[Federal Register: June 30, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 126)]
[Rules and Regulations]               
[Page 37095-37144]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jn08-14]                         
 

[[Page 37095]]

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Part IV





Environmental Protection Agency





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40 CFR Parts 9, 85, et al.



 Control of Emissions of Air Pollution From Locomotive Engines and 
Marine Compression-Ignition Engines Less Than 30 Liters per Cylinder; 
Republication; Final Rule


[[Page 37096]]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

40 CFR Parts 9, 85, 86, 89, 92, 94, 1033, 1039, 1042, 1065, and 
1068

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190; FRL-8545-3]
RIN 2060-AM06

 
Control of Emissions of Air Pollution From Locomotive Engines and 
Marine Compression-Ignition Engines Less Than 30 Liters per Cylinder; 
Republication

    Editorial Note: FR Doc. E8-7999 was originally published at 
pages 25098 to 25352 in the issue of Tuesday, May 6, 2008. This 
document included numerous typographical and other errors that were 
inadvertently introduced in the printing process. Because of the 
number of errors, this document is being republished in its 
entirety. This republication does not change the effective date of 
the original document.

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: EPA is adopting a comprehensive program to dramatically reduce 
pollution from locomotives and marine diesel engines. The controls will 
apply to all types of locomotives, including line-haul, switch, and 
passenger, and all types of marine diesel engines below 30 liters per 
cylinder displacement, including commercial and recreational, 
propulsion and auxiliary. The near-term emission standards for newly-
built engines will phase in starting in 2009. The near-term program 
also includes new emission limits for existing locomotives and marine 
diesel engines that apply when they are remanufactured, and take effect 
as soon as certified remanufacture systems are available, as early as 
2008. The long-term emissions standards for newly-built locomotives and 
marine diesel engines are based on the application of high-efficiency 
catalytic aftertreatment technology. These standards begin to take 
effect in 2015 for locomotives and in 2014 for marine diesel engines. 
We estimate particulate matter (PM) reductions of 90 percent and 
nitrogen oxides (NOX) reductions of 80 percent from engines 
meeting these standards, compared to engines meeting the current 
standards.
    We project that by 2030, this program will reduce annual emissions 
of NOX and PM by 800,000 and 27,000 tons, respectively. EPA 
projects these reductions will annually prevent up to 1,100 PM-related 
premature deaths, 280 ozone-related premature deaths, 120,000 lost work 
days, 120,000 school day absences, and 1.1 million minor restricted-
activity days. The annual monetized health benefits of this rule in 
2030 will range from $9.2 billion to $11 billion, assuming a 3 percent 
discount rate, or between $8.4 billion to $10 billion, assuming a 7% 
discount rate. The estimated annual social cost of the program in 2030 
is projected to be $740 million, significantly less than the estimated 
benefits.

DATES: This rule is effective on July 7, 2008. The incorporation by 
reference of certain publications listed in this regulation is approved 
by the Director of the Federal Register as of July 7, 2008.

ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-2003-0190. All documents in the docket are listed on the 
www.regulations.gov web site. Although listed in the index, some 
information is not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other information 
whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Certain other material, such 
as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be 
publicly available only in hard copy form. Publicly available docket 
materials are available either electronically through 
www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at the Air Docket, EPA/DC, EPA 
West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The 
Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Public 
Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air 
Docket is (202) 566-1742.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Mueller, U.S. EPA, Office of 
Transportation and Air Quality, Assessment and Standards Division 
(ASD), Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann 
Arbor, MI 48105; telephone number: (734) 214-4275; fax number: (734) 
214-4816; e-mail address: Mueller.John@epa.gov, or Assessment and 
Standards Division Hotline; telephone number: (734) 214-4636.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Does This Action Apply to Me?

 Locomotives

    Entities potentially affected by this action are those that 
manufacture, remanufacture or import locomotives or locomotive engines; 
and those that own or operate locomotives. Regulated categories and 
entities include:

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                                              Examples of potentially
       Category           NAICS code \1\         affected entities
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Industry..............     333618, 336510  Manufacturers,
                                            remanufacturers and
                                            importers of locomotives and
                                            locomotive engines.
Industry..............    482110, 482111,  Railroad owners and
                                   482112   operators.
Industry..............             488210  Engine repair and
                                            maintenance.
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    This table is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be regulated by this 
action. This table lists the types of entities that EPA is now aware 
could potentially be regulated by this action. Other types of entities 
not listed in the table could also be regulated. To determine whether 
your company is regulated by this action, you should carefully examine 
the applicability criteria in 40 CFR 92.1, 1033.1, 1065.1, and 1068.1. 
If you have questions, consult the person listed in the preceding FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
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    \1\ North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
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 Marine Engines and Vessels

    Entities potentially affected by this action are companies and 
persons that manufacture, sell, or import into the United States new 
marine compression-ignition engines, companies and persons that rebuild 
or maintain these engines, companies and persons that make vessels that 
use such engines, and the owners/operators of such vessels. Affected 
categories and entities include:

[[Page 37097]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                              Examples of potentially
       Category           NAICS code \1\         affected entities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industry..............             333618  Manufacturers of new marine
                                            diesel engines.
Industry..............   33661 and 346611  Ship and boat building; ship
                                            building and repairing.
Industry..............             811310  Engine repair, remanufacture,
                                            and maintenance.
Industry..............                483  Water transportation, freight
                                            and passenger.
Industry..............             487210  and Sightseeing
                                            Transportation, Water.
Industry..............               4883  Support Activities for Water
                                            Transportation.
Industry..............               1141  Fishing.
Industry..............             336612  Boat building (watercraft not
                                            built in shipyards and
                                            typically of the type
                                            suitable or intended for
                                            personal use).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This table is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather provides a 
guide for readers regarding entities likely to be regulated by this 
action. This table lists the types of entities that EPA is now aware 
could potentially be regulated by this action. Other types of entities 
not listed in the table could also be regulated. To determine whether 
your company is regulated by this action, you should carefully examine 
the applicability criteria in 40 CFR 94.1, 1042.1, 1065.1, and 1068.1. 
If you have questions, consult the person listed in the preceding FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

Outline of This Preamble

I. Overview
    A. What Is EPA Finalizing and How Does It Differ From the 
Proposal?
    B. Why Is EPA Taking This Action?
II. Air Quality and Health Impacts
    A. Overview
    B. Public Health Impacts
    C. Environmental Impacts
    D. Other Criteria Pollutants Affected by This Final Rule
    E. Emissions from Locomotive and Marine Diesel Engines
III. Emission Standards
    A. What Locomotives and Marine Engines Are Covered?
    B. What Standards Are We Adopting?
    C. Are the Standards Feasible?
IV. Certification and Compliance Program
    A. Issues Common to Locomotives and Marine Engines
    B. Compliance Issues Specific to Locomotives
    C. Compliance Issues Specific to Marine Engines
V. Costs and Economic Impacts
    A. Engineering Costs
    B. Cost Effectiveness
    C. EIA
VI. Benefits
VII. Alternative Program Options
    A. Summary of Alternatives
    B. Summary of Results
VIII. Public Participation
IX. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
    A. Executive Order 12866: Regulatory Planning and Review
    B. Paperwork Reduction Act
    C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
    D. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
    E. Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)
    F. Executive Order 13175 (Consultation and Coordination With 
Indian Tribal Governments)
    G. Executive Order 13045: Protection of Children From 
Environmental Health and Safety Risks
    H. Executive Order 13211: Actions That Significantly Affect 
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use
    I. National Technology Transfer Advancement Act
    J. Executive Order 12898: Federal Actions to Address 
Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income 
Populations
    K. Congressional Review Act
X. Statutory Provisions and Legal Authority

I. Overview

    This final rule completes an important step in EPA's ongoing 
National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) by adding new programs for 
locomotives and marine diesel engines to the clean diesel initiatives 
we have already undertaken for highway, other nonroad, and stationary 
diesel engines. As detailed below, it significantly strengthens the 
locomotive and marine diesel programs we proposed last year (72 FR 
15938, April 3, 2007), especially in controlling emissions during the 
critical early years through the early introduction of advanced 
technologies and the more complete coverage of existing engines. When 
fully implemented, this coordinated set of new programs will reduce 
harmful diesel engine emissions to a small fraction of their previous 
levels.
    The new programs address all types of diesel locomotives-- line-
haul, switch, and passenger rail, and all types of marine diesel 
engines below 30 liters per cylinder displacement (hereafter referred 
to as ``marine diesel engines'').\2\ These engines are used to power a 
wide variety of vessels, from small fishing and recreational boats to 
large tugs and Great Lakes freighters. They are also used to generate 
auxiliary vessel power, including on ocean-going ships.
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    \2\ Marine diesel engines at or above 30 liters per cylinder, 
called Category 3 engines, are typically used for propulsion power 
on ocean-going ships. EPA is addressing Category 3 engines through 
separate actions, including a planned rulemaking for a new tier of 
federal standards (see Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
published December 7, 2007 at 72 FR 69522) and participation on the 
U.S. delegation to the International Maritime Organization for 
negotiations of new international standards (see http://www.epa.gov/otaq/oceanvessels.com 
for information on both of those actions), as well as EPA's Clean Ports USA Initiative (see 
http://www.epa.gov/
cleandiesel/ports/index.htm).
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    Emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 
nitrogen oxides (NOX) from these diesel engines contribute 
to nonattainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) 
for PM2.5 and ozone. Today, locomotives and marine diesel 
engines account for about 20 percent of mobile source NOX 
emissions and 25 percent of mobile source diesel PM2.5 
emissions in the U.S. Absent this final action, by 2030 the relative 
contributions of NOX and PM2.5 from these engines 
would have grown to 35 and 65 percent, respectively.
    We are finalizing a comprehensive three-part program to address 
this problem. First, we are adopting stringent emission standards for 
existing locomotives and for existing commercial marine diesel engines 
above 600 kilowatt (kW) (800 horsepower (hp)). These standards apply 
when the engines are remanufactured. This part of the program will take 
effect as soon as certified remanufacture systems are available, for 
some engines as early as a few months from now. Under our existing 
program, locomotives have been certified to one of three tiers of 
standards: Tier 0 for locomotives originally built between 1973 and 
2001, Tier 1 for those built between 2002 and 2004, and Tier 2 for 
those built in or after 2005. Under this new program, certified 
locomotive remanufacture systems must be made available by 2010 for 
Tier 0 and Tier 1 locomotives, and by 2013 for Tier 2 locomotives. 
Remanufacture systems that are certified for use in marine engine 
remanufactures are likewise required to be used. We are not, however, 
setting a specific compliance date for certified marine diesel 
remanufacture systems because we expect that engine manufacturers will 
be well motivated by the market opportunity to certify emissions-
compliant systems.
    Second, we are adopting a set of near-term emission standards, 
referred to as Tier 3, for newly-built locomotives and

[[Page 37098]]

marine engines. The Tier 3 standards reflect the application of 
technologies to reduce engine-out particulate matter (PM) and 
NOX.
    Third, we are adopting longer-term standards, referred to as Tier 
4, for newly-built locomotives and marine engines. Tier 4 standards 
reflect the application of high-efficiency catalytic aftertreatment 
technology enabled by the availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel 
(ULSD). These standards take effect in 2015 for locomotives, and phase 
in over time for marine engines, beginning in 2014. Finally, we are 
adopting provisions in all three parts of the program to eliminate 
emissions from unnecessary locomotive idling.
    Locomotives and marine diesel engines designed to these Tier 4 
standards will achieve PM reductions of 90 percent and NOX 
reductions of 80 percent, compared to engines meeting the current Tier 
2 standards. The new standards will also yield sizeable reductions in 
emissions of nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), carbon monoxide (CO), and 
hazardous compounds known as air toxics. Table I-1 summarizes the PM 
and NOX emission reductions for the new standards compared 
to today's (Tier 2) emission standards; for remanufactured engines, the 
comparison is to the current standards for each tier of locomotives 
covered, and to typical unregulated levels for marine engines.

                            Table I-1.--Reductions From Levels of Existing Standards
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                                                                                PM
                 Sector                            Standards tier           (percent)         NOX (percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Locomotives.............................  Remanufactured Tier 0..........           60  15-20.
                                          Remanufactured Tier 1..........           50  ........................
                                          Remanufactured Tier 2..........           50  ........................
                                          Tier 3.........................           50  ........................
                                          Tier 4.........................           90  80.
                                          All tiers--idle emissions......           50  50.
Marine Diesel Engines \a\...............  Remanufactured Engines.........        25-60  Up to 20.
                                          Tier 3.........................           50  20.
                                          Tier 4.........................           90  80.
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Note: (a) Standards vary by displacement and within power categories. Reductions indicated are typical.

    On a nationwide annual basis, these reductions will amount to 
800,000 tons of NOX and 27,000 tons of PM by 2030, resulting 
annually in the prevention of up to 1,100 PM-related premature deaths, 
280 ozone-related premature deaths, 120,000 lost work days, 120,000 
school day absences, and 1.1 million minor restricted-activity days. We 
estimate the annual monetized health benefits of this rule in 2030 will 
range from $9.2 billion to $11 billion, assuming a 3 percent discount 
rate, or between $8.4 billion to $10 billion, assuming a 7% discount 
rate.\3\ The estimated annual social cost of the program in 2030 is 
projected to be $740 million, significantly less than the estimated 
benefits.
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    \3\ Low and high benefits estimates are derived from a range of 
ozone-related premature mortality studies (including an assumption 
of no causality) and PM2.5-related premature mortality 
based on the ACS study (Pope et al., 2002). Benefits also include 
PM2.5- and ozone-related morbidity benefits. See section 
VI for a complete discussion and analysis of benefits associated 
with the final rule.
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A. What Is EPA Finalizing and How Does it Differ From the Proposal?

    This final rule makes a number of important changes to the program 
set out in our Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). Among these are 
changes that will yield significantly greater overall NOX 
and PM reductions, especially in the critical early years of the 
program: The adoption of standards for remanufactured marine engines 
and a 2-year pull-ahead of the Tier 4 NOX requirements for 
line-haul locomotives and for 2000-3700 kW (2760-4900 hp) marine 
engines.
    The major elements of the final program are summarized below. We 
are also revising existing testing, certification, and compliance 
provisions to better ensure emissions control in use. Detailed 
provisions and our justifications for them are discussed in sections 
III and IV. Section VII of this preamble describes a number of 
alternatives that we considered in developing the rule. After 
evaluating the alternatives, we believe that our new program provides 
the best opportunity for achieving timely and very substantial 
emissions reductions from locomotive and marine diesel engines. It 
balances a number of key factors: (1) Achieving very significant 
emissions reductions as early as possible, (2) providing appropriate 
lead time to develop and apply advanced control technologies, and (3) 
coordinating requirements in this final rule with existing highway and 
nonroad diesel engine programs. The provisions we are finalizing that 
are different from the proposed program are:
     The adoption of standards for remanufactured marine diesel 
engines to address emissions from the existing fleet (this was 
presented as one of the proposal alternatives),
     Inclusion of Tier 4 NOX controls on 2015-2016 
model year locomotives at initial build rather than at first 
remanufacture,
     A two-year pull-ahead of the Tier 4 NOX 
standard for 2000-3700 kW marine engines to 2014,
     Inclusion of Class II railroads in the remanufactured 
locomotives program,
     No Tier 4 standards for the small fleet of large 
recreational vessels at this time,
     A revised approach to migratory vessels that spend part of 
their time overseas,
     Credit for locomotive design measures that reduce 
emissions as part of efforts to improve efficiency,
     A number of changes to test and compliance requirements 
detailed in sections III and IV.
    Overall, our comprehensive three-part approach to setting standards 
for locomotives and marine diesel engines will provide very large 
reductions in PM, NOX, and toxic compounds, both in the 
near-term (as early as 2008), and in the long-term. These reductions 
will be achieved in a manner that: (1) Leverages technology 
developments in other diesel sectors, (2) aligns well with the clean 
diesel fuel requirements already being implemented, and (3) provides 
the lead time needed to deal with the significant engineering design 
workload that is involved.
(1) Locomotive Emission Standards
    We are setting stringent exhaust emission standards for newly-built 
and remanufactured locomotives, furthering

[[Page 37099]]

the initiative for cleaner locomotives started in 2004 with the 
establishment of the ULSD locomotive fuel program, and adding this 
important category of engines to the highway and nonroad diesel 
applications already covered under EPA's National Clean Diesel 
Campaign.
    Briefly, for newly-built line-haul locomotives we are setting a new 
Tier 3 PM standard of 0.10 grams per brake horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr), 
based on improvements to existing engine designs. This standard will 
take effect in 2012. We are also setting new Tier 4 standards of 0.03 
g/bhp-hr for PM and 1.3 g/bhp-hr for NOX, based on the 
evolution of high-efficiency catalytic aftertreatment technologies now 
being developed and introduced in the highway diesel sector. The Tier 4 
standards will take effect in 2015. We are requiring that 
remanufactured Tier 2 locomotives meet a PM standard of 0.10 g/bhp-hr, 
based on the same engine design improvements as Tier 3 locomotives, and 
that remanufactured Tier 0 and Tier 1 locomotives meet a 0.22 g/bhp-hr 
PM standard. We are also requiring that remanufactured Tier 0 
locomotives meet a NOX standard of 7.4 g/bhp-hr, the same 
level as current Tier 1 locomotives, or 8.0 g/bhp-hr if the locomotive 
is not equipped with a separate loop intake air cooling system. Section 
III provides a detailed discussion of these new standards, and section 
IV details improvements being made to the applicable test, 
certification, and compliance programs.
    In setting our original locomotive emission standards in 1998, the 
historic pattern of transitioning older line-haul locomotives to road- 
and yard-switcher service resulted in our making little distinction 
between line-haul and switch locomotives. Because of the increase in 
the size of new locomotives in recent years, that pattern cannot be 
sustained by the railroad industry, as today's 4000+ hp (3000+ kW) 
locomotives are poorly suited for switcher duty. Furthermore, although 
there is still a fairly sizeable legacy fleet of older smaller line-
haul locomotives that could find their way into the switcher fleet, 
essentially the only newly-built switchers put into service over the 
last two decades have been of radically different design, employing one 
to three smaller high-speed diesel engines designed for use in nonroad 
applications. We are establishing new standards and special 
certification provisions for newly-built and remanufactured switch 
locomotives that take these factors into account.
    Locomotives spend a substantial amount of time idling, during which 
they emit harmful pollutants, consume fuel, create noise, and increase 
maintenance costs. We are requiring that idle controls, such as 
Automatic Engine Stop/Start Systems (AESS), be included on all newly-
built Tier 3 and Tier 4 locomotives. We also are requiring that they be 
installed on all existing locomotives that are subject to the new 
remanufactured engine standards, at the point of first remanufacture 
under the standards, unless already equipped with idle controls. 
Additional idle emissions control beyond AESS is encouraged in our 
program by factoring it into the certification test program.
(2) Marine Engine Emission Standards
    We are setting emissions standards for newly-built and 
remanufactured marine diesel engines with displacements up to 30 liters 
per cylinder (referred to as Category 1 and 2, or C1 and C2, engines). 
Newly-built engines subject to the new standards include those used in 
commercial, recreational, and auxiliary power applications, and those 
below 37 kW (50 hp) that were previously regulated in our nonroad 
diesel program.
    The new marine diesel engine standards include stringent engine-
based Tier 3 standards for newly-built marine diesel engines that phase 
in beginning in 2009. These are followed by aftertreatment-based Tier 4 
standards for engines above 600 kW (800 hp) that phase in beginning in 
2014. The specific levels and implementation dates for the Tier 3 and 
Tier 4 standards vary by engine size and power. This yields an array of 
emission standards levels and start dates that help ensure the most 
stringent standards feasible at the earliest possible time for each 
group of newly-built marine engines, while helping engine and vessel 
manufacturers implement the program in a manner that minimizes their 
costs for emission reductions. The new standards and implementation 
schedules, as well as their technological feasibility, are described in 
detail in section III of this preamble.
    We are also adopting standards to address the considerable impact 
of emissions from large marine diesel engines installed in vessels in 
the existing fleet. These standards apply to commercial marine diesel 
engines above 600 kW when these engines are remanufactured, and take 
effect as soon as certified remanufacture systems are available. The 
final requirements are different from the programmatic alternative on 
which we sought comment in that there is no mandatory date by which 
marine remanufacture systems must be made available. However, systems 
for the larger Category 2 marine diesel engines are expected to become 
available at the same time as the locomotive remanufacture systems for 
similar engines, as early as 2008, because Category 2 marine diesel 
engines are often derived from locomotive engines. This new marine 
remanufacture program is described in more detail in section 
III.B(2)(b). We intend to revisit this program in the future to 
evaluate the extent to which remanufacture systems are being introduced 
into the market without a mandatory requirement, and to determine if 
the program should be extended to small commercial and recreational 
engines as well.
    Taken together, the program elements described above constitute a 
comprehensive program that addresses the problems caused by locomotive 
and marine diesel emissions from both a near-term and long-term 
perspective. It does this while providing for an orderly and cost-
effective implementation schedule for the railroads, vessel owners, 
manufacturers, and remanufacturers.

