reductions from school buses by the end of 2010.
* Prevent engine particulate matter emissions from entering the passenger cabin of the bus by 2010. The engine is a large source of diesel particulate matter (in addition to the tailpipe). Engine emissions have been shown to blow in to the cabins of buses, exposing children to PM concentrations 5-10 times higher than outside concentrations. Devices exist that can eliminate these engine emissions by routing them through the tailpipe – keeping children and drivers safe.
Construction Equipment
The construction equip. strategy developed by DEP should:
* Maximize diesel particulate emission reductions from construction equipment servicing state construction projects. Starting in July 2006, the strategy should phase in emission reductions beginning with equipment working on state-funded projects valued at more than $5 million dollars. This builds off of, but expands and strengthens, the Connecticut Clean Construction Initiative. (Since 2002, the CCCI has required 20% reduction in PM from construction equipment working on I-95 re-construction through the New Haven area).
Other notes about the Diesel Emission Reduction Strategy
v It will include an estimate of the cost and benefits of implementing the three priority fleet strategies;
v It will focus on activities that complement existing federal rules and standards; it will not duplicate any aspect of the federal regulations;
v The DEP is directed to incorporate input from stakeholders and members of the public and to present its report to the legislature by January 15, 2006.
Detail about the Diesel Particulate Matter Reduction Target in the Climate Plan
The bill amendments now tie the diesel particulate matter (PM) reduction target directly to the reduction target indicated in the Climate Change Action Plan 2005.
* In Section 9 of the chapter on Transportation and Land Use, the following assumptions were made:
o By 2020, the technical potential will exist to reduce emissions from engines not subject to new federal engine standards (2006 and older model years) by 90%;
o The Climate Plan assumes an actual penetration rate of 75% reductions from these existing engines by 2020.
* When this existing engine reduction is added to the new engine reduction (from the federal new engine standards for 2007 and newer model years), overall reductions equal roughly:
o 75% in 2015, 80% in 2020
* These reduction targets have been confirmed as feasible by the region’s premier technical experts on diesel emissions control.
* Note: While the bill refers to the climate plan emission reduction targets, it does not reference the actual emission reduction measures in the climate plan. Emission reduction measures will be developed by DEP.
Potential Questions/Answers:
- How much is this going to cost? The only cost associated with this bill is the cost to DEP of developing the strategy. The DEP can develop this strategy without additional allocation of resources. Reducing diesel PM is a priority for them because they know it’s a major public health problem and because CT recently failed to meet federal standards for particulate matter concentrations.
- How much will implementation of the strategy cost? Costs and benefits will be thoroughly assessed by the DEP.
- Is funding available to pay for emissions control? The strategy will include an assessment of opportunities to secure and leverage federal funds and funds from other sources to defray costs of emission control.
- Is biodiesel included in this bill as an emission reduction option? Biodiesel is an alternative fuel capable of reducing particulate matter emissions, and therefore may be an appropriate component of the DEP’s diesel emission reduction strategy for certain fleets. This bill does not require that any particular technology is used to achieve emission reductions. This bill should NOT be amended to include special treatment of biodiesel fuel over other emission reducing options. Other bills address biodiesel specifically and they should continue to proceed along separate tracks. The House should pass this bill as-is, and allow it to serve as a framework for the DEP to investigate the effectiveness, costs and benefits of each emission reduction opportunity.
- Shouldn’t diesel emissions be addressed at the federal level? The federal government has set strict emission standards for NEW diesel engines to be phased in beginning with model year 2007. These engine standards do nothing to clean up existing engines (model year 2006 and older). Because diesel engines are very durable, they often last for decades. The benefits of the new rules will not be fully felt until 2030, when the entire fleet has turned over. This is too long to wait for Connecticut citizens.
- Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel will be required by federal law in 2006. Isn’t that good enough? Ultra-low sulfur diesel only reduces particulate matter emissions by about 10%. However, the low sulfur content of this fuel enables engines to be retrofit with a diesel particulate filters which reduce PM emissions by 90%. Diesel exhaust is a serious enough health threat to merit aggressive action.
- What are some of the Connecticut impacts this bill would address: Health experts estimate that the Connecticut economy is losing more than $100 million each year to pay the cost of health impacts from diesel pollution.
§ This does NOT include any cost associated with the average 14 years lost off of more than 200 Connecticut lives each year from heart attacks, cancer and lung disease due to diesel pollution.
§ A national study by the Clean Air Task Force estimates that in the year 2010, if we do not take action, Connecticut residents will experience more than:
§ 200 premature deaths, 300 non-fatal heart attacks, 4,000 asthma attacks, 6,000 respiratory symptoms in children, 24,000 work loss days
§ Fairfield, New Haven and Hartford Counties all rank within the 95th percentile of counties in the nation for health risks from diesel exhaust.
§ Nationally, diesel pollution cuts short the lives of more Americans than drunk driving, homicides or HIV/AIDS.