B. Why Is EPA Taking This Action?

(1) Locomotives and Marine Diesels Contribute to Serious Air Pollution 
Problems
    As we discuss extensively in both the proposal and today's action, 
EPA strongly believes it is appropriate to take steps now to reduce 
future emissions from locomotive and marine diesel engines. Emissions 
from these engines generate significant emissions of PM2.5 
and NOX that contribute to nonattainment of the National 
Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM2.5 and ozone. 
NOX is a key precursor to ozone and secondary PM formation. 
These engines also emit hazardous air pollutants or air toxics, which 
are associated with serious adverse health effects. Finally, emissions 
from locomotive and marine diesel engines cause harm to public welfare, 
including contributing to visibility impairment and other harmful 
environmental impacts across the U.S.
    The health and environmental effects associated with these 
emissions are a classic example of a negative externality (an activity 
that imposes uncompensated costs on others). With a negative 
externality, an activity's social cost (the cost borne to society 
imposed as a result of the activity taking place) exceeds its private 
cost (the cost to those directly engaged in the activity). In this 
case, as described below and in section

[[Page 37100]]

II, emissions from locomotives and marine diesel engines and vessels 
impose public health and environmental costs on society. However, these 
added costs are not reflected in the costs of those using these engines 
and equipment. The current market and regulatory scheme do not correct 
this externality because firms in the market are rewarded for 
minimizing their production costs, including the costs of pollution 
control, and do not benefit from reductions in emissions. In addition, 
firms that may take steps to use equipment that reduces air pollution 
may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage compared to firms 
that do not. The emission standards that EPA is finalizing help address 
this market failure and reduce the negative externality from these 
emissions by providing a regulatory incentive for engine and locomotive 
manufacturers to produce engines and locomotives that emit fewer 
harmful pollutants and for railroads and vessel builders and owners to 
use those cleaner engines.
    Emissions from locomotive and marine diesel engines account for 
substantial portions of the country's current ambient PM2.5 
and NOX levels. We estimate that today these engines account 
for about 20 percent of mobile source NOX emissions and 
about 25 percent of mobile source diesel PM2.5 emissions. 
Under this rulemaking, by 2030, NOX emissions from these 
diesel engines will be reduced annually by 800,000 tons and 
PM2.5 emissions by 27,000 tons, and these reductions will 
grow beyond 2030 as fleet turnover to the cleanest engines continues.
    EPA has already taken steps to bring emissions levels from highway 
and nonroad diesel vehicles and engines to very low levels over the 
next decade, while the per horsepower-hour emission levels for 
locomotive and marine diesel engines remain at much higher levels--
comparable to the emissions for highway trucks in the early 1990s.
    Both ozone and PM2.5 contribute to serious public health 
problems, including premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and 
cardiovascular disease (as indicated by increased hospital admissions 
and emergency room visits, school absences, loss work days, and 
restricted activity days), changes in lung function and increased 
respiratory symptoms, altered respiratory defense mechanisms, and 
chronic bronchitis. Diesel exhaust is of special public health concern, 
and since 2002 EPA has classified exposure to diesel exhaust as likely 
to be carcinogenic to humans by inhalation from environmental 
exposures.\4\ Recent studies are showing that populations living near 
large diesel emission sources such as major roadways, rail yards, and 
marine ports are likely to experience greater diesel exhaust exposure 
levels than the overall U.S. population, putting them at greater health 
risks.5, 6
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    \4\ U.S. EPA (2002) Health Assessment Document for Diesel Engine 
Exhaust. EPA/600/8-90/057F. Office of Research and Development, 
Washington DC. This document is available electronically at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=29060.
    \5\ Kinnee, E.J.; Touman, J.S.; Mason, R.; Thurman, J.; Beidler, 
A.; Bailey, C.; Cook, R. (2004) Allocation of onroad mobile 
emissions to road segments for air toxics modeling in an urban area. 
Transport. Res. Part D 9: 139-150.
    \6\ State of California Air Resources Board. Roseville Rail Yard 
Study. Stationary Source Division, October 14, 2004. This document 
is available electronically at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/documents/rrstudy.htm and State of California Air Resources Board. 
Diesel Particulate Matter Exposure Assessment Study for the Ports of 
Los Angeles and Long Beach, April 2006. This document is available 
electronically at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/marine2005/portstudy0406.pdf.
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    EPA recently conducted an initial screening-level analysis \7\ of 
selected marine port areas and rail yards to better understand the 
populations that are exposed to diesel particulate matter (DPM) 
emissions from these facilities.8, 9 This screening-level 
analysis focused on a representative selection of national marine ports 
and rail yards.\10\ Of the 47 marine ports and 37 rail yards selected, 
the results indicate that at least 13 million people, including a 
disproportionate number of low-income households, African-Americans, 
and Hispanics, living in the vicinity of these facilities, are being 
exposed to ambient DPM levels that are 2.0 [mu]g/m3 and 0.2 
[mu]g/m3 above levels found in areas further from these 
facilities. Because those populations exposed to DPM emissions from 
marine ports and rail yards are more likely to be low-income and 
minority residents, these populations will benefit from the controls 
being finalized in this action. The detailed findings of this study are 
available in the public docket for this rulemaking.
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    \7\ This type of screening-level analysis is an inexact tool and 
not appropriate for regulatory decisionmaking; it is useful in 
beginning to understand potential impacts and for illustrative 
purposes. Additionally, the emissions inventories used as inputs for 
the analyses are not official estimates and likely underestimate 
overall emissions because they are not inclusive of all emission 
sources at the individual ports in the sample. For example, most 
inventories included emissions from ocean-going vessels (powered by 
Category 3 engines), as well as some commercial vessel categories, 
including harbor crafts, (powered by Category 1 and 2 engines), 
cargo handling equipment, locomotives, and heavy-duty vehicles. This 
final rule will not address emissions from ocean-going vessels, 
cargo handling equipment or heavy-duty vehicles.
    \8\ ICF International. September 28, 2007. Estimation of diesel 
particulate matter concentration isopleths for marine harbor areas 
and rail yards. Memorandum to EPA under Work Assignment Number 0-3, 
Contract Number EP-C-06-094. This memo is available in Docket EPA-
HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
    \9\ ICF International. September 28, 2007. Estimation of diesel 
particulate matter population exposure near selected harbor areas 
and rail yards. Memorandum to EPA under Work Assignment Number 0-3, 
Contract Number EP-C-06-094. This memo is available in Docket EPA-
HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
    \10\ The Agency selected a representative sample of the top 150 
U.S. ports including coastal, inland, and Great Lake ports. In 
selecting a sample of rail yards the Agency identified a subset from 
the hundreds of rail yards operated by Class I Railroads.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Today, millions of Americans continue to live in areas that do not 
meet existing air quality standards. Currently, ozone concentrations 
exceeding the 8-hour ozone NAAQS occur over wide geographic areas, 
including most of the nation's major population centers. As of October 
10, 2007, approximately 88 million people live in 39 designated areas 
(which include all or part of 208 counties) that either do not meet the 
current PM2.5 NAAQS or contribute to violations in other 
counties, and 144 million people live in 81 areas (which include all or 
part of 368 counties) designated as not in attainment for the 8-hour 
ozone NAAQS. These numbers do not include the people living in areas 
where there is a significant future risk of failing to maintain or 
achieve either the current or future PM2.5 or ozone NAAQS.
    In addition to public health impacts, there are public welfare and 
environmental impacts associated with ozone and PM2.5 
emissions. Ozone causes damage to vegetation which leads to crop and 
forestry economic losses, as well as harm to national parks, wilderness 
areas, and other natural systems. NOX and direct emissions 
of PM2.5 can contribute to the impairment of visibility in 
many parts of the U.S., where people live, work, and recreate, 
including national parks, wilderness areas, and mandatory class I 
federal areas. The deposition of airborne particles can also reduce the 
aesthetic appeal of buildings and culturally important objects through 
soiling and can contribute directly (or in conjunction with other 
pollutants) to structural damage by means of corrosion or erosion. 
Finally, NOX emissions from diesel engines contribute to the 
acidification, nitrification, and eutrophication of water bodies.
    While EPA has already adopted many emission control programs that 
are expected to reduce ambient ozone and PM2.5 levels, 
including the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) (70 FR 25162, May 12, 
2005) and the Clean Air

[[Page 37101]]

Nonroad Diesel Rule (69 FR 38957, June 29, 2004), the Heavy Duty Engine 
and Vehicle Standards and Highway Diesel Fuel Sulfur Control 
Requirements (66 FR 5002, Jan. 18, 2001), and the Tier 2 Vehicle and 
Gasoline Sulfur Program (65 FR 6698, Feb. 10, 2000), the additional 
PM2.5 and NOX emission reductions resulting from 
this rule will assist states in attaining and maintaining the Ozone and 
the PM2.5 NAAQS both near term and in the decades to come.
    In September 2006, EPA finalized revised PM2.5 NAAQS 
standards and over the next few years the EPA will undergo the process 
of designating areas that do not meet this new standard. EPA modeling, 
conducted as part of finalizing the revised NAAQS, projects that in 
2015 up to 52 counties with 53 million people may violate either the 
daily or annual standards for PM2.5 (or both), while an 
additional 27 million people in 54 counties may live in areas that have 
air quality measurements within 10 percent of the revised NAAQS. Even 
in 2020 up to 48 counties, with 54 million people, may still not be 
able to meet the revised PM2.5 NAAQS and an additional 25 
million people, living in 50 counties, are projected to have air 
quality measurements within 10 percent of the revised standards. The 
locomotive and marine diesel PM2.5 reductions resulting from 
this rulemaking are needed by a number of states to both attain and 
maintain the revised PM2.5 NAAQS.
    State and local governments continue working to protect the health 
of their citizens and comply with requirements of the Clean Air Act 
(CAA or ``the Act''). As part of this effort they recognize the need to 
secure additional major reductions in both diesel PM2.5 and 
NOX emissions by undertaking numerous state-level 
actions.11 However, they have also urged Agency action to 
finalize a strong locomotive and marine diesel engine program that will 
provide crucial emission reductions both in the near and long-term.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ Two examples of state and local actions are: California Air 
Resources Board (2006). Emission Reduction Plan for Ports and Goods 
Movements (April 2006), Available electronically at www.arb.ca.gov/
gmp/docs/finalgmpplan090905.pdf; Connecticut Department of 
Environmental Protection (2006). Connecticut's Clean Diesel Plan 
(January 2006). See http://www.dep.state.ct.us/air2/diesel/index.htm 
for description of initiative.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The federal program finalized today results in earlier and 
significantly greater NOX and PM reductions from the 
locomotive and marine sector than the proposed program because of the 
first-ever national standards for remanufactured marine engines and the 
starting of Tier 4 NOX requirements for line-haul 
locomotives and for 2000-3700 kW (2760-4900 hp) marine engines two 
years earlier than proposed. These changes reflect important 
cooperative efforts by the regulated industry to implement cleaner 
technology as early as possible. While the program finalized today will 
help many states and communities achieve cleaner air, for some areas, 
such as the South Coast of California, the reductions achieved through 
this rule will not alone enable them to meet their near-term ozone and 
PM air quality goals. This was also the case for our 1998 locomotive 
rulemaking, where the State of California worked with Class I railroads 
operating in southern California to develop a Memoranda of 
Understanding (MOU) ensuring that the cleanest technologies enabled by 
federal rules were expeditiously introduced in areas of California with 
greatest air quality improvement needs. EPA continues to support 
California's efforts to reconcile likely future growth in the 
locomotive and marine sector with the public health protection needs of 
the area, and today's final rule includes provisions which are well-
suited to encouraging early deployment of cleaner technologies through 
the development of similar programs.
    In addition to these new standards, EPA has a number of voluntary 
programs that help enable government, industry, and local communities 
to address challenging air quality problems. The EPA SmartWay program 
has worked with railroads to encourage them to reduce unnecessary 
locomotive idling and will continue to promote the use of innovative 
idle reduction technologies that can substantially reduce locomotive 
emissions while reducing fuel consumption. EPA's National Clean Diesel 
Campaign, through its Clean Ports USA program is working with port 
authorities, terminal operators, and trucking and rail companies to 
promote cleaner diesel technologies and emission reduction strategies 
through education, incentives, and financial assistance. Part of these 
efforts involves voluntary retrofit programs that can further reduce 
emissions from the existing fleet of diesel engines. Finally, EPA is 
implementing a new Sustainable Ports Strategy which will allow EPA to 
partner with ports, business partners, communities and other 
stakeholders to become world leaders in sustainability, including 
achieving cleaner air. This new strategy builds on the success of 
collaborative work EPA has been doing in partnership with the American 
Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), and through port related 
efforts of Clean Ports USA, SmartWay, EPA's Regional Diesel 
Collaboratives and other programs. Together these approaches augment 
the regulations being finalized today, helping states and communities 
achieve larger reductions sooner in the areas of our country that need 
them the most.
(2) Advanced Technologies Can Be Applied
    Air pollution from locomotive and marine diesel exhaust is a 
challenging problem. However, we believe it can be addressed 
effectively through a combination of engine-out emission reduction 
technologies and high-efficiency catalytic aftertreatment technologies. 
As discussed in greater detail in section III.C, the development of 
these aftertreatment technologies for highway and nonroad diesel 
applications has advanced rapidly in recent years, so that new engines 
can achieve very large emission reductions in PM and NOX (in 
excess of 90 and 80 percent, respectively).
    High-efficiency PM control technologies are being broadly used in 
many parts of the world and are being used domestically to comply with 
EPA's heavy-duty truck standards that started taking effect in the 2007 
model year. These technologies are highly durable and robust in use and 
have proved extremely effective in reducing exhaust hydrocarbon (HC) 
and carbon monoxide emissions.
    Control of NOX emissions from locomotive and marine 
diesel engines can also be achieved with high-efficiency exhaust 
emission control technologies. Such technologies are expected to be 
used to meet the stringent NOX standards included in EPA's 
heavy-duty highway diesel and nonroad Tier 4 programs and have been in 
production for heavy-duty trucks in Europe since 2005 and in many 
stationary source applications throughout the world.
    Section III.C discusses additional engineering challenges in 
applying these technologies to newly-built locomotive and marine 
engines, as well as the development steps that we expect to be taken to 
resolve the challenges. With the lead time available and the assurance 
of ULSD for the locomotive and marine sectors in 2012, as provided by 
our 2004 final rule for nonroad engines and fuel, we are confident the 
application of advanced technology to locomotives and marine diesel 
engines will proceed at a reasonable rate of progress and will result 
in systems

[[Page 37102]]

capable of achieving the new standards on time.
(3) Basis for Action Under the Clean Air Act
    Authority for the actions promulgated in this document is granted 
to the EPA by sections 114, 203, 205, 206, 207, 208, 213, 216, and 
301(a) of the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990 (42 U.S.C. 7414, 7522, 
7524, 7525, 7541, 7542, 7547, 7550 and 7601(a)).
    Authority to Set Standards. EPA is promulgating emissions standards 
for new marine diesel engines pursuant to its authority under section 
213(a)(3) and (4) of the CAA. EPA is promulgating emission standards 
for new locomotives and new engines used in locomotives pursuant to its 
authority under section 213(a)(5) of the CAA.
    EPA has previously determined that certain existing locomotive 
engines, when they are remanufactured, are returned to as-new condition 
and are expected to have the same performance, durability, and 
reliability as freshly-manufactured locomotive engines. Consequently we 
set emission standards for these remanufactured engines that apply at 
the time of remanufacture (defined as ``to replace, or inspect and 
qualify, each and every power assembly of a locomotive or locomotive 
engine, whether during a single maintenance event or cumulatively 
within a five-year period * * *'' (see 61 FR 53102, October 4, 1996; 40 
CFR 92.2). In this action we are adopting new tiers of standards for 
both freshly manufactured and remanufactured locomotives and locomotive 
engines.
    In the proposal for this rulemaking we also discussed applying a 
similar approach to marine diesel engines. Many marine diesel engines, 
particularly those above 600 kW (800 hp), periodically undergo a 
maintenance process that returns them to as-new condition. A full 
rebuild that brings an engine back to as-new condition includes a 
complete overhaul of the engine, including piston, rings, liners, 
turbocharger, heads, bearings, and geartrain/camshaft removal and 
replacement. Engine manufacturers typically provide instructions for 
such a full rebuild. Marine diesel engine owners complete this process 
to maintain engine reliability, durability, and performance over the 
life of their vessel, and to avoid the need to repower (replace the 
engine) before their vessel wears out. A commercial marine vessel can 
be in operation in excess of 40 years, which means that a marine diesel 
engine may be remanufactured to as-new condition three or more times 
before the vessel is scrapped.
    Because these remanufactured engines are returned to as-new 
condition, section 213(a)(3) and (4) give EPA the authority to set 
emission standards for those engines. We are adopting requirements for 
remanufactured marine diesel engines, described in section III.B(2)(b) 
of this action. For the purpose of this program, we are defining 
remanufacture as the replacement of all cylinder liners, either in one 
maintenance event or over the course of five years (for the purpose of 
this program, ``replacement'' includes the removing, inspecting and 
requalifying a liner). While replacement of cylinder liners is only one 
element of a full rebuild, it is common to all rebuilds. Marine diesel 
engines that do not have their cylinder liners replaced all at once or 
within a five-year period, or that do not perform cylinder liner 
replacement at all, are not considered to be returned to as-new 
condition and therefore are not considered to be remanufactured. Those 
engines will not be subject to the marine remanufacture requirements.
    Pollutants That Can Be Regulated. CAA section 213(a)(3) directs the 
Administrator to set NOX, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 
or carbon monoxide standards for classes or categories of engines such 
as marine diesel engines that contribute to ozone or carbon monoxide 
concentrations in more than one nonattainment area. These ``standards 
shall achieve the greatest degree of emission reduction achievable 
through the application of technology which the Administrator 
determines will be available for the engines or vehicles, giving 
appropriate consideration to cost, lead time, noise, energy, and safety 
factors associated with the application of such technology.''
    CAA section 213(a)(4) authorizes the Administrator to establish 
standards to control emissions of pollutants which ``may reasonably be 
anticipated to endanger public health and welfare'' where the 
Administrator determines, as it has done for emissions of PM, that 
nonroad engines as a whole contribute significantly to such air 
pollution. The Administrator may promulgate regulations that are deemed 
appropriate, taking into account costs, noise, safety, and energy 
factors, for classes or categories of new nonroad vehicles and engines 
which cause or contribute to such air pollution.
    Level of the Standards. CAA section 213(a)(5) directs EPA to adopt 
emission standards for new locomotives and new engines used in 
locomotives that achieve the ``greatest degree of emissions reductions 
achievable through the use of technology that the Administrator 
determines will be available for such vehicles and engines, taking into 
account the cost of applying such technology within the available time 
period, the noise, energy, and safety factors associated with the 
applications of such technology.'' Section 213(a)(5) does not require 
any review of the contribution of locomotive emissions to pollution, 
though EPA does provide such information in this rulemaking. As 
described in section III of this preamble and in chapter 4 of the final 
Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA), EPA has evaluated the available 
information to determine the technology that will be available for 
locomotives and engines subject to EPA standards.
    Certification and Implementation. EPA is also acting under its 
authority to implement and enforce both the marine diesel emission 
standards and the locomotive emission standards. Section 213(d) 
provides that the standards EPA adopts for both new locomotive and 
marine diesel engines ``shall be subject to sections 206, 207, 208, and 
209'' of the Clean Air Act, with such modifications that the 
Administrator deems appropriate to the regulations implementing these 
sections. In addition, the locomotive and marine standards ``shall be 
enforced in the same manner as [motor vehicle] standards prescribed 
under section 202'' of the Act. Section 213(d) also grants EPA 
authority to promulgate or revise regulations as necessary to determine 
compliance with, and enforce, standards adopted under section 213.
    Technological Feasibility and Cost of Standards. The evidence 
provided in section III.C of this Preamble and in chapter 4 of the RIA 
indicates that the stringent emission standards we are setting today 
for newly-built and remanufactured locomotive and marine diesel engines 
are feasible and reflect the greatest degree of emission reduction 
achievable through the use of technology that will be available in the 
model years to which they apply. We have given appropriate 
consideration to costs in setting these standards. Our review of the 
costs and cost-effectiveness of these standards indicate that they will 
be reasonable and comparable to the cost-effectiveness of other 
emission reduction strategies that EPA has required in prior 
rulemakings. We have also reviewed and given appropriate consideration 
to the energy factors of this rule in terms of fuel efficiency as well 
as any safety and noise factors associated with these standards.
    Health and Environmental Need for the Standards. The information in

[[Page 37103]]

section II of this Preamble and chapter 2 of the RIA regarding air 
quality and public health impacts provides strong evidence that 
emissions from marine diesel engines and locomotives significantly and 
adversely impact public health or welfare. EPA has already found in 
previous rules that emissions from new marine diesel engines contribute 
to ozone and carbon monoxide concentrations in more than one area which 
has failed to attain the ozone and carbon monoxide NAAQS (64 FR 73300, 
December 29, 1999). EPA has also previously determined that it is 
appropriate to establish PM standards for marine diesel engines under 
section 213(a)(4), and the additional information on the 
carcinogenicity of exposure to diesel exhaust noted above reinforces 
this finding. In addition, we have already found that emissions from 
nonroad engines as a whole significantly contribute to air pollution 
that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public welfare due to 
regional haze and visibility impairment (67 FR 68241, Nov. 8, 2002). We 
find here, based on the information in the NPRM and in section II of 
this preamble and Chapters 2 and 3 of the final RIA, that emissions 
from the new marine diesel engines likewise contribute to regional haze 
and to visibility impairment.
    The PM and NOX emission reductions resulting from these 
standards are important to states' efforts in attaining and maintaining 
the ozone and the PM2.5 NAAQS in the near term and in the 
decades to come. As noted above, the risk to human health and welfare 
will be significantly reduced by the standards finalized in today's 
action.

II. Air Quality and Health Impacts

    The locomotive and marine diesel engines subject to this final rule 
generate significant emissions of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen 
oxides (NOX) that contribute to nonattainment of the 
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM2.5 and 
ozone. These engines also emit hazardous air pollutants or air toxics 
that are associated with serious adverse health effects and contribute 
to visibility impairment and other harmful environmental impacts across 
the U.S.
    By 2030, these standards are expected to reduce annual locomotive 
and marine diesel engine PM2.5 emissions by 27,000 tons; 
NOX emissions by 800,000 tons; and volatile organic compound 
(VOC) emissions by 43,000 tons as well as reducing carbon monoxide (CO) 
and toxic compounds known as air toxics.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ Nationwide locomotive and marine diesel engines comprise 
approximately 3 percent of the nonroad mobile sources hydrocarbon 
inventory. EPA National Air Quality and Emissions Trends Report 
1999. March 2001, Document Number: EPA 454/R-0-004. This document is 
available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190. This document is available 
electronically at: http://www.epa.gov/air/airtrends/aqtrnd99/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We project that reductions of PM2.5, NOX, and 
VOC emissions from locomotive and marine diesel engines will produce 
nationwide air quality improvements. According to air quality modeling 
performed in conjunction with this rule, all 39 current 
PM2.5 nonattainment areas will experience a decrease in 
their projected 2030 design values. Likewise the 133 mandatory class I 
federal areas that EPA modeled will all see improvements in their 
visibility. This rule will also result in nationwide ozone benefits. In 
2030, 573 counties (of 579 that have monitored data) experience at 
least a 0.1 ppb decrease in their ozone design values.

A. Overview

    From a public health perspective, we are concerned with locomotive 
and marine diesel engines' contributions to atmospheric levels of 
particulate matter in general, diesel PM2.5 in particular, 
various gaseous air toxics, and ozone. Today, locomotive and marine 
diesel engine emissions represent a substantial portion of the U.S. 
mobile source diesel PM2.5 and NOX inventories, 
approximately 20 percent of mobile source NOX and 25 percent 
of mobile source diesel PM2.5. Over time, the relative 
contribution of these diesel engines to air quality problems is 
expected to increase as the emission contribution from other mobile 
sources decreases and the usage of locomotives and marine vessels 
increases. By 2030, without the additional emissions controls finalized 
in today's rule, locomotive and marine diesel engines will emit about 
65 percent of the total mobile source diesel PM2.5 emissions 
and 35 percent of the total mobile source NOX emissions.
    Based on the most recent data available for this rule, air quality 
problems continue to persist over a wide geographic area of the United 
States. As of October 10, 2007 there are approximately 88 million 
people living in 39 designated areas (which include all or part of 208 
counties) that either do not meet the current PM2.5 NAAQS or 
contribute to violations in other counties, and 144 million people 
living in 81 areas (which include all or part of 366 counties) 
designated as not in attainment for the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. These 
numbers do not include the people living in areas where there is a 
significant future risk of failing to maintain or achieve either the 
current or future PM2.5 or ozone NAAQS. Figure II-1 
illustrates the widespread nature of these problems. This figure 
depicts counties which are currently designated nonattainment for 
either or both the 8-hour ozone NAAQS and PM2.5 NAAQS. It 
also shows the location of mandatory class I federal areas for 
visibility.
BILLING CODE 1505-01-D

[[Page 37104]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR06MY08.000

BILLING CODE 1505-01-C

[[Page 37105]]

    The engine standards finalized in this rule will help reduce 
emissions of PM, NOX, VOCs, CO, and air toxics and their 
associated health and environmental effects. Emissions from locomotives 
and diesel marine engines contribute to PM and ozone concentrations in 
many, if not all, of these nonattainment areas.\13\ The engine 
standards being finalized today will become effective as early as 2008, 
making the expected PM2.5, NOX, and VOC inventory reductions 
from this rulemaking critical to a number of states as they seek to 
either attain or maintain the current PM2.5 or ozone NAAQS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ See section II.B.(1)(c) and II.B.(2)(c) for a summary of 
the impact emission reductions from locomotive and marine diesel 
engines will have on air quality in current PM2.5 and ozone 
nonattainment areas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Beyond the impact locomotive and marine diesel engines have on our 
nation's ambient air quality the diesel exhaust emissions from these 
engines are also of particular concern since exposure to diesel exhaust 
is classified as likely to be carcinogenic to humans by inhalation from 
environmental levels of exposure.\14\ Many people spend a large portion 
of time in or near areas of concentrated locomotive or marine diesel 
emissions, near rail yards, marine ports, railways, and waterways. 
Recent studies show that populations living near large diesel emission 
sources such as major roadways,\15\ rail yards \16\ and marine ports 
\17\ are likely to experience greater diesel exhaust exposure levels 
than the overall U.S. population, putting them at a greater health 
risk.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ U.S. EPA (2002) Health Assessment Document for Diesel 
Engine Exhaust. EPA/600/8-90/057F. Office of Research and 
Development, Washington, DC. This document is available in Docket 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190. This document is available electronically at 
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=29060.
    \15\ Kinnee, E.J.; Touma, J.S.: Mason, R.; Thurman, J.; Beidler, 
A.; Bailey, C.; Cook, R. (2004) Allocation of onroad mobile 
emissions to road segments for air toxics modeling in an urban area. 
Transport. Res. Part D 9:139-150; also see Cohen, J.; Cook, R; 
Bailey, C.R.; Carr, E. (2005) Relationship between motor vehicle 
emissions of hazardous pollutants, roadway proximity, and ambient 
concentrations in Portland, Oregon. Environ. Modeling & Software 20: 
7-12.
    \16\ Hand, R.; Di, P; Servin, A.; Hunsaker, L.; Suer, C. (2004) 
Roseville Rail Yard Study. California Air Resources Board. This 
document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190. [Online at 
http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/documents/rrstudy.htm].
    \17\ Di P.; Servin, A.; Rosenkranz, K.; Schwehr, B.; Tran, H. 
(April 2006); Diesel Particulate Matter Exposure Assessment Study 
for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. State of California Air 
Resources Board.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    EPA recently conducted an initial screening-level analysis \18\ of 
selected marine port areas and rail yards to better understand the 
populations that are exposed to diesel particulate matter (DPM) 
emissions from these facilities.19, 20 This screening-level 
analysis focused on a representative selection of national marine ports 
and rail yards.\21\ Of the 47 marine ports and 37 rail yards selected, 
the results indicate that at least 13 million people, including a 
disproportionate number of low-income households, African-Americans, 
and Hispanics, living in the vicinity of these facilities, are being 
exposed to ambient DPM levels that are 2.0 [mu]g/m3 and 0.2 
[mu]g/m3 above levels found in areas further from these 
facilities. Because those populations exposed to DPM emissions from 
marine ports and rail yards are more likely to be low-income and 
minority residents, these populations will benefit from the controls 
being finalized in this action. The detailed findings of this study are 
available in the public docket for this rulemaking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \18\ This type of screening-level analysis is an inexact tool 
and not appropriate for regulatory decision-making; it is useful in 
beginning to understand potential impacts and for illustrative 
purposes. Additionally, the emissions inventories used as inputs for 
the analyses are not official estimates and likely underestimate 
overall emissions because they are not inclusive of all emission 
sources at the individual ports in the sample. For example, most 
inventories included emissions from ocean-going vessels (powered by 
Category 3 engines), as well as some commercial vessel categories, 
including harbor crafts (powered by Category 1 and 2 engines), cargo 
handling equipment, locomotives, and heavy-duty vehicles. This final 
rule will not address emissions from ocean-going vessels, cargo 
handling equipment or heavy-duty vehicles.
    \19\ ICF International. September 28, 2007. Estimation of diesel 
particulate matter concentration isopleths for marine harbor areas 
and rail yards. Memorandum to EPA under Work Assignment Number 0-3, 
Contract Number EP-C-06-094. This memo is available in Docket EPA-
HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
    \20\ ICF International. September 28, 2007. Estimation of diesel 
particulate matter population exposure near selected harbor areas 
and rail yards. Memorandum to EPA under Work Assignment Number 0-3, 
Contract Number EP-C-06-094. This memo is available in Docket EPA-
HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
    \21\ The Agency selected a representative sample of the top 150 
U.S. ports including coastal, inland and Great Lake ports. In 
selecting a sample of rail yards the Agency identified a subset from 
the hundreds of rail yards operated by Class I Railroads.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In the following sections we review important public health effects 
linked to pollutants emitted from locomotive and marine diesel engines. 
First, the human health effects caused by the pollutants and their 
current and projected ambient levels are discussed. Following the 
discussion of health effects, the modeled air quality benefits 
resulting from this action and the welfare effects associated with 
emissions from diesel engines are presented. Finally, the locomotive 
and marine engine emission inventories for the primary pollutants 
affected by this rule are provided. In summary, the emission reductions 
from this rule will contribute to controlling the health and welfare 
problems associated with ambient PM and ozone levels and with diesel-
related air toxics.
    Taken together, the materials in this section and in the proposal 
describe the need for tightened emission standards for both locomotive 
and marine diesel engines and the air quality and public health 
benefits resulting from this program. This section is not an exhaustive 
treatment of these issues. For a fuller understanding of the topics 
treated here, you should refer to the extended presentations in Chapter 
2, 3 and 5 of the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) accompanying this 
final rule.

B. Public Health Impacts

(1) Particulate Matter
    The locomotive and marine engine standards detailed in this action 
will result in significant reductions in primary (directly emitted) 
PM2.5 emissions. In addition, the standards finalized today will reduce 
emissions of NOX and VOCs, which contribute to the formation 
of secondary PM2.5. Locomotive and marine diesel engines emit high 
levels of NOX, which react in the atmosphere to form 
secondary PM2.5 (namely ammonium nitrate). These engines also emit SO2 
and VOC, which react in the atmosphere to form secondary PM2.5 composed 
of sulfates and organic carbonaceous PM2.5. This rule will reduce both 
primary and secondary PM.

[[Page 37106]]

(a) Background
    Particulate matter (PM) represents a broad class of chemically and 
physically diverse substances. It can be principally characterized as 
discrete particles that exist in the condensed (liquid or solid) phase 
spanning several orders of magnitude in size. PM is further described 
by breaking it down into size fractions. PM10 refers to particles 
generally less than or equal to 10 micrometers ([mu]m) in diameter. 
PM2.5 refers to fine particles, generally less than or equal to 2.5 
[mu]m in diameter. Inhalable (or ``thoracic'') coarse particles refer 
to those particles generally greater than 2.5 [mu]m but less than or 
equal to 10 [mu]m in diameter. Ultrafine PM refers to particles less 
than 100 nanometers (0.1 [mu]m) in diameter. Larger particles tend to 
be removed by the respiratory clearance mechanisms (e.g. coughing), 
whereas smaller particles are deposited deeper in the lungs.
    Fine particles are produced primarily by combustion processes and 
by transformations of gaseous emissions (e.g., SOx, NOX and 
VOC) in the atmosphere. The chemical and physical properties of PM2.5 
may vary greatly with time, region, meteorology, and source category. 
Thus, PM2.5 may include a complex mixture of different pollutants 
including sulfates, nitrates, organic compounds, elemental carbon and 
metal compounds. These particles can remain in the atmosphere for days 
to weeks and travel hundreds to thousands of kilometers.
    The primary PM2.5 NAAQS includes a short-term (24-hour) 
and a long-term (annual) standard. The 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS 
established by EPA set the 24-hour standard at a level of 65 [mu]g/
m3 based on the 98th percentile concentration averaged over 
three years. The annual standard specifies an expected annual 
arithmetic mean not to exceed 15 [mu]g/m3 averaged over 
three years.
    EPA has recently amended the NAAQS for PM2.5 (71 FR 
61144, October 17, 2006). The final rule, signed on September 21, 2006, 
addressed revisions to the primary and secondary NAAQS for PM to 
provide increased protection of public health and welfare, 
respectively. The level of the 24-hour PM2.5 NAAQS was 
revised from 65 [mu]g/m3 to 35 [mu]g/m3 and the 
level of the annual PM2.5 NAAQS was retained at 15 [mu]g/
m3. With regard to the secondary standards for 
PM2.5, EPA has revised these standards to be identical in 
all respects to the revised primary standards.
(b) Health Effects of PM2.5
    Scientific studies show ambient PM is associated with a series of 
adverse health effects. These health effects are discussed in detail in 
the 2004 EPA Particulate Matter Air Quality Criteria Document (PM 
AQCD), and the 2005 PM Staff Paper.22, 23 Further discussion 
of health effects associated with PM can also be found in the RIA for 
this rule.
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    \22\ U.S. EPA (2004) Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter 
(Oct 2004), Volume I Document No. EPA600/P-99/002aF and Volume II 
Document No. EPA600/P-99/002bF. This document is available in Docket 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
    \23\ U.S. EPA (2005) Review of the National Ambient Air Quality 
Standard for Particulate Matter: Policy Assessment of Scientific and 
Technical Information, OAQPS Staff Paper. EPA-452/R-05-005. This 
document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
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    Health effects associated with short-term exposures (hours to days) 
to ambient PM include premature mortality, increased hospital 
admissions, heart and lung diseases, increased cough, adverse lower-
respiratory symptoms, decrements in lung function and changes in heart 
rate rhythm and other cardiac effects. Studies examining populations 
exposed to different levels of air pollution over a number of years, 
including the Harvard Six Cities Study and the American Cancer Society 
Study, show associations between long-term exposure to ambient 
PM2.5 and both total and cardiovascular and respiratory 
mortality.\24\ In addition, a reanalysis of the American Cancer Society 
Study shows an association between fine particle and sulfate 
concentrations and lung cancer mortality.\25\
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    \24\ Dockery, DW; Pope, CA III: Xu, X; et al. 1993. An 
association between air pollution and mortality in six U.S. cities. 
N Engl J Med 329:1753-1759.
    \25\ Pope, C. A., III; Burnett, R. T.; Thun, M. J.; Calle, E. 
E.; Krewski, D.; Ito, K.; Thurston, G. D. (2002) Lung cancer, 
cardiopulmonary mortality, and long-term exposure to fine 
particulate air pollution. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 287:1132-1141.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The health effects of PM2.5 have been further documented 
in local impact studies which have focused on health effects due to 
PM2.5 exposures measured on or near roadways. These studies 
take into account all air pollution sources, including both spark-
ignition (gasoline) and diesel powered vehicles, and indicate that 
exposure to PM2.5 emissions near roadways, which are 
dominated by mobile sources, are associated with potentially serious 
health effects. For instance, a recent study found associations between 
concentrations of cardiac risk factors in the blood of healthy young 
police officers and PM2.5 concentrations measured in 
vehicles.\26\ Also, a number of studies have shown associations between 
residential or school outdoor concentrations of some fine particle 
constituents that are found in motor vehicle exhaust, and adverse 
respiratory outcomes, including asthma prevalence in children who live 
near major roadways.27, 28, 29 Although the engines 
considered in this rule differ from those in these studies with respect 
to their applications and fuel qualities, these studies provide an 
indication of the types of health effects that might be expected to be 
associated with personal exposure to PM2.5 emissions from 
large marine diesel and locomotive engines.
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    \26\ Riediker, M.; Cascio, W.E.; Griggs, T.R.; et al. (2004) 
Particulate matter exposure in cars is associated with 
cardiovascular effects in healthy young men. Am J Respir Crit Care 
Med 169: 934-940.
    \27\ Van Vliet, P.; Knape, M.; de Hartog, J.; Janssen, N.; 
Harssema, H.; Brunekreef, B. (1997). Motor vehicle exhaust and 
chronic respiratory symptoms in children living near freeways. Env. 
Research 74: 122-132.
    \28\ Brunekreef, B., Janssen, N.A.H.; de Hartog, J.; Harssema, 
H.; Knape, M.; van Vliet, P. (1997). Air pollution from truck 
traffic and lung function in children living near roadways. 
Epidemiology 8:298-303.
    \29\ Kim, J.J.; Smorodinsky, S.; Lipsett, M.; Singer, B.C.; 
Hodgson, A.T.; Ostro, B. (2004). Traffic-related air pollution near 
busy roads: The East Bay children's respiratory health study. Am. J. 
Respir. Crit. Care Med. 170: 520-526.
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    Recent new studies from the State of California provide evidence 
that PM2.5 emissions within marine ports and rail yards can 
contribute significantly to elevated ambient concentrations near these 
sources.30, 31 A substantial number of people experience 
exposure to locomotive and marine diesel engine emissions, raising 
potential health concerns. The controls finalized in this action will 
help reduce exposure to PM2.5, specifically exposure to 
marine port and rail yard related diesel PM2.5 sources. 
Additional information on marine port and rail yard emissions and 
ambient exposures can be found in Chapter 2 of the RIA.
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    \30\ State of California Air Resources Board. Roseville Rail 
Yard Study. Stationary Source Division, October 14, 2004. This 
document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190. This document 
is available electronically at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/
documents/rrstudy.htm.
    \31\ State of California Air Resources Board. Diesel Particulate 
Matter Exposure Assessment Study for the Ports of Los Angeles and 
Long Beach, April 2006. This document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0190. This document is available electronically at: ftp://
ftp.arb.ca.gov/carbis/msprog/offroad/marinevess/documents/
portstudy0406.pdf.
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(c) Current and Projected PM2.5 Levels

[[Page 37107]]

    PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the level of the 
PM2.5 NAAQS occur in many parts of the country.\32\ In 2005 
EPA designated 39 nonattainment areas for the 1997 PM2.5 
NAAQS (70 FR 943, January 5, 2005). These areas are comprised of 208 
full or partial counties with a total population exceeding 88 million. 
The 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS was recently revised and the 2006 
PM2.5 NAAQS became effective on December 18, 2006. Table II-
1 presents the number of counties in areas currently designated as 
nonattainment for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS as well as the number 
of additional counties that have monitored data that is violating the 
2006 PM2.5 NAAQS.

  Table II-1.--Fine Particle Standards: Current Nonattainment Areas and
                        Other Violating Counties
------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Nonattainment areas/other violating       Number of
                counties                     counties      Population a
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997 PM2.5 Standards: 39 areas currently             208      88,394,000
 designated.............................
2006 PM2.5 Standards: counties with                   49      18,198,676
 violating monitors b...................
                                         -------------------------------
    Total...............................             257    106,595,676
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(a) Population numbers are from 2000 census data.
(b) This table provides an estimate of the counties violating the 2006
  PM2.5 NAAQS based on 2003-05 air quality data. The areas designated as
  nonattainment for the 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS will be based on 3 years of air
  quality data from later years. Also, the county numbers in the summary
  table includes only the counties with monitors violating the 2006
  PM2.5 NAAQS. The monitored county violations may be an underestimate
  of the number of counties and populations that will eventually be
  included in areas with multiple counties designated nonattainment.

    A number of state governments have told EPA that they need the 
reductions this rule will provide in order to meet and maintain the 
PM2.5 NAAQS. Areas designated as not attaining the 1997 
PM2.5 NAAQS will need to attain the 1997 standards in the 
2010 to 2015 time frame, and then maintain them thereafter. The 
attainment dates associated with the potential new 2006 
PM2.5 nonattainment areas are likely to be in the 2015 to 
2020 timeframe. The emission standards finalized in this action become 
effective as early as 2008 making the NOX, PM, and VOC 
inventory reductions from this rulemaking useful to states in attaining 
or maintaining the PM2.5 NAAQS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \32\ A listing of the PM2.5 nonattainment areas is 
included in the RIA for this rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    EPA has already adopted many emission control programs that are 
expected to reduce ambient PM2.5 levels and which will 
assist in reducing the number of areas that fail to achieve the 
PM2.5 NAAQS. Even so, our air quality modeling for this 
final rule projects that in 2020, with all current controls but 
excluding the reductions achieved through this rule, up to 11 counties 
with a population of 24 million may not attain the current annual 
PM2.5 standard of 15 [mu]g/m3. These numbers do 
not account for additional areas that have air quality measurements 
within 10 percent of the annual PM2.5 standard. These areas, 
although not violating the standards, will also benefit from the 
additional reductions from this rule ensuring long-term maintenance of 
the PM2.5 NAAQS.
    Air quality modeling performed for this final rule shows that in 
2020 and 2030 all 39 current PM2.5 nonattainment areas will 
experience decreases in their PM2.5 design values. For areas 
with current PM2.5 design values greater than 15 [mu]g/
m3 the modeled future-year population weighted 
PM2.5 design values are expected to decrease on average by 
0.08 [mu]g/m3 in 2020 and by 0.16 [mu]g/m3 in 
2030. The maximum decrease for future-year PM2.5 design 
values will be 0.38 [mu]g/m3 in 2020 and 0.81 [mu]g/
m3 in 2030. The air quality modeling methodology and the 
projected reductions are discussed in more detail in Chapter 2 of the 
RIA.
(2) Ozone
    The locomotive and marine engine standards finalized in this action 
are expected to result in significant reductions of NOX and 
VOC emissions. NOX and VOC contribute to the formation of 
ground-level ozone pollution or smog. People in many areas across the 
U.S. continue to be exposed to unhealthy levels of ambient ozone.
(a) Background
    Ground-level ozone pollution is typically formed by the reaction of 
volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) 
in the lower atmosphere in the presence of heat and sunlight. These 
pollutants, often referred to as ozone precursors, are emitted by many 
types of pollution sources, such as highway and nonroad motor vehicles 
and engines, power plants, chemical plants, refineries, makers of 
consumer and commercial products, industrial facilities, and smaller 
area sources.
    The science of ozone formation, transport, and accumulation is 
complex.\33\ Ground-level ozone is produced and destroyed in a cyclical 
set of chemical reactions, many of which are sensitive to temperature 
and sunlight. When ambient temperatures and sunlight levels remain high 
for several days and the air is relatively stagnant, ozone and its 
precursors can build up and result in more ozone than typically occurs 
on a single high-temperature day. Ozone can also be transported into an 
area from pollution sources found hundreds of miles upwind, resulting 
in elevated ozone levels even in areas with low local VOC or 
NOX emissions.
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    \33\ U.S. EPA Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants (Final). U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Washington, DC, EPA 600/R-05/004aF-cF, 2006. This document 
is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190. This document may be 
accessed electronically at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/
ozone/s_o3_cr_cd.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The current ozone NAAQS, established by EPA in 1997, has an 8-hour 
averaging time. The 8-hour ozone NAAQS is met at an ambient air quality 
monitoring site when the average of the annual fourth-highest daily 
maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration over three years is less 
than or equal to 0.084 ppm. On June 20, 2007, EPA proposed to 
strengthen the ozone NAAQS, the proposed revisions reflect new 
scientific evidence about ozone and its effects on people and public 
welfare.\34\ The final

[[Page 37108]]

ozone NAAQS rule is scheduled for March 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \34\ EPA proposed to set the 8-hour primary ozone standard to a 
level within the range of 0.070-0.075 ppm. The agency also requested 
comments on alternative levels of the 8-hour primary ozone standard, 
within a range from 0.060 ppm up to and including retention of the 
current standard (0.084 ppm). EPA also proposed two options for the 
secondary ozone standard. One option would establish a new form of 
standard designed specifically to protect sensitive plants from 
damage caused by repeated ozone exposure throughout the growing 
season. This cumulative standard would add daily ozone 
concentrations across a three-month period. EPA proposed to set the 
level of the cumulative standard within the range of 7 to 21 ppm-
hours. The other option would follow the current practice of making 
the secondary standard equal to the proposed 8-hour primary 
standard.
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(b) Health Effects of Ozone
    The health and welfare effects of ozone are well documented and are 
assessed in EPA's 2006 ozone Air Quality Criteria Document (ozone AQCD) 
and EPA Staff Paper.35, 36 Ozone can irritate the 
respiratory system, causing coughing, throat irritation, and/or 
uncomfortable sensation in the chest. Ozone can reduce lung function 
and make it more difficult to breathe deeply; breathing may also become 
more rapid and shallow than normal, thereby limiting a person's 
activity. Ozone can also aggravate asthma, leading to more asthma 
attacks that require medical attention and/or the use of additional 
medication. There is evidence of an elevated risk of mortality 
associated with acute exposure to ozone, especially in the summer or 
warm season when ozone levels are typically high. Animal toxicological 
evidence indicates that with repeated exposure, ozone can inflame and 
damage the lining of the lungs, which may lead to permanent changes in 
lung tissue and irreversible reductions in lung function. People who 
are more susceptible to effects associated with exposure to ozone can 
include children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory disease 
such as asthma. Those with greater exposures to ozone, for instance due 
to time spent outdoors (e.g., children and outdoor workers), are also 
of particular concern.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \35\ U.S. EPA Air Quality Criteria for Ozone and Related 
Photochemical Oxidants (Final). U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Washington, DC, EPA 600/R-05/004aF-cF, 2006. This document 
is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190. This document may be 
accessed electronically at: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/
ozone/s_o3_cr_cd.html.
    \36\ U.S. EPA (2007) Review of the National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards for Ozone, Policy Assessment of Scientific and Technical 
Information. OAQPS Staff Paper.EPA-452/R-07-003. This document is 
available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190. This document is available 
electronically at: http:www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_
o3_cr_.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The recent ozone AQCD also examined relevant new scientific 
information that has emerged in the past decade, including the impact 
of ozone exposure on such health effects as changes in lung structure 
and biochemistry, inflammation of the lungs, exacerbation and causation 
of asthma, respiratory illness-related school absence, hospital 
admissions and premature mortality. Animal toxicological studies have 
suggested potential interactions between ozone and PM with increased 
responses observed to mixtures of the two pollutants compared to either 
ozone or PM alone. The respiratory morbidity observed in animal studies 
along with the evidence from epidemiologic studies supports a causal 
relationship between acute ambient ozone exposures and increased 
respiratory-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations in the 
warm season. In addition, there is suggestive evidence of a 
contribution of ozone to cardiovascular-related morbidity and non-
accidental and cardiopulmonary mortality.
(c) Current and Projected Ozone Levels
    Ozone concentrations exceeding the level of the 8-hour ozone NAAQS 
occur over wide geographic areas, including most of the nation's major 
population centers.\37\ As of October 10, 2007, there were 
approximately 144 million people living in 81 areas (which include all 
or part of 366 counties) designated as not in attainment with the 8-
hour ozone NAAQS. These numbers do not include the people living in 
areas where there is a future risk of failing to maintain or attain the 
8-hour ozone NAAQS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \37\ A listing of the 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas is 
included in the RIA for this rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    States with 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas are required to take 
action to bring those areas into compliance in the future. Based on the 
final rule designating and classifying 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas 
(69 FR 23951, April 30, 2004), most 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas 
will be required to attain the ozone NAAQS in the 2007 to 2013 time 
frame and then maintain the NAAQS thereafter.\38\ Many of these 
nonattainment areas will need to adopt additional emission reduction 
programs and the NOX and VOC reductions from this final 
action are particularly important for these states. In addition, EPA's 
review of the ozone NAAQS is currently underway with a final rule 
scheduled for March 2008. If the ozone NAAQS is revised then new 
nonattainment areas will be designated. While EPA is not relying on it 
for purposes of justifying this rule, the emission reductions from this 
rulemaking will also be helpful to states if EPA revises the ozone 
NAAQS to be more stringent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \38\ The Los Angeles South Coast Air Basin 8-hour ozone 
nonattainment area will have to attain before June 15, 2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    EPA has already adopted many emission control programs that are 
expected to reduce ambient ozone levels. These control programs are 
described in section I.B.1 of this preamble. As a result of these 
programs, the number of areas that fail to meet the 8-hour ozone NAAQS 
in the future is expected to decrease. Based on the air quality 
modeling performed for this rule, which does not include any additional 
local controls, we estimate nine counties (where 22 million people are 
projected to live) will exceed the 8-hour ozone NAAQS in 2020.\39\ An 
additional 39 counties (where 29 million people are projected to live) 
are expected to be within 10 percent of violating the 8-hour ozone 
NAAQS in 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \39\ We expect many of the 8-hour ozone nonattainment areas to 
adopt additional emission reduction programs but we are unable to 
quantify or rely upon future reductions from additional state and 
local programs that have not yet been adopted.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This rule results in reductions in nationwide ozone levels. The air 
quality modeling projects that in 2030, 573 counties (of 579 that have 
monitored data) experience at least a 0.1 ppb decrease in their ozone 
design values. There are three nonattainment areas in southern 
California, the Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin nonattainment area, 
the Riverside Co. (Coachella Valley) nonattainment area and the Los 
Angeles--San Bernardino (W. Mojave) nonattainment area, which will 
experience 8-hour ozone design value increases due to the 
NOX disbenefits which occur in these VOC-limited ozone 
nonattainment areas. Briefly, NOX reductions at certain 
times and in some areas can lead to increased ozone levels. The air 
quality modeling methodology (Section 2.3), the projected reductions 
(Section 2.2.4), and the limited NOX disbenefits (Section 
2.2.4.2.1), are discussed in more detail in Chapter 2 of the RIA.
    Results from the air quality modeling conducted for this final rule 
indicate that the locomotive and marine diesel engine emission 
reductions in 2020 and 2030 will improve both the average and 
population-weighted average ozone concentrations for the U.S. In 
addition, the air quality modeling shows that on average this final 
rule will help bring counties closer to ozone attainment as well as 
assist counties whose ozone concentrations are within ten percent below 
the standard. For example, in projected nonattainment counties, on a 
population-weighted basis, the 8-hour ozone design value will on 
average decrease by 0.13 ppb in 2020 and 0.62 ppb in 2030.\40\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \40\ Ozone design values are reported in parts per million (ppm) 
as specified in 40 CFR part 50. Due to the scale of the design value 
changes in this action, results have been presented in parts per 
billion (ppb) format.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The impact of the reductions has also been analyzed with respect to 
those areas that have the highest design

[[Page 37109]]

values, at or above 85 ppb, in 2020. We project there will be nine U.S. 
counties with design values at or above 85 ppb in 2020. After 
implementation of this rule, we project that one of these nine counties 
will drop below 85 ppb. Further, two of the nine counties will be at 
least 10 percent closer to a design value of less than 85 ppb, and on 
average all nine counties will be about 18 percent closer to a design 
value of less than 85 ppb.
(3) Air Toxics
    People experience elevated risk of cancer and other noncancer 
health effects from exposure to the class of pollutants known 
collectively as ``air toxics''. Mobile sources are responsible for a 
significant portion of this exposure. According to the National Air 
Toxic Assessment (NATA) for 1999, mobile sources, including locomotive 
and marine diesel marine engines, were responsible for 44 percent of 
outdoor toxic emissions and almost 50 percent of the cancer risk among 
the 133 pollutants quantitatively assessed in the 1999 NATA. Benzene is 
the largest contributor to cancer risk of all the assessed pollutants 
and mobile sources were responsible for about 68 percent of all benzene 
emissions in 1999. Although the 1999 NATA did not quantify cancer risks 
associated with exposure to diesel exhaust, EPA has concluded that 
diesel exhaust ranks with other emissions that the national-scale 
assessment suggests pose the greatest relative risk.
    According to the 1999 NATA, nearly the entire U.S. population was 
exposed to an average level of air toxics that has the potential for 
adverse respiratory noncancer health effects. This potential was 
indicated by a hazard index (HI) greater than 1.\41\ Mobile sources 
were responsible for 74 percent of the potential noncancer hazard from 
outdoor air toxics in 1999. About 91 percent of this potential 
noncancer hazard was from acrolein; \42\ however, the confidence in the 
RfC for acrolein is medium \43\ and confidence in NATA estimates of 
population noncancer hazard from ambient exposure to this pollutant is 
low.\44\ It is important to note that NATA estimates of noncancer 
hazard do not include the adverse health effects associated with 
particulate matter identified in EPA's Particulate Matter Air Quality 
Criteria Document. Gasoline and diesel engine emissions contribute 
significantly to particulate matter concentration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \41\ To express chronic noncancer hazards, we used the RfC as 
part of a calculation called the hazard quotient (HQ), which is the 
ratio between the concentration to which a person is exposed and the 
RfC. (RfC is defined by EPA as, ``an estimate of a continuous 
inhalation exposure to the human population, including sensitive 
subgroups, with uncertainty spanning perhaps an order of magnitude, 
which is likely to be without appreciable risks of deleterious 
noncancer effects during a lifetime.'') A value of the HQ less than 
one indicates that the exposure is lower than the RfC and that no 
adverse health effects would be expected. Combined noncancer hazards 
were calculated using the hazard index (HI), defined as the sum of 
hazard quotients for individual air toxic compounds that affect the 
same target organ or system. As with the hazard quotient, a value of 
the HI at or below 1.0 will likely not result in adverse effects 
over a lifetime of exposure. However, a value of the HI greater than 
1.0 does not necessarily suggest a likelihood of adverse effects. 
Furthermore, the HI cannot be translated into a probability that 
adverse effects will occur and is not likely to be proportional to 
risk.
    \42\ U.S. EPA (2006) National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment for 
1999. This material is available electronically at http://
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata1999/risksum.html.
    \43\ U.S. EPA (2003) Integrated Risk Information System File of 
Acrolein. National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of 
Research and Development, Washington, D.C. 2003. This material is 
available electronically at http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0364.htm.
    \44\ U.S. EPA (2006) National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment for 
1999. This material is available electronically at http://
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata1999/risksum.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The NATA modeling framework has a number of limitations which 
prevent its use as the sole basis for setting regulatory standards. 
These limitations and uncertainties are discussed on the 1999 NATA 
website.\45\ Even so, this modeling framework is very useful in 
identifying air toxic pollutants and sources of greatest concern, 
setting regulatory priorities, and informing the decision making 
process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \45\ U.S. EPA (2006) National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment for 
1999. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata1999.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The following section provides a brief overview of air toxics which 
are associated with nonroad engines, including locomotive and marine 
diesel engines, and provides a discussion of the health risks 
associated with each air toxic.
(a) Diesel Exhaust (DE)
    Locomotive and marine diesel engines emit diesel exhaust (DE), a 
complex mixture comprised of carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, water 
vapor, carbon monoxide, nitrogen compounds, sulfur compounds and 
numerous low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons. A number of these gaseous 
hydrocarbon components are individually known to be toxic, including 
aldehydes, benzene and 1,3-butadiene. The diesel particulate matter 
(DPM) present in diesel exhaust consists of fine particles (< 2.5 
[mu]m), including a subgroup with a large number of ultrafine particles 
(< 0.1 [mu]m). These particles have a large surface area which makes 
them an excellent medium for adsorbing organics and their small size 
makes them highly respirable and able to reach the deep lung. Many of 
the organic compounds present on the particles and in the gases are 
individually known to have mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. 
Diesel exhaust varies significantly in chemical composition and 
particle sizes between different engine types (heavy-duty, light-duty), 
engine operating conditions (idle, accelerate, decelerate), and fuel 
formulations (high/low sulfur fuel). Also, there are emissions 
differences between on-road and nonroad engines because the nonroad 
engines are generally of older technology. This is especially true for 
locomotive and marine diesel engines.\46\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \46\ U.S. EPA (2002) Health Assessment Document for Diesel 
Engine Exhaust. EPA/600/8-90/057F Office of Research and 
Development, Washington DC. Pp1-1 1-2. This document is available 
electronically at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/
recordisplay.cfm?deid=29060. This document can be found in Docket 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    After being emitted in the engine exhaust, diesel exhaust undergoes 
dilution as well as chemical and physical changes in the atmosphere. 
The lifetime for some of the compounds present in diesel exhaust ranges 
from hours to days.
(i) Diesel Exhaust: Potential Cancer Effects
    In EPA's 2002 Diesel Health Assessment Document (Diesel HAD),\47\ 
exposure to diesel exhaust was classified as likely to be carcinogenic 
to humans by inhalation from environmental exposures, in accordance 
with the revised draft 1996/1999 EPA cancer guidelines. A number of 
other agencies (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health 
Organization, California EPA, and the U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services) have made similar classifications. However, EPA also 
concluded in the Diesel HAD that it is not possible currently to 
calculate a cancer unit risk for diesel exhaust due to a variety of 
factors that limit the current studies, such as limited quantitative 
exposure histories in occupational groups investigated for lung cancer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \47\ U.S. EPA (2002) Health Assessment Document for Diesel 
Engine Exhaust. EPA/600/8-90/057F Office of Research and 
Development, Washington, DC. This document is available 
electronically at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/
recordisplay.cfm?deid=29060. This document can be found in Docket 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For the Diesel HAD, EPA reviewed 22 epidemiologic studies on the 
subject of the carcinogenicity of workers exposed

[[Page 37110]]

to diesel exhaust in various occupations, finding increased lung cancer 
risk, although not always statistically significant, in 8 out of 10 
cohort studies and 10 out of 12 case-control studies within several 
industries, including railroad workers. Relative risk for lung cancer 
associated with exposure ranged from 1.2 to 1.5, although a few studies 
show relative risks as high as 2.6. Additionally, the Diesel HAD also 
relied on two independent meta-analyses, which examined 23 and 30 
occupational studies respectively, which found statistically 
significant increases in smoking-adjusted relative lung cancer risk 
associated with exposure to diesel exhaust, of 1.33 to 1.47. These 
meta-analyses demonstrate the effect of pooling many studies and in 
this case show the positive relationship between diesel exhaust 
exposure and lung cancer across a variety of diesel exhaust-exposed 
occupations.48, 49
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    \48\ Bhatia, R., Lopipero, P., Smith, A. (1998) Diesel exposure 
and lung cancer. Epidemiology 9(1):84-91.
    \49\ Lipsett, M; Campleman, S; (1999) Occupational exposure to 
diesel exhaust and lung cancer: a meta-analysis. Am J Public Health 
80(7): 1009-1017.
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    In the absence of a cancer unit risk, the Diesel HAD sought to 
provide additional insight into the significance of the diesel exhaust-
cancer hazard by estimating possible ranges of risk that might be 
present in the population. An exploratory analysis was used to 
characterize a possible risk range by comparing a typical environmental 
exposure level for highway diesel sources to a selected range of 
occupational exposure levels. The occupationally observed risks were 
then proportionally scaled according to the exposure ratios to obtain 
an estimate of the possible environmental risk. A number of 
calculations are needed to accomplish this, and these can be seen in 
the EPA Diesel HAD. The outcome was that environmental risks from 
diesel exhaust exposure could range from a low of 10-4 to 
10-5 to as high as 10-3, reflecting the range of 
occupational exposures that could be associated with the relative and 
absolute risk levels observed in the occupational studies. Because of 
uncertainties, the analysis acknowledged that the risks could be lower 
than 10-4 or 10-5, and a zero risk from diesel 
exhaust exposure was not ruled out.
    Retrospective health studies of railroad workers have played an 
important part in determining that exposure to diesel exhaust is likely 
to be carcinogenic to humans by inhalation from environmental 
exposures. Key evidence of the diesel exhaust exposure linkage to lung 
cancer comes from two retrospective case-control studies of railroad 
workers which are discussed at length in the Diesel HAD and summarized 
in Chapter 2 of the RIA.
(ii) Diesel Exhaust: Other Health Effects
    Noncancer health effects of acute and chronic exposure to diesel 
exhaust emissions are also of concern to the EPA. EPA derived a diesel 
exhaust reference concentration (RfC) from consideration of four well-
conducted chronic rat inhalation studies showing adverse pulmonary 
effects.50, 51, 52, 53 The RfC is 5 [mu]g/
m3 for diesel exhaust as measured by diesel PM. This RfC 
does not consider allergenic effects such as those associated with 
asthma or immunologic effects. There is growing evidence, discussed in 
the Diesel HAD, that exposure to diesel exhaust can exacerbate these 
effects, but the exposure-response data are presently lacking to derive 
an RfC. The EPA Diesel HAD states, ``With DPM [diesel particulate 
matter] being a ubiquitous component of ambient PM, there is an 
uncertainty about the adequacy of the existing DE [diesel exhaust] 
noncancer database to identify all of the pertinent DE-caused noncancer 
health hazards.'' (p. 9-19). The Diesel HAD concludes ``that acute 
exposure to DE [diesel exhaust] has been associated with irritation of 
the eye, nose, and throat, respiratory symptoms (cough and phlegm), and 
neurophysiological symptoms such as headache, lightheadedness, nausea, 
vomiting, and numbness or tingling of the extremities.'' \54\
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    \50\ Ishinishi, N; Kuwabara, N; Takaki, Y; et al. (1988) Long-
term inhalation experiments on diesel exhaust. In: Diesel exhaust 
and health risks. Results of the HERP studies. Ibaraki, Japan: 
Research Committee for HERP Studies; pp. 11-84.
    \51\ Heinrich, U; Fuhst, R; Rittinghausen, S; et al. (1995) 
Chronic inhalation exposure of Wistar rats and two different strains 
of mice to diesel engine exhaust, carbon black, and titanium 
dioxide. Inhal. Toxicol. 7:553-556.
    \52\ Mauderly, JL; Jones, RK; Griffith, WC; et al. (1987) Diesel 
exhaust is a pulmonary carcinogen in rats exposed chronically by 
inhalation. Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 9:208-221.
    \53\ Nikula, KJ; Snipes, MB; Barr, EB; et al. (1995) Comparative 
pulmonary toxicities and carcinogenicities of chronically inhaled 
diesel exhaust and carbon black in F344 rats. Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 
25:80-94.
    \54\ ``Health Assessment Document for Diesel Engine Exhaust,'' 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 600/8-90/057F, http://
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/dieselfinal.pdf, May 2002, p. 9-9.
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    Exposure to diesel exhaust has also been shown to cause serious 
noncancer effects in occupational exposure studies. One study of 
railroad workers and electricians, cited in the Diesel HAD,\55\ found 
that exposure to diesel exhaust resulted in neurobehavioral impairments 
in one or more areas including reaction time, balance, blink reflex 
latency, verbal recall, and color vision confusion indices. Pulmonary 
function tests also showed that 10 of the 16 workers had airway 
obstruction and another group of 10 of 16 workers had chronic 
bronchitis, chest pain, tightness, and hyperactive airways. Finally, a 
variety of studies have been published subsequent to the completion of 
the Diesel HAD. One such study, published in 2006,\56\ found that 
railroad engineers and conductors with diesel exhaust exposure from 
operating trains had an increased incidence of chronic obstructive 
pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality. The odds of COPD mortality 
increased with years on the job so that those who had worked more than 
16 years as an engineer or conductor after 1959 had an increased risk 
of 1.61 (95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.30). EPA is assessing the 
significance of this study within the context of the broader 
literature.
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    \55\ Kilburn (2000) See HAD Chapter 5-7.
    \56\ Hart, JE; Laden F; Schenker, M.B.; and Garshick, E. Chronic 
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Mortality in Diesel-Exposed Railroad 
Workers; Environmental Health Perspective July 2006: 1013-1016.
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(iii) Ambient PM2.5 Levels and Exposure to Diesel Exhaust PM
    The Diesel HAD also briefly summarizes health effects associated 
with ambient PM and discusses the EPA's annual PM2.5 NAAQS 
of 15 [mu]g/m\3\. There is a much more extensive body of human data 
showing a wide spectrum of adverse health effects associated with 
exposure to ambient PM, of which diesel exhaust is an important 
component. The PM2.5 NAAQS is designed to provide protection from the 
noncancer and premature mortality effects of PM2.5 as a whole.
(iv) Diesel Exhaust PM Exposures
    Exposure of people to diesel exhaust depends on their various 
activities, the time spent in those activities, the locations where 
these activities occur, and the levels of diesel exhaust pollutants in 
those locations. The major difference between ambient levels of diesel 
particulate and exposure levels for diesel particulate is that exposure 
accounts for a person moving from location to location, proximity to 
the emission source, and whether the exposure occurs in an enclosed 
environment.

Occupational Exposures

    Occupational exposures to diesel exhaust from mobile sources, 
including

[[Page 37111]]

locomotive engines and marine diesel engines, can be several orders of 
magnitude greater than typical exposures in the non-occupationally 
exposed population.
    Over the years, diesel particulate exposures have been measured for 
a number of occupational groups. A wide range of exposures have been 
reported, from 2 [mu]g/m3 to 1,280 [mu]g/m3, for 
a variety of occupations. Studies have shown that miners and railroad 
workers typically have higher diesel exposure levels than other 
occupational groups studied, including firefighters, truck dock 
workers, and truck drivers (both short and long haul).\57\ As discussed 
in the Diesel HAD, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and 
Health (NIOSH) has estimated a total of 1,400,000 workers are 
occupationally exposed to diesel exhaust from on-road and nonroad 
vehicles including locomotive and marine diesel engines.
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    \57\ Diesel HAD Page 2-110, 8-12; Woskie, SR; Smith, TJ; 
Hammond, SK: et al. (1988a) Estimation of the DE exposures of 
railroad workers: II. National and historical exposures. Am J Ind 
Med 12:381-394.
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Elevated Concentrations and Ambient Exposures in Mobile Source-Impacted 
Areas

    Regions immediately downwind of rail yards and marine ports may 
experience elevated ambient concentrations of directly-emitted 
PM2.5 from diesel engines. Due to the unique nature of rail 
yards and marine ports, emissions from a large number of diesel engines 
are concentrated in a small area. Furthermore, emissions occur at or 
near ground level, allowing emissions of diesel engines to reach nearby 
receptors without fully mixing with background air.
    A 2004 study conducted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 
examined the air quality impacts of railroad operations at the J.R. 
Davis Rail Yard, the largest service and maintenance rail facility in 
the western United States.\58\ The yard occupies 950 acres along a one-
quarter mile wide and four-mile long section of land in Roseville, CA. 
The study developed an emissions inventory for the facility for the 
year 2000 and modeled ambient concentrations of diesel PM using a well-
accepted dispersion model (ISCST3). The study estimated substantially 
elevated diesel PM concentrations in an area 5,000 meters from the 
facility, with higher concentrations closer to the rail yard. Using 
local meteorological data, annual average contributions from the rail 
yard to ambient diesel PM concentrations under prevailing wind 
conditions were 1.74, 1.18, 0.80, and 0.25 [mu]g/m3 at 
receptors located 200, 500, 1000, and 5000 meters from the yard, 
respectively. Several tens of thousands of people live within the area 
estimated to experience substantial increases in annual average ambient 
PM2.5 as a result of these rail yard emissions.
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    \58\ Hand, R.; Pingkuan, D.; Servin, A.; Hunsaker, L.; Suer, C. 
(2004) Roseville rail yard study. California Air Resources Board. 
[Online at http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/documents/rrstudy.htm] This 
document can be found in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
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    Another study from CARB evaluated air quality impacts of diesel 
engine emissions within the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in 
California, one of the largest ports in the U.S.\59\ Like the earlier 
rail yard study, the port study employed the ISCST3 dispersion model. 
Using local meteorological data, annual average concentrations were 
substantially elevated over an area exceeding 200,000 acres. Because 
the ports are located near heavily-populated areas, the modeling 
indicated that over 700,000 people lived in areas with at least 0.3 
[mu]g/m\3\ of port-related diesel PM in ambient air, about 360,000 
people lived in areas with at least 0.6 [mu]g/m3 of diesel 
PM, and about 50,000 people lived in areas with at least 1.5 ug/
m3 of ambient diesel PM directly from the port. Most 
recently, CARB released several additional Railyard Health Risk 
Assessments which all show that diesel PM emissions result in 
significantly higher pollution risks in nearby communities.\60\ 
Together these studies highlight the substantial contribution these 
facilities make to elevated ambient concentrations in populated areas.
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    \59\ State of California Air Resources Board. Diesel Particulate 
Matter Exposure Assessment Study for the Ports of Los Angeles and 
Long Beach, April 2006. This document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-
OAR-2003-0190. This document is available electronically at: ftp://
ftp.arb.ca.gov/carbis/msprog/offroad/marinevess/documents/
portstudy0406.pdf.
    \60\ These studies are available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190. 
Studies are also available at http://www.arb.ca.gov/railyard/hra/
hra.htm.
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    As mentioned in section II.A of this preamble, EPA recently 
conducted an initial screening-level analysis of a representative 
selection of national marine port areas and rail yards to begin to 
better understand the populations that are exposed to DPM emissions 
from these facilities.61, 62 As part of this study, a 
computer geographic information system (GIS) was used to identify the 
locations and property boundaries of 47 marine ports and 37 rail yard 
facilities.\63\ Census information was used to estimate the size and 
demographic characteristics of the population living in the vicinity of 
the ports and rail yards. The results indicate that at least 13 million 
people, including a disproportionate number of low-income, African-
Americans, and Hispanics, live in the vicinity of these facilities and 
are being exposed to ambient DPM levels that are 2.0 [mu]g/
m3 and 0.2 [mu]g/m3 above levels found in areas 
further from these facilities. These populations will benefit from the 
controls being finalized in this action. This study is discussed in 
greater detail in chapter 2 of the RIA and detailed findings of this 
study are available in the public docket for this rulemaking.
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    \61\ ICF International. September 28, 2007. Estimation of diesel 
particulate matter concentration isopleths for marine harbor areas 
and rail yards. Memorandum to EPA under Work Assignment Number 0-3, 
Contract Number EP-C-06-094. This memo is available in Docket EPA-
HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
    \62\ ICF International. September 28, 2007. Estimation of diesel 
particulate matter population exposure near selected harbor areas 
and rail yards. Memorandum to EPA under Work Assignment Number 0-3, 
Contract Number EP-C-06-094. This memo is available in Docket EPA-
HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
    \63\ The Agency selected a representative sample of the top 150 
U.S. ports including coastal, inland, and Great Lake ports. In 
selecting a sample of rail yards the Agency identified a subset from 
the hundreds of rail yards operated by Class I Railroads.
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(b) Other Air Toxics--benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, 
acetaldehyde, acrolein, POM, naphthalene
    Locomotive and marine diesel engine exhaust emissions also 
contribute to ambient levels of other air toxics known or suspected as 
human or animal carcinogens, or that have noncancer health effects. 
These other air toxics include benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, 
acetaldehyde, acrolein, polycyclic organic matter (POM), and 
naphthalene. All of these compounds, except acetaldehyde, were 
identified as national or regional cancer risk or noncancer hazard 
drivers in the 1999 National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) and 
have significant inventory contributions from mobile sources. That is, 
for a significant portion of the population, these compounds pose a 
significant portion of the total cancer and noncancer risk from 
breathing outdoor air toxics. The reductions in locomotive and marine 
diesel engine emissions finalized in this rulemaking will help reduce 
exposure to these harmful substances.
    Benzene: EPA has characterized benzene as a known human carcinogen 
(causing leukemia) by all routes of exposure, and concludes that 
exposure is associated with additional health effects, including 
genetic changes in both humans and animals and increased proliferation 
of bone marrow cells in

[[Page 37112]]

mice.64, 65, 66 EPA states in its IRIS database that data 
indicate a causal relationship between benzene exposure and acute 
lymphocytic leukemia and suggests a relationship between benzene 
exposure and chronic non-lymphocytic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic 
leukemia. The IARC has determined that benzene is a human carcinogen 
and the U.S. DHHS has characterized benzene as a known human 
carcinogen.67, 68
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    \64\ U.S. EPA. 2000. Integrated Risk Information System File for 
Benzene. This material is available electronically at http://
www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0276.htm.
    \65\ International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). 1982. 
Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risk of chemicals to 
humans, Volume 29, Some industrial chemicals and dyestuffs, World 
Health Organization, Lyon, France, p. 345-389.
    \66\ Irons, R.D.; Stillman, W.S.; Colagiovanni, D.B.; Henry, 
V.A. 1992. Synergistic action of the benzene metabolite hydroquinone 
on myelopoietic stimulating activity of granulocyte/macrophage 
colony-stimulating factor in vitro, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 89:3691-
3695.
    \67\ International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). 1987. 
Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risk of chemicals to 
humans, Volume 29, Supplement 7, Some industrial chemicals and 
dyestuffs, World Health Organization, Lyon, France.
    \68\ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National 
Toxicology Program 11th Report on Carcinogens available at: http://
ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/16183.
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    A number of adverse noncancer health effects including blood 
disorders, such as preleukemia and aplastic anemia, have also been 
associated with long-term exposure to benzene.69, 70 The 
most sensitive noncancer effect observed in humans, based on current 
data, is the depression of the absolute lymphocyte count in 
blood.71, 72 In addition, recent work, including studies 
sponsored by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), provides evidence that 
biochemical responses are occurring at lower levels of benzene exposure 
than previously known.73, 74, 75, 76 EPA's IRIS program has 
not yet evaluated these new data.
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    \69\ Aksoy, M. (1989). Hematotoxicity and carcinogenicity of 
benzene. Environ. Health Perspect. 82: 193-197.
    \70\ Goldstein, B.D. (1988). Benzene toxicity. Occupational 
medicine. State of the Art Reviews. 3: 541-554.
    \71\ Rothman, N., G.L. Li, M. Dosemeci, W.E. Bechtold, G.E. 
Marti, Y.Z. Wang, M. Linet, L.Q. Xi, W. Lu, M.T. Smith, N. Titenko-
Holland, L.P. Zhang, W. Blot, S.N. Yin, and R.B. Hayes (1996) 
Hematotoxicity among Chinese workers heavily exposed to benzene. Am. 
J. Ind. Med. 29: 236-246.
    \72\ U.S. EPA (2002) Toxicological Review of Benzene (Noncancer 
Effects). Environmental Protection Agency, Integrated Risk 
Information System (IRIS), Research and Development, National Center 
for Environmental Assessment, Washington DC. This material is 
available electronically at http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0276.htm.
    \73\ Qu, O.; Shore, R.; Li, G.; Jin, X.; Chen, C.L.; Cohen, B.; 
Melikian, A.; Eastmond, D.; Rappaport, S.; Li, H.; Rupa, D.; 
Suramaya, R.; Songnian, W.; Huifant, Y.; Meng, M.; Winnik, M.; Kwok, 
E.; Li, Y.; Mu, R.; Xu, B.; Zhang, X.; Li, K. (2003) HEI Report 115, 
Validation & Evaluation of Biomarkers in Workers Exposed to Benzene 
in China.
    \74\ Qu, Q., R. Shore, G. Li, X. Jin, L.C. Chen, B. Cohen, et 
al. (2002) Hematological changes among Chinese workers with a broad 
range of benzene exposures. Am. J. Industr. Med. 42: 275-285.
    \75\ Lan, Qing, Zhang, L., Li, G., Vermeulen, R., et al. (2004) 
Hematotoxically in Workers Exposed to Low Levels of Benzene. Science 
306: 1774-1776.
    \76\ Turtletaub, K.W. and Mani, C. (2003) Benzene metabolism in 
rodents at doses relevant to human exposure from Urban Air. Research 
Reports Health Effect Inst. Report No.113.
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    1,3-Butadiene: EPA has characterized 1,3-butadiene as carcinogenic 
to humans by inhalation.77, 78 The IARC has determined that 
1, 3-butadiene is a human carcinogen and the U.S. DHHS has 
characterized 1,3-butadiene as a known human 
carcinogen.79, 80 There are numerous studies consistently 
demonstrating that 1,3-butadiene is metabolized into genotoxic 
metabolites by experimental animals and humans. The specific mechanisms 
of 1,3-butadiene-induced carcinogenesis are unknown; however, the 
scientific evidence strongly suggests that the carcinogenic effects are 
mediated by genotoxic metabolites. Animal data suggest that females may 
be more sensitive than males for cancer effects associated with 1,3-
butadiene exposure; while there are insufficient data in humans from 
which to draw conclusions about sensitive subpopulations.
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    \77\ U.S. EPA (2002) Health Assessment of 1,3-Butadiene. Office 
of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental 
Assessment, Washington Office, Washington, DC. Report No. EPA600-P-
98-001F. This document is available electronically at http://
www.epa.gov/iris/supdocs/buta-sup.pdf.
    \78\ U.S. EPA (2002) Full IRIS Summary for 1,3-butadiene (CASRN 
106-99-0). Environmental Protection Agency, Integrated Risk 
Information System (IRIS), Research and Development, National Center 
for Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC http://www.epa.gov/
iris/subst/0139.htm.
    \79\ International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (1999) 
Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risk of chemicals to 
humans, Volume 71, Re-evaluation of some organic chemicals, 
hydrazine and hydrogen peroxide and Volume 97 (in preparation), 
World Health Organization, Lyon, France.
    \80\ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2005) 
National Toxicology Program 11th Report on Carcinogens available at: 
ntp.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=32BA9724-F1F6-975E-
7FCE50709CB4C932.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    1,3-Butadiene also causes a variety of reproductive and 
developmental effects in mice; no human data on these effects are 
available. The most sensitive effect was ovarian atrophy observed in a 
lifetime bioassay of female mice.\81\
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    \81\ Bevan, C.; Stadler, J.C.; Elliot, G.S.; et al. (1996) 
Subchronic toxicity of 4-vinylcyclohexene in rats and mice by 
inhalation. Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 32:1-10.
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    Formaldehyde: Since 1987, EPA has classified formaldehyde as a 
probable human carcinogen based on evidence in humans and in rats, 
mice, hamsters, and monkeys.\82\ EPA is currently reviewing recently 
published epidemiological data. For instance, research conducted by the 
National Cancer Institute (NCI) found an increased risk of 
nasopharyngeal cancer and lymphohematopoietic malignancies such as 
leukemia among workers exposed to formaldehyde.83, 84 NCI is 
currently updating these studies. A recent National Institute of 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of garment workers also 
found increased risk of death due to leukemia among workers exposed to 
formaldehyde.\85\ Extended follow-up of a cohort of British chemical 
workers did not find evidence of an increase in nasopharyngeal or 
lymphohematopoietic cancers, but a continuing statistically significant 
excess in lung cancers was reported.\86\ Recently, the IARC re-
classified formaldehyde as a human carcinogen (Group 1).\87\
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    \82\ U.S. EPA (1987) Assessment of Health Risks to Garment 
Workers and Certain Home Residents from Exposure to Formaldehyde, 
Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, April 1987.
    \83\ Hauptmann, M.; Lubin, J.H.; Stewart, P.A.; Hayes, R.B.; 
Blair, A. 2003. Mortality from lymphohematopoetic malignancies among 
workers in formaldehyde industries. Journal of the National Cancer 
Institute 95: 1615-1623.
    \84\ Hauptmann, M.; Lubin, J.H.; Stewart, P.A.; Hayes, R.B.; 
Blair, A. 2004. Mortality from solid cancers among workers in 
formaldehyde industries. American Journal of Epidemiology 159: 1117-
1130.
    \85\ Pinkerton, L.E. 2004. Mortality among a cohort of garment 
workers exposed to formaldehyde: an update. Occup. Environ. Med. 61: 
193-200.
    \86\ Coggon, D, EC Harris, J Poole, KT Palmer. 2003. Extended 
follow-up of a cohort of British chemical workers exposed to 
formaldehyde. J National Cancer Inst. 95:1608-1615.
    \87\ International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). 2006. 
Formaldehyde, 2-Butoxyethanol and 1-tert-Butoxypropan-2-ol. Volume 
88. (in preparation), World Health Organization, Lyon, France.
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    Formaldehyde exposure also causes a range of noncancer health 
effects, including irritation of the eyes (burning and watering of the 
eyes), nose and throat. Decreased pulmonary function has been observed 
in humans. Effects from repeated exposure in humans include respiratory 
tract irritation, chronic bronchitis and nasal epithelial lesions.\88\
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    \88\ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for 
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 1999. Toxicological Profile 
for formaldehyde. Available at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/
tp111.html.
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    Acetaldehyde: EPA has characterized acetaldehyde as a probable 
human carcinogen, based on nasal tumors in rats.\89\ Acetaldehyde is 
reasonably

[[Page 37113]]

anticipated to be a human carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health 
and Human Services (DHHS) in the 11th Report on Carcinogens and is 
classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) by the 
International Agency for Research on Carcinogens 
(IARC).90, 91 EPA is currently conducting a reassessment of 
cancer and noncancer risk from inhalation exposure to acetaldehyde.
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    \89\ U.S. EPA. 1991. Integrated Risk Information System File of 
Acetaldehyde. Research and Development, National Center for 
Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC. This material is available 
electronically at http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0290.htm.
    \90\ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National 
Toxicology Program 11th Report on Carcinogens available at: 
ntp.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=32BA9724-F1F6-975E-
7FCE50709CB4C932.
    \91\ International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). 1999. 
Re-evaluation of some organic chemicals, hydrazine, and hydrogen 
peroxide. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk of 
Chemical to Humans, Vol 71. Lyon, France.
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    The primary noncancer effects of exposure to acetaldehyde vapors 
include irritation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract.\92\ In 
short-term (4 week) rat studies, compound-related histopathological 
changes were observed only in the respiratory system at various 
concentration levels of exposure.93, 94 Data from these 
studies were used by EPA to develop an inhalation reference 
concentration. Some asthmatics have been shown to be a sensitive 
subpopulation to decrements in functional expiratory volume (FEV1 test) 
and bronchoconstriction upon acetaldehyde inhalation.\95\
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    \92\ U.S. EPA. 1991. Integrated Risk Information System File of 
Acetaldehyde. This material is available electronically at http://
www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0290.htm.
    \93\ Appleman, L.M., R.A. Woutersen, V.J. Feron, R.N. Hooftman, 
and W.R.F. Notten. 1986. Effects of the variable versus fixed 
exposure levels on the toxicity of acetaldehyde in rats. J. Appl. 
Toxicol. 6: 331-336.
    \94\ Appleman, L.M., R.A. Woutersen, and V.J. Feron. 1982. 
Inhalation toxicity of acetaldehyde in rats. I. Acute and subacute 
studies. Toxicology. 23: 293-297.
    \95\ Myou, S.; Fujimura, M.; Nishi K.; Ohka, T.; and Matsuda, T. 
1993. Aerosolized acetaldehyde induces histamine-mediated 
bronchoconstriction in asthmatics. Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. 148(4 Pt 
1): 940-3.
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    Acrolein: Acrolein is extremely acrid and irritating to humans when 
inhaled, with acute exposure resulting in upper respiratory tract 
irritation, mucus hypersecretion and congestion. Levels considerably 
lower than 1 ppm (2.3 mg/m3) elicit subjective complaints of 
eye and nasal irritation and a decrease in the respiratory 
rate.96, 97 Lesions to the lungs and upper respiratory tract 
of rats, rabbits, and hamsters have been observed after subchronic 
exposure to acrolein. Based on animal data, individuals with 
compromised respiratory function (e.g., emphysema, asthma) are expected 
to be at increased risk of developing adverse responses to strong 
respiratory irritants such as acrolein. This was demonstrated in mice 
with allergic airway-disease by comparison to non-diseased mice in a 
study of the acute respiratory irritant effects of acrolein.\98\ EPA is 
currently in the process of conducting an assessment of acute exposure 
effects for acrolein. The intense irritancy of this carbonyl has been 
demonstrated during controlled tests in human subjects who suffer 
intolerable eye and nasal mucosal sensory reactions within minutes of 
exposure.\99\
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    \96\ Weber-Tschopp, A; Fischer, T; Gierer, R; et al. (1977) 
Experimentelle reizwirkungen von Acrolein auf den Menschen. Int Arch 
Occup Environ Hlth. 40(2):117-130. In German.
    \97\ Sim, VM; Pattle, RE. (1957) Effect of possible smog 
irritants on human subjects. J Am Med Assoc. 165(15):1908-1913.
    \98\ Morris JB, Symanowicz PT, Olsen JE, et al. 2003. Immediate 
sensory nerve-mediated respiratory responses to irritants in healthy 
and allergic airway-diseased mice. J Appl Physiol. 94(4):1563-1571.
    \99\ Sim VM, Pattle RE. Effect of possible smog irritants on 
human subjects. JAMA. 165: 1980-2010, 1957.
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    EPA determined in 2003 that the human carcinogenic potential of 
acrolein could not be determined because the available data were 
inadequate. No information was available on the carcinogenic effects of 
acrolein in humans and the animal data provided inadequate evidence of 
carcinogenicity.\100\ The IARC determined in 1995 that acrolein was not 
classifiable as to its carcinogenicity in humans.\101\
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    \100\ U.S. EPA. (2003). Integrated Risk Information System File 
of Acrolein. Research and Development, National Center for 
Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC. This material is available 
at http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0364.htm.
    \101\ International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). 1995. 
Monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risk of chemicals to 
humans, Volume 63, Dry cleaning, some chlorinated solvents and other 
industrial chemicals, World Health Organization, Lyon, France.
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    Polycyclic Organic Matter (POM): POM is generally defined as a 
large class of organic compounds which have multiple benzene rings and 
a boiling point greater than 100 degrees Celsius. Many of the compounds 
included in the class of compounds known as POM are classified by EPA 
as probable human carcinogens based on animal data. One of these 
compounds, naphthalene, is discussed separately below. Polycyclic 
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a subset of POM that contain only 
hydrogen and carbon atoms. A number of PAHs are known or suspected 
carcinogens. Recent studies have found that maternal exposures to PAHs 
(a subclass of POM) in a population of pregnant women were associated 
with several adverse birth outcomes, including low birth weight and 
reduced length at birth, as well as impaired cognitive development at 
age three.102, 103 EPA has not yet evaluated these recent 
studies.
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    \102\ Perera, F.P.; Rauh, V.; Tsai, W-Y.; et al. (2002) Effect 
of transplacental exposure to environmental pollutants on birth 
outcomes in a multiethnic population. Environ Health Perspect. 111: 
201-205.
    \103\ Perera, F.P.; Rauh, V.; Whyatt, R.M.; Tsai, W.Y.; Tang, 
D.; Diaz, D.; Hoepner, L.; Barr, D.; Tu, Y.H.; Camann, D.; Kinney, 
P. (2006) Effect of prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic 
aromatic hydrocarbons on neurodevelopment in the first 3 years of 
life among inner-city children. Environ Health Perspect. 114: 1287-
1292.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Naphthalene: Naphthalene is found in small quantities in gasoline 
and diesel fuels but is primarily a product of combustion. EPA recently 
released an external review draft of a reassessment of the inhalation 
carcinogenicity of naphthalene.\104\ The draft reassessment recently 
completed external peer review.\105\ Based on external peer review 
comments received to date, additional analyses are being undertaken. 
This external review draft does not represent official agency opinion 
and was released solely for the purposes of external peer review and 
public comment. Once EPA evaluates public and peer reviewer comments, 
the document will be revised. The National Toxicology Program listed 
naphthalene as ``reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen'' in 
2004 on the basis of bioassays reporting clear evidence of 
carcinogenicity in rats and some evidence of carcinogenicity in 
mice.\106\ California EPA has released a new risk assessment for 
naphthalene, and the IARC has reevaluated naphthalene and re-classified 
it as Group 2B: Possibly carcinogenic to humans.\107\ Naphthalene also 
causes a number of chronic non-cancer effects in animals, including

[[Page 37114]]

abnormal cell changes and growth in respiratory and nasal tissues.\108\
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    \104\ U.S. EPA (2004) Toxicological Review of Naphthalene 
(Reassessment of the Inhalation Cancer Risk), Environmental 
Protection Agency, Integrated Risk Information System, Research and 
Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, 
Washington, DC. This material is available electronically at http://
www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0436.htm.
    \105\ Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (2004) 
External Peer Review for the IRIS Reassessment of the Inhalation 
Carcinogenicity of Naphthalene. August 2004. http://cfpub.epa.gov/
ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=84403.
    \106\ National Toxicology Program (NTP). (2004). 11th Report on 
Carcinogens. Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and 
Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC. Available from: http://
ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov.
    \107\ International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (2002) 
Monographs on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals 
for Humans. Vol. 82. Lyon, France.
    \108\ U.S. EPA (1998) Toxicological Review of Naphthalene, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Integrated Risk Information System, 
Research and Development, National Center for Environmental 
Assessment, Washington, DC. This material is available 
electronically at http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0436.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. Environmental Impacts

    There are a number of public welfare effects associated with the 
presence of ozone, NOX and PM2.5 in the ambient 
air. In this section we discuss visibility, the impact of deposition on 
ecosystems and materials, and the impact of ozone on plants, including 
trees, agronomic crops and urban ornamentals.
(1) Visibility
    Visibility can be defined as the degree to which the atmosphere is 
transparent to visible light. Airborne particles degrade visibility by 
scattering and absorbing light. Visibility is important because it has 
direct significance to people's enjoyment of daily activities in all 
parts of the country. Individuals value good visibility for the well-
being it provides them directly, where they live and work and in places 
where they enjoy recreational opportunities. Visibility is also highly 
valued in significant natural areas such as national parks and 
wilderness areas and special emphasis is given to protecting visibility 
in these areas. For more information on visibility, see the final 2004 
PM AQCD as well as the 2005 PM Staff Paper.109, 110
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \109\ U.S. EPA (2004) Air Quality Criteria for Particulate 
Matter (Oct 2004), Volume I Document No. EPA600/P-99/002aF and 
Volume II Document No. EPA600/P-99/002bF. This document is available 
in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
    \110\ U.S. EPA (2005) Review of the National Ambient Air Quality 
Standard for Particulate Matter: Policy Assessment of Scientific and 
Technical Information, OAQPS Staff Paper. EPA-452/R-05-005. This 
document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    EPA is pursuing a two-part strategy to address visibility. First, 
to address the welfare effects of PM on visibility, EPA has set 
secondary PM2.5 standards which act in conjunction with the 
establishment of a regional haze program. In setting this secondary 
standard, EPA has concluded that PM2.5 causes adverse effects on 
visibility in various locations, depending on PM concentrations and 
factors such as chemical composition and average relative humidity. 
Second, section 169 of the Clean Air Act provides additional authority 
to address existing visibility impairment and prevent future visibility 
impairment in the 156 national parks, forests and wilderness areas 
categorized as mandatory class I federal areas (62 FR 38680-81, July 
18, 1997).\111\ In July 1999, the regional haze rule (64 FR 35714) was 
put in place to protect the visibility in mandatory class I federal 
areas. Visibility can be said to be impaired in both PM2.5 
nonattainment areas and mandatory class I federal areas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \111\ These areas are defined in section 162 of the Act as those 
national parks exceeding 6,000 acres, wilderness areas and memorial 
parks exceeding 5,000 acres, and all international parks which were 
in existence on August 7, 1977.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Locomotives and marine engines contribute to visibility concerns in 
these areas through their primary PM2.5 emissions and their 
NOX emissions which contribute to the formation of secondary 
PM2.5.
Current Visibility Impairment
    As of October 10, 2007, almost 90 million people live in 
nonattainment areas for the 1997 PM2.5 NAAQS. These populations, as 
well as large numbers of individuals who travel to these areas, are 
likely to experience visibility impairment. In addition, while 
visibility trends have improved in mandatory class I federal areas the 
most recent data show that these areas continue to suffer from 
visibility impairment.\112\ In summary, visibility impairment is 
experienced throughout the U.S., in multi-state regions, urban areas, 
and remote mandatory class I federal areas.113, 114
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    \112\ U.S. EPA (2002). Latest Findings on National Air Quality--
2002 Status and Trends. EPA 454/K-03-001.
    \113\ U.S. EPA. Air Quality Designations and Classifications for 
the Fine Particles (PM2.5) National Ambient Air Quality Standards, 
December 17, 2004. (70 FR 943, Jan 5, 2005) This document is also 
available on the Web at: http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations/.
    \114\ U.S. EPA. Regional Haze Regulations, July 1, 1999. (64 FR 
35714, July 1, 1999).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Future Visibility Impairment
    Air quality modeling conducted for this final rule was used to 
project visibility conditions in 133 mandatory class I federal areas 
across the U.S. in 2020 and 2030. The results indicate that improvement 
in visibility will occur in all mandatory class I federal areas 
although all areas will continue to have annual average deciview levels 
above background in 2020 and 2030. Chapter 2 of the RIA contains more 
detail on the visibility portion of the air quality modeling.
(2) Plant and Ecosystem Effects of Ozone
    Elevated ozone levels contribute to environmental effects, with 
impacts to plants and ecosystems being of most concern. Ozone can 
produce both acute and chronic injury in sensitive species depending on 
the concentration level and the duration of the exposure. Ozone effects 
also tend to accumulate over the growing season of the plant, so that 
even low concentrations experienced for a longer duration have the 
potential to create chronic stress on vegetation. Ozone damage to 
plants includes visible injury to leaves and a reduction in food 
production through impaired photosynthesis, both of which can lead to 
reduced crop yields, forestry production, and use of sensitive 
ornamentals in landscaping. In addition, the reduced food production in 
plants and subsequent reduced root growth and storage below ground, can 
result in other, more subtle plant and ecosystems impacts. These 
include increased susceptibility of plants to insect attack, disease, 
harsh weather, interspecies competition and overall decreased plant 
vigor. The adverse effects of ozone on forest and other natural 
vegetation can potentially lead to species shifts and loss from the 
affected ecosystems, resulting in a loss or reduction in associated 
ecosystem goods and services. Lastly, visible ozone injury to leaves 
can result in a loss of aesthetic value in areas of special scenic 
significance like national parks and wilderness areas. The final 2006 
Criteria Document presents more detailed information on ozone effects 
on vegetation and ecosystems.
    As discussed above, locomotive and marine diesel engine emissions 
of NOX contribute to ozone and therefore the NOX 
standards will help reduce crop damage and stress on vegetation from 
ozone.
(3) Atmospheric Deposition
    Wet and dry deposition of ambient particulate matter delivers a 
complex mixture of metals (e.g., mercury, zinc, lead, nickel, aluminum, 
cadmium), organic compounds (e.g., POM, dioxins, furans) and inorganic 
compounds (e.g., nitrate, sulfate) to terrestrial and aquatic 
ecosystems. The chemical form of the compounds deposited is impacted by 
a variety of factors including ambient conditions (e.g., temperature, 
humidity, oxidant levels) and the sources of the material. Chemical and 
physical transformations of the particulate compounds occur in the 
atmosphere as well as the media onto which they deposit. These 
transformations in turn influence the fate, bioavailability and 
potential toxicity of these compounds. Atmospheric deposition has been 
identified as a key component of the environmental and human health

[[Page 37115]]

hazard posed by several pollutants including mercury, dioxin and 
PCBs.\115\
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    \115\ U.S. EPA (2000). Deposition of Air Pollutants to the Great 
Waters: Third Report to Congress. Office of Air Quality Planning and 
Standards. EPA-453/R-00-0005. This document is available in Docket 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Adverse impacts on water quality can occur when atmospheric 
contaminants deposit to the water surface or when material deposited on 
the land enters a water body through runoff. Potential impacts of 
atmospheric deposition to water bodies include those related to both 
nutrient and toxic inputs. Adverse effects to human health and welfare 
can occur from the addition of excess particulate nitrate nutrient 
enrichment, which contributes to toxic algae blooms and zones of 
depleted oxygen, which can lead to fish kills, frequently in coastal 
waters. Particles contaminated with heavy metals or other toxins may 
lead to the ingestion of contaminated fish, ingestion of contaminated 
water, damage to the marine ecology, and limited recreational uses. 
Several studies have been conducted in U.S. coastal waters and in the 
Great Lakes Region in which the role of ambient PM deposition and 
runoff is investigated.116, 117, 118, 119, 120
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    \116\ U.S. EPA (2004). National Coastal Condition Report II. 
Office of Research and Development/ Office of Water. EPA-620/R-03/
002. This document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
    \117\ Gao, Y., E.D. Nelson, M.P. Field, et al. 2002. 
Characterization of atmospheric trace elements on PM2.5 particulate 
matter over the New York-New Jersey harbor estuary. Atmos. Environ. 
36: 1077-1086.
    \118\ Kim, G., N. Hussain, J.R. Scudlark, and T.M. Church. 2000. 
Factors influencing the atmospheric depositional fluxes of stable 
Pb, 210Pb, and 7Be into Chesapeake Bay. J. Atmos. Chem. 36: 65-79.
    \119\ Lu, R., R.P. Turco, K. Stolzenbach, et al. 2003. Dry 
deposition of airborne trace metals on the Los Angeles Basin and 
adjacent coastal waters. J. Geophys. Res. 108(D2, 4074): AAC 11-1 to 
11-24.
    \120\ Marvin, C.H., M.N. Charlton, E.J. Reiner, et al. 2002. 
Surficial sediment contamination in Lakes Erie and Ontario: A 
comparative analysis. J. Great Lakes Res. 28(3): 437-450.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Adverse impacts on soil chemistry and plant life have been observed 
for areas heavily impacted by atmospheric deposition of nutrients, 
metals and acid species, resulting in species shifts, loss of 
biodiversity, forest decline and damage to forest productivity. 
Potential impacts also include adverse effects to human health through 
ingestion of contaminated vegetation or livestock (as in the case for 
dioxin deposition), reduction in crop yield, and limited use of land 
due to contamination.
    The NOX, VOC and PM standards finalized in this action 
will help reduce the environmental impacts of atmospheric deposition.
(4) Materials Damage and Soiling
    The deposition of airborne particles can reduce the aesthetic 
appeal of buildings and culturally important articles through soiling, 
and can contribute directly (or in conjunction with other pollutants) 
to structural damage by means of corrosion or erosion.\121\ Particles 
affect materials principally by promoting and accelerating the 
corrosion of metals, by degrading paints, and by deteriorating building 
materials such as concrete and limestone. Particles contribute to these 
effects because of their electrolytic, hygroscopic, and acidic 
properties, and their ability to adsorb corrosive gases (principally 
sulfur dioxide). The rate of metal corrosion depends on a number of 
factors, including the deposition rate and nature of the pollutant; the 
influence of the metal protective corrosion film; the amount of 
moisture present; variability in the electrochemical reactions; the 
presence and concentration of other surface electrolytes; and the 
orientation of the metal surface.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \121\ U.S. EPA (2005). Review of the National Ambient Air 
Quality Standards for Particulate Matter: Policy Assessment of 
Scientific and Technical Information, OAQPS Staff Paper. This 
document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The PM2.5 standards finalized in this action will help reduce the 
airborne particles that contribute to materials damage and soiling.

D. Other Criteria Pollutants Affected by This Final Rule

    Locomotive and marine diesel engines account for about 1 percent of 
the mobile source carbon monoxide (CO) inventory. Carbon monoxide (CO) 
is a colorless, odorless gas produced through the incomplete combustion 
of carbon-based fuels. The current primary NAAQS for CO are 35 ppm for 
the 1-hour average and 9 ppm for the 8-hour average. These values are 
not to be exceeded more than once per year. As of October 10, 2007, 
there are 854 thousand people living in 4 areas (made up of 5 counties) 
that are designated as nonattainment for CO.
    Carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream through the lungs, forming 
carboxyhemoglobin and reducing the delivery of oxygen to the body's 
organs and tissues. The health threat from CO is most serious for those 
who suffer from cardiovascular disease, particularly those with angina 
or peripheral vascular disease. Healthy individuals also are affected, 
but only at higher CO levels. Exposure to elevated CO levels is 
associated with impairment of visual perception, work capacity, manual 
dexterity, learning ability and performance of complex tasks. Carbon 
monoxide also contributes to ozone nonattainment since carbon monoxide 
reacts photochemically in the atmosphere to form ozone. Additional 
information on CO related health effects can be found in the Air 
Quality Criteria for Carbon Monoxide.\122\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \122\ U.S. EPA (2000). Air Quality Criteria for Carbon Monoxide, 
EPA/600/P-99/001F. This document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-
2003-0190.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

E. Emissions from Locomotive and Marine Diesel Engines

(1) Overview
    The engine standards in this final rule will affect emissions of 
PM2.5, NOX, VOCs, CO, and air toxics for 
locomotive and marine diesel engines. Based on our analysis for this 
rulemaking, we estimate that in 2001 locomotive and marine diesel 
engines contributed almost 60,000 tons (18 percent) to the national 
mobile source diesel PM2.5 inventory and about 2.0 million 
tons (16 percent) to the mobile source NOX inventory. In 
2030, absent the standards finalized today, these engines will 
contribute about 50,000 tons (65 percent) to the mobile source diesel 
PM2.5 inventory and almost 1.6 million tons (35 percent) to 
the mobile source NOX inventory. Under today's final 
standards, by 2030, annual NOX emissions from these engines 
will be reduced by 800,000 tons, PM2.5 emissions by 27,000 
tons, and VOC emissions by 43,000 tons.
    Locomotive and marine diesel engine emissions are expected to 
continue to be a significant part of the mobile source emissions 
inventory, both nationally and in ozone and PM2.5 
nonattainment areas, in the coming years. Absent the standards 
finalized today, we expect overall emissions from these engines to 
decrease modestly over the next ten to fifteen years then remain 
relatively flat through 2025 due to existing regulations such as lower 
fuel sulfur requirements, the phase-in of locomotive and marine diesel 
Tier 1 and Tier 2 engine standards, and the current Tier 0 locomotive 
remanufacturing requirements. Starting after 2025, emission inventories 
from these engines once again begin increasing due to growth in the 
locomotive and marine sectors, see Table II-2.
    Each sub-section below discusses one of the affected pollutants, 
including expected emissions reductions associated with the final 
standards. Table II-2 summarizes the impacts of this rule for 2012, 
2015, 2020, 2030 and

[[Page 37116]]

2040. Further details on our inventory estimates are available in 
chapter 3 of the RIA.
BILLING CODE 1505-01-D
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR06MY08.001

BILLING CODE 1505-01-C
(2) PM2.5 Emission Reductions
    As described earlier, EPA believes that reductions of diesel 
PM2.5 emissions are an important part of the nation's 
progress toward clean air. PM2.5 reductions resulting from 
this final rule will reduce hazardous air pollutants or air toxics from 
these engines, reduce diesel exhaust exposure in communities near these 
emissions sources, and help areas address visibility and other 
environmental impacts associated with PM2.5 emissions.
    In 2001, annual emissions from locomotive and marine diesel engines 
totaled about 60,000 tons (18 percent) of the national mobile source 
diesel PM2.5 inventory and by 2030 these engines, absent 
this final rule, contribute about 50,000 tons (65 percent) of the 
mobile source diesel PM2.5 inventory. Both Table II-2 and 
Figure II-2 show that PM2.5 emissions are relatively flat 
through 2030 before beginning to rise again due to growth in these 
sectors.
    Table II-2 and Figure II-2 present PM2.5 emission 
reductions from locomotive and marine diesel engines with the final 
standards required in this rule. Emissions of PM2.5 drop in 
2012 and 2015 by 4,200 and 7,300 tons respectively. By 2020, annual 
PM2.5 reductions total 14,500 tons and by 2030 emissions are 
reduced further by 27,000 tons annually. Significant reductions from 
these engines continue through 2040 when approximately 37,000 tons of 
PM2.5 are annually eliminated as a result of this rule.
BILLING CODE 1505-01-D

[[Page 37117]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR06MY08.002

BILLING CODE 1505-01-C
(3) NOX Emissions Reductions
    In 2001 annual emissions from locomotive and marine diesel engines 
totaled about 2.0 million tons. Due to earlier engine standards for 
these engines, annual NOX emissions drop to approximately 
1.6 million tons in 2030. Both Table II-2 and Figure II-3 show 
NOX emissions remaining fairly flat through 2030 before 
beginning to rise again due to growth in these sectors.
    As shown in Table II-2 and Figure II-3, in the near term this rule 
reduces annual NOX emissions from the current national 
inventory baseline by 87,000 tons in 2012 and 161,000 tons in 2015. By 
2020, annual NOX emissions are cut by 371,000 tons and by 
2030--795,000 tons are eliminated. As with PM2.5 emissions, 
a yearly decline in NOX emissions continues through 2040 
when more than 1.1 million tons of NOX are annually reduced 
from locomotive and marine diesel engines.
    These numbers are comparable to emission reductions projected in 
2030 for our already established Clean Air Nonroad Diesel (CAND) 
program. Table II-3 provides the 2030 NOX emission 
reductions (and PM reductions) for this rule compared to the Heavy-Duty 
Highway rule and CAND rule. The 2030 NOX reductions of about 
738,000 tons for the CAND rule are slightly less than those from this 
rule.
BILLING CODE 1505-01-D

[[Page 37118]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR06MY08.003

BILLING CODE 1505-01-C

   Table II-3.--Projected 2030 Emissions Reductions From Recent Mobile
                              Source Rules
                              [Short tons]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Rule                           NOX         PM2.5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Locomotive and Marine.........................      795,000       27,000
Clean Air Nonroad Diesel......................      738,000      129,000
Heavy-Duty Highway............................    2,600,000      109,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

(4) Volatile Organic Compounds Emissions Reductions
    Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from locomotive and 
marine diesel engines are shown in Table II-2, along with the estimates 
of the reductions we expect from the HC standard in our rule in 2012, 
2015, 2020, 2030 and 2040. In 2012, 8,000 tons of VOCs are reduced and 
in 2015 15,000 tons are annually eliminated from the inventory. By 
2020, reductions will expand to 28,000 tons annually from these 
engines. Over the next ten years, annual reductions from controlled 
locomotive and marine diesel engines will produce annual VOC reductions 
of 43,000 tons in 2030 and 55,000 tons in 2040. Figure II-4 shows our 
estimate of VOC emissions between 2006 and 2040 both with and without 
this rule.
BILLING CODE 1505-01-D

[[Page 37119]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR06MY08.004

BILLING CODE 1505-01-C

III. Emission Standards

    This section details the emission standards, implementation dates, 
and other major requirements of the new program. Following brief 
summaries of the types of locomotives and marine engines covered, we 
describe the provisions for:
     Standards for remanufactured Tier 0, 1, and 2 locomotives,
     Tier 3 and Tier 4 standards for newly-built line-haul 
locomotives,
     Standards and other provisions for switch locomotives,
     Requirements to reduce idling locomotive emissions,
     Tier 3 and Tier 4 standards for newly-built marine diesel 
engines, and
     Standards for remanufactured marine diesel engines.
    An assessment of the technological feasibility of the standards 
follows the program description. To ensure that the benefits of the 
standards are realized throughout the useful life of these engines, and 
to incorporate lessons learned over the last few years from the 
existing test and compliance programs, we are also revising test 
procedures and related certification requirements, and adding 
comparable provisions for remanufactured marine diesel engines. These 
are described in section IV.

A. What Locomotives and Marine Engines Are Covered?

    The regulations being adopted affect locomotives currently 
regulated under part 92 and marine diesel engines and vessels currently 
regulated under parts 89, 1039, and 94, as described below.\123\ In 
addition, they apply to existing marine diesel engines above 600 kW 
(800 hp).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \123\ All of the regulatory parts referenced in this preamble 
are parts in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, unless 
otherwise noted.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    With some exceptions, the locomotive regulations apply for all 
locomotives originally built in or after 1973 that operate extensively 
within the United States. See section IV.B for a discussion of the 
exemption for locomotives that are used only incidentally within the 
U.S. The exceptions include historic steam-powered locomotives and 
locomotives powered solely by an external source of electricity. In 
addition, the regulations generally do not apply to some existing 
locomotives owned by small businesses. Furthermore, engines used in

[[Page 37120]]

locomotive-type vehicles with less than 750 kW (1006 hp) total power 
(used primarily for railway maintenance), engines used only for hotel 
power (for passenger railcar equipment), and engines that are used in 
self-propelled passenger-carrying railcars, are excluded from these 
regulations. The engines used in these smaller locomotive-type vehicles 
are generally subject to the nonroad engine requirements of Parts 89 
and 1039.
    The marine diesel engine program applies to all propulsion and 
auxiliary engines with per cylinder displacement up to 30 liters.\124\ 
For purposes of these standards, these marine diesel engines are 
categorized both by per cylinder displacement and by maximum engine 
power.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \124\ Marine diesel engines at or above 30 liters per cylinder, 
called Category 3 engines, are typically used for propulsion power 
on ocean-going ships. EPA is addressing Category 3 engines through 
separate actions, including a planned rulemaking for a new tier of 
federal standards (see Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
published December 7, 2007 at 72 FR 69522) and participation on the 
U.S. delegation to the International Maritime Organization for 
negotiations of new international standards (see http://www.epa.gov/
otaq/oceanvessels.com for information on both of those actions), as 
well as EPA's Clean Ports USA Initiative (see http://www.epa.gov/
cleandiesel/ports/index.htm).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    According to our existing definitions, a marine engine is defined 
as an engine that is installed or intended to be installed on a marine 
vessel. Engines that are on a vessel but that are not ``installed'' are 
generally considered to be land-based nonroad engines and are regulated 
under 40 CFR part 89 or part 1039. Consistent with our current marine 
diesel engine program, the standards adopted in this rule apply to 
engines manufactured for sale in the United States or imported into the 
United States beginning with the effective date of the standards. The 
standards also apply to any engine installed for the first time in a 
marine vessel after it has been used in another application subject to 
different emission standards. In other words, an existing nonroad 
diesel engine would become a new marine diesel engine, and subject to 
the marine diesel engine standards, when it is marinized for use in a 
marine application.
    Consistent with our current program, the marine engine standards we 
are finalizing will not apply to marine diesel engines installed on 
foreign vessels. While we received many comments requesting that we 
extend the new standards to engines on foreign vessels operating in the 
United States, we have determined that it is appropriate to postpone 
this decision to our rulemaking for Category 3 marine diesel engines. 
This will allow us to consider all engines on an ocean-going vessel as 
a system; this may facilitate the application of advanced emission 
control technologies because these engines often share a common fuel 
and/or exhaust system. This approach is also consistent with the United 
States Government's proposal to amend Annex VI of the International 
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) 
currently under consideration at the International Maritime 
Organization (IMO), which calls for significant emission reductions 
from all engines on ocean-going vessels.\125\ EPA expects to finalize 
new Category 3 engine emission standards in late 2009.\126\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \125\ See ``Revision of the MARPOL Annex VI, the NOX 
Technical Code and Related Guidelines; Development of Standards for 
NOX, PM, and SOX,'' submitted by the United 
States, BLG 11/15, Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases, 11th 
Session, Agenda Item 5, February 9, 2007, Docket ID EPA-HQ-OAR-2007-
0121-0034. This document, along with the U.S. Statement concerning 
the same, is also available on our Web site: www.epa.gov/otaq/
oceanvessels.com.
    \126\ See 72 FR 68518, December 5, 2007 for the new regulatory 
deadline for the final rule for an additional tier of standards for 
Category 3 rulemaking (final rule by December 17, 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

B. What Standards Are We Adopting?

(1) Locomotive Standards
(a) Line-Haul Locomotives
    We are setting new emission standards for newly-built and 
remanufactured line-haul locomotives. Our standards for newly-built 
line-haul locomotives will be implemented in two tiers: Tier 3, based 
on engine design improvements, and Tier 4, based on the application of 
the high-efficiency catalytic aftertreatment technologies now being 
developed and introduced in the highway diesel sector. Our standards 
for remanufactured line-haul locomotives apply to all Tier 0, 1, and 2 
locomotives and are based on engine design improvements. Table III-1 
summarizes the line-haul locomotive standards and implementation dates. 
The feasibility of the new standards and the technologies involved are 
discussed in detail in section III.C.

                                  Table III.--1 Line-Haul Locomotive Standards
                                                   [g/bhp-hr]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Standards apply to                   Take effect in year            PM          NOX           HC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remanufactured Tier 0 without separate      2008 as Available, 2010               0.22          8.0         1.00
 loop intake air cooling.                    Required.
Remanufactured Tier 0 with separate loop    2008 as Available, 2010               0.22          7.4         0.55
 intake air cooling.                         Required.
Remanufactured Tier 1.....................  2008 as Available, 2010               0.22          7.4         0.55
                                             Required.
Remanufactured Tier 2.....................  2008 as Available, 2013               0.10          5.5         0.30
                                             Required.
New Tier 3................................  2012.........................         0.10          5.5         0.30
New Tier 4................................  2015.........................         0.03          1.3         0.14
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i) Remanufactured Locomotives
    As proposed, we are setting new standards for the existing fleet of 
Tier 0, Tier 1, and Tier 2 locomotives, to apply at the time of 
remanufacture. These standards will also apply at the first 
remanufacture of Tier 2 locomotives added to the fleet between now and 
the start of Tier 3.
    Commenters have suggested that EPA adopt a naming convention for 
the standards tiers to avoid confusion over whether, for example, the 
terms ``Tier 0 standards'' and ``Tier 0 locomotives'' are referring to 
the ``old'' Tier 0 standards adopted in 1998 or the ``new'' Tier 0 
standards promulgated in this rule. A similar confusion may exist for 
old and new Tier 1 and Tier 2 standards, including for marine engines. 
The confusion is compounded by the fact that many of the locomotives 
previously subject to the old Tier 0 standards will now be subject to 
the new Tier 1 standards, and so a Tier 0 locomotive that is upgraded 
to meet them could fairly be called a Tier 1 locomotive, and likewise 
for Tier 2/Tier 3 standards.

[[Page 37121]]

    In response, we are adopting a simple approach whereby a Tier 0 
locomotive remanufactured under the more stringent Tier 0 standards we 
are adopting in this rule will be designated a Tier 0+ locomotive. A 
Tier 0 locomotive originally manufactured with a separate loop intake 
air cooling system that is remanufactured to the Tier 1+ standards will 
be designated as a Tier 1+ locomotive. We are adopting the same 
approach for Tier 1 and Tier 2 locomotives. That is, those 
remanufactured under the new standards would be called Tier 1+ and Tier 
2+ locomotives, respectively. We are also suggesting that in many 
contexts, including a number of places in this final rule, there is 
really no need to make distinctions of this sort, as no ambiguity 
arises. In these contexts it would be perfectly acceptable to drop the 
``+'' designation and simply refer to Tier 0, 1, and 2 locomotives and 
standards.
    As described in section IV.B(3), the new Tier 0+, 1+, and 2+ 
standards (and corresponding switch-cycle standards) may apply when a 
Tier 0, 1, or 2 locomotive is remanufactured anytime after this final 
rule takes effect, if a certified remanufacture system is available. 
However, this early certification is voluntary on the part of the 
manufacturers, and so if no emissions control system is certified early 
for a locomotive, these standards will instead apply beginning January 
1, 2010 for Tier 0 and 1, and no later than January 1, 2013 for Tier 2. 
We are also adopting the proposed reasonable cost provision, described 
in section IV.B(3), to protect against the unlikely event that the only 
certified systems made in the early program phase are exorbitantly 
priced.
    Although under this approach, certification of new remanufacture 
systems in the early phase of the program is voluntary, we believe that 
developers will strive to certify systems to the new standards as early 
as possible, even in 2008, to establish these products in the market, 
especially for the locomotive models anticipated to have significant 
numbers coming due for remanufacture in the next few years. This focus 
on higher volume products also maximizes the potential for large 
emission reductions very early in this program, greatly offsetting the 
effect of slow turnover to new Tier 3 and Tier 4 locomotives inherent 
in this sector.
    These remanufactured locomotive standards represent PM reductions 
of about 50 percent for Tier 0 and Tier 1 locomotives, and 
NOX reductions of about 20 percent for Tier 0+ locomotives 
with separate loop aftercooling. Significantly, these reductions will 
be substantial in the early years. This will be important to State 
Implementation Plans (SIPs) being developed to achieve attainment with 
the NAAQS, owing to the 2008 start date and relatively rapid 
remanufacture schedule (roughly every 7 years, though it varies by 
locomotive model and age).
    Some commenters argued for delaying the remanufactured locomotive 
standards and some argued for accelerating them. However, little 
technical justification was provided on either side and, after 
reconsideration, we believe the proposed standards and dates are 
appropriate. However, based on the comments, we have identified two 
current Tier 0 locomotive models that are not likely to meet the new 
standards under the full range of required test conditions, owing to 
limitations in the original locomotive design. These are the General 
Electric (GE) Dash-8 locomotives not equipped with separate loop 
aftercooling, and the Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) SD70MAC locomotives 
that are equipped with separate loop aftercooling. As a result, we are 
allowing an exception in ambient temperature and altitude conditions 
under which these models, when remanufactured, must meet the new 
standards, as detailed in the Part 1033 regulations. These exceptions 
are limited to the extent that it is technically feasible to meet the 
relevant standards under most in-use conditions.
(ii) Newly-Built Locomotives
    We are adopting the proposed Tier 3 and Tier 4 line-haul locomotive 
standards but with an earlier start date for Tier 4 NOX, 
along with an additional compliance flexibility option. We requested 
comment in the NPRM on whether additional NOX emission 
reductions would be feasible and appropriate for Tier 3 locomotives in 
the 2012 timeframe, based on reoptimization of existing Tier 2 
NOX control technologies, or the addition of new engine-
based technologies such as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). 
Manufacturers submitted detailed technical comments indicating that 
achieving such reductions would result in a large fuel economy penalty, 
a major engine redesign that would hamper Tier 4 technology 
development, or both. Our own review of the technical options leads us 
to the same conclusion and we are therefore finalizing the Tier 3 
emissions standards as proposed.
    We proposed to allow manufacturers to defer meeting the Tier 4 
NOX standard on newly-built locomotives until the 2017 model 
year, in order to work through any implementation and technological 
issues that might arise with advanced NOX control 
technology. Even so, we expected that manufacturers would undertake a 
single comprehensive redesign program for Tier 4, relying on the same 
basic locomotive platform and overall emission control space 
allocations for all Tier 4 product years. With this in mind, we 
proposed that locomotives certified under Tier 4 in 2015 and 2016 
without Tier 4 NOX control systems should have these systems 
added when they undergo their first remanufacture and be subject to the 
Tier 4 NOX standard thereafter.
    We received many comments from state and local air quality 
agencies, and from environmental organizations, arguing that earlier 
implementation of these advanced technologies is technologically 
feasible and emphatically stating that they were needed to address the 
nation's air quality problems. Further review of the test data 
available for the proposed rule and of new test data available since 
the proposal supports the argument for earlier implementation of Tier 4 
NOX controls. This information is discussed in detail in 
section III.C. Consequently, after considering this data and industry 
comments regarding feasibility, we have concluded that the progress 
made in the development of NOX aftertreatment technology has 
been such that this proposed allowance to defer NOX control 
is not consistent with our obligation under section 213(a)(3) of the 
Clean Air Act to set standards that ``achieve the greatest degree of 
emission reduction achievable through the application of technology 
which the Administrator determines will be available for the engines or 
vehicles, giving appropriate consideration to cost, lead time, noise, 
energy, and safety factors associated with the application of such 
technology.''
    We are therefore not adopting this allowance for deferred 
NOX control in 2015-2016 Tier 4 locomotives, effectively 
advancing the Tier 4 NOX standard for locomotives by two 
years. Besides meeting our obligation under the Clean Air Act, this 
change will simplify the certification and compliance program for all 
stakeholders by providing a single step for Tier 4 implementation. It 
will also provide substantial additional NOX reductions 
during years that are important to some states for NAAQS attainment, 
thus helping to address what was arguably the most critical comment we 
received from state and local air agencies and environmental 
organizations.
    We recognize that designing locomotives to meet the stringent Tier 
4

[[Page 37122]]

standards in 2015 with the high levels of performance and reliability 
demanded by the railroad industry will be challenging. As in other 
recent EPA mobile source programs, we proposed and are finalizing 
several compliance flexibility measures to aid the transition to these 
very clean technologies. Specifically, we are adopting two distinct 
compliance flexibility options for NOX that, while ensuring 
the earliest possible introduction of advanced emission control, will 
provide locomotive manufacturers some level of risk mitigation should 
the technology solutions prove to be less robust than we project. The 
first compliance flexibility is consistent with the flexibility program 
described in our NPRM providing an in-use compliance margin for 
NOX of 1.3 g/bhp-hr at full useful life (i.e., a 2.6 g/bhp-
hr emissions cap for in-use testing) for the first three Tier 4 model 
years. See section IV.A(8) for details on this program.
    The second flexibility provision is an alternative NOX 
compliance option that reduces the in-use NOX add-on to 0.6 
g/bhp-hr (i.e., a 1.9 g/bhp-hr emissions cap for any in-use testing) 
for model years 2015-2022. While significantly tightening the in-use 
emissions cap, the provision provides manufacturers with significantly 
more time to develop advanced NOX emission control systems 
using real in-use experiences from the locomotive fleet. Complementing 
this focus on improving technology through experience with the in-use 
fleet, this provision also allows manufacturers to substitute 
additional in-use tests on locomotives in lieu of the typical 
production line testing requirements of our locomotive regulations. 
This optional in-use testing would be in addition to the current in-use 
testing requirements of our locomotive certification program. See 
section IV.A(8) for details on this program.
    For reasons explained in the NPRM, Tier 4 line-haul locomotives 
will not be required to meet standards on the switch cycle, but we are 
requiring that newly-built Tier 3 locomotives and Tier 0 through Tier 2 
locomotives remanufactured under this program be subject to switch 
cycle standards, set at levels above the line-haul cycle standards. 
Section III.B(1)(b) provides details.
(b) Switch Locomotives
    The NPRM discussed at some length the importance and challenges of 
turning over today's large switch locomotive fleet to clean diesel. In 
response, we proposed standards and other provisions aimed at 
overcoming these challenges by encouraging the replacement of old high-
emitting units with newly-built or refurbished locomotives powered by 
very clean engines developed for the nonroad equipment market.
    We are adopting the new standards for switch locomotives that we 
proposed. As proposed, we are also continuing the existing Part 92 
policy of requiring Tier 0 switch locomotives to only meet standards on 
the switch cycle, while requiring Tier 1 and Tier 2 locomotives to meet 
the applicable standards on both the line-haul and switch cycles. This 
policy was adopted to ensure that manufacturers design emission 
controls to function broadly over all notches. The switch cycle 
standards shown in Table III-2 will require emission reductions 
equivalent to those required by our new standards that apply over the 
line-haul cycle. Note that these switch cycle standards also apply to 
the Tier 3 and earlier line-haul locomotives that are subject to 
compliance requirements on the switch cycle, as mentioned above and in 
Section III.B(1)(b).
    We are also adopting the proposed Tier 3 and 4 emission standards 
for newly-built switch locomotives, as shown in Table III-2. These 
standards are slightly more stringent than the Tier 3 and Tier 4 line-
haul standards. Given these more stringent switch cycle standards, it 
is not necessary to require to Tier 3 and 4 switchers to meet the line-
haul standards over the line-haul cycle.

                             Table III.--2 Emission Standards for Switch Locomotives
                                                   [g/bhp-hr]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Switch locomotive standards apply to          Take effect in year            PM          NOX           HC
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remanufactured Tier 0.....................  2008 as available, 2010               0.26         11.8         2.10
                                             required.
Remanufactured Tier 1.....................  2008 as available, 2010               0.26         11.0         1.20
                                             required.
Remanufactured Tier 2.....................  2008 as available, 2013               0.13          8.1         0.60
                                             required.
Tier 3....................................  2011.........................         0.10          5.0         0.60
Tier 4....................................  2015.........................         0.03          1.3         0.14
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We are also finalizing the proposed streamlined certification 
option to help in the early implementation of the switch locomotive 
program. As described in section IV.B(9), during a 10-year program 
start-up period aimed at encouraging the turnover of the existing 
switcher fleet to the new cleaner engines, switch locomotives may use 
nonroad-certified engines (Table III-3) without need for an additional 
certification under the locomotive program. In the years before the 
nonroad Tier 4 start dates, we are making this provision available 
using pre-Tier 4 nonroad engines meeting today's standards of 0.15 g/
bhp-hr PM and 3.0/4.8 g/bhp-hr NOX+NMHC (below/above 750 
hp), because switchers built with these nonroad engines will still be 
much cleaner than those meeting the current switch locomotive Tier 2 
standards of 0.24 and 8.1 g/bhp-hr PM and NOX, respectively.
    Commenters suggested that we allow the use of even earlier-tier 
nonroad engines under this option, as these would still be 
substantially cleaner than the engines being replaced. However, we feel 
this would defeat the purpose of the program, and would not be 
justifiable on a feasibility basis, as current-tier nonroad engines 
will be available for incorporation into new switchers in any year of 
the program. We are adopting other compliance and ABT provisions 
relevant to switch locomotives as discussed in section IV.B(1), (2), 
(3), and (9).

[[Page 37123]]



                          Table III.--3 Relevant Large Nonroad Engine Tier 4 Standards
                                                   [g/bhp-hr]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Engine power                Model year       PM                            NOX
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At or Below 750 hp....................         2011         0.01  3.0 (NOX+NMHC) \a\
                                               2014         0.01  0.30
750-1200 hp...........................         2011        0.075  2.6
                                               2015         0.02  0.50
Over 1200 hp..........................         2011        0.075  0.50 genset; 2.6 non-genset
                                               2015         0.02  0.50
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: (a) 0.30 NOX for 50% of sales in 2011-2013, or alternatively 1.5 g NOX for 100% of sales.

    Finally, we are revising the definition of a switch locomotive to 
make clear that it is the total switch locomotive power rating 
(including power from any auxiliary engines that can operate when a 
main engine is operating), and not the individual engine power rating, 
that must be below 2300 hp to qualify, and to drop the unnecessary 
requirement that it be designed or used primarily for short distance 
operation. This clears up the ambiguity in the Part 92 definition over 
multi-engine switchers.
(c) Reduction of Locomotive Idling Emissions
    We are adopting the proposed requirement that an Automatic Engine 
Stop/Start System (AESS) be used on all new Tier 3 and Tier 4 
locomotives and installed on all existing locomotives that are subject 
to the new remanufactured engine standards, at the point of first 
remanufacture under the new standards. Locomotives equipped with an 
AESS device under this program must shut down the locomotive engine 
after no more than 30 continuous minutes of idling, and be able to stop 
and start the engine at least six times per day without causing engine 
damage or other serious problems. Continued idling is allowed under the 
following conditions: to prevent engine damage such as damage caused by 
coolant freezing, to maintain air pressure for brakes or starter 
systems, to recharge the locomotive battery, to perform necessary 
maintenance, or to otherwise comply with applicable government 
regulations.
    Commenters also pointed out that it can sometimes be appropriate to 
allow a locomotive to idle to heat or cool the cab, and we are adopting 
regulations to allow it where necessary. Our implementation of this 
provision will rely on the strong incentive railroads have to limit 
idling to realize fuel cost savings after they have invested capital by 
installing an AESS system on a locomotive. We expect the railroads to 
appropriately develop policies instructing operators when it is 
acceptable to idle the locomotive to provide heating or cooling to the 
locomotive cab. We do not believe that those individuals responsible 
for developing railroad policies have any incentive to encourage or 
allow unnecessary idling. It is our intention to stay abreast of how 
well this combination of idle control systems and railroad policies 
does in fact accomplish the intended goal of reducing unnecessary 
idling. In general, we may consider it to be circumvention of this 
provision for an individual operator to use the AESS system in a manner 
other than that for which the system was designed and implemented per a 
railroad's policy directive.
    A further reduction in idling emissions can be achieved through the 
use of onboard auxiliary power units (APUs), either as standalone 
systems or in conjunction with an AESS. In contrast to AESS, which 
works to reduce unnecessary idling, the APU goes further by also 
reducing the amount of time when locomotive engine idling is necessary, 
especially in cold weather climates. APUs are small (less than 50 hp) 
diesel engines that stop and start themselves as needed to provide: 
heat to both the engine coolant and engine oil, power to charge the 
batteries, and power to run accessories such as those required for cab 
comfort. This allows the much larger locomotive engine to be shut down 
while the locomotive remains in a state of readiness, thereby reducing 
fuel consumption without the risk of the engine being damaged in cold 
weather. APUs are powered by nonroad engines compliant with EPA or 
State of California nonroad engine standards, and emit at much lower 
levels than an idling locomotive under current standards.
    Some commenters suggested we require both an AESS and an APU. 
However, the amount of idle reduction an APU can provide is dependent 
on a number of variables, such as the function of the locomotive (e.g., 
a switcher or a line-haul), where it operates (i.e., geographical 
area), and its operating characteristics (e.g., number of hours per day 
that it operates). As we stated in the NPRM, at this time we are not 
requiring that APUs be installed on every locomotive because it is not 
clear how much additional benefit they would provide outside of regions 
and times of the year where low temperatures or other factors that 
warrant the use of an APU exist and because they do involve some 
inherent design and operational complexities that could not be 
justified without such commensurate benefits. We are, however, adopting 
the proposed provision to encourage the additional use of APUs by 
providing in our test regulations, a process by which the manufacturer 
can appropriately account for the proven emission benefits of a more 
comprehensive idle reduction system.
    In response to comment, we are adopting a more flexible approach 
that will allow the idle reduction requirement for remanufactured Tier 
0+, 1+, and 2+ locomotives to be addressed in a separate certification 
apart from the certification of the full remanufacture system. Under 
this approach, remanufacturers will be allowed to obtain a certificate 
for a system that meets all of the requirements of part 1033 except for 
those of Sec.  1033.115(g). However, since the idle controls would 
still need to be installed in a certified configuration before the 
remanufactured locomotive is returned to service, some other entity 
would need to obtain a certificate to cover the requirements of Sec.  
1033.115(g). (This separate certification approach is somewhat 
analogous to allowing a motor vehicle engine manufacturer to hold the 
certificate for exhaust emission standards and a motor vehicle 
manufacturer to hold the certificate for evaporative emission standards 
for a single motor vehicle.) Note that manufacturers of freshly 
manufactured locomotives and their customers will also have the choice 
as to whether the AESS is installed as part of the certified engine 
configuration at the factory or by an aftermarket company pursuant to a 
separate certification before the freshly manufactured locomotive is 
put into

[[Page 37124]]

service. These provisions will allow more companies to remain in the 
AESS manufacturing market and thus provide more choices to the 
railroads.
    As described in Chapter 5 of the RIA, manufacturers of AESS, and 
demonstrations done in partnership between government and industry have 
shown that for most locomotives the fuel savings that result in the 
first few years after installation of an AESS system will offset the 
cost of adding the system to the locomotive. Given these short payback 
times for adding idle reduction technologies to a typical locomotive, 
normal market forces have led many railroads to retrofit a number of 
their locomotives with such controls. However, as is common with 
pollution, market prices generally do not account for the external 
social costs of the idling emissions, leading to an underinvestment in 
idling reduction systems. This rulemaking addresses those locomotives 
for which the railroads judge the fuel savings insufficient to justify 
the cost of the retrofit. We believe that applying AESS to these 
locomotives is appropriate when one also considers the significant 
emissions reductions that will result.
(2) Marine Diesel Engine Standards
(a) Newly-Built Marine Engines
    We are adopting Tier 3 and Tier 4 emission standards for newly-
built marine diesel engines with displacements under 30 liters per 
cylinder. Our analysis of the feasibility of these standards is 
summarized in section III.C and detailed in the RIA.
    We are retaining our existing per-cylinder displacement approach to 
establishing cutpoints for standards, but are revising and refining it 
in several places to ensure that the appropriate standards apply to 
every group of engines in this very diverse sector and to provide for 
an orderly phase-in of the program to spread out the redesign workload 
burden:
    We are moving the C1/C2 cutpoint from 5 liters/cylinder to 7 
liters/cylinder, because the latter is a more accurate cutpoint between 
today's high- and medium-speed diesels.
    We are revising the per-cylinder displacement cutpoints within 
Category 1 to better define the application of standards.
    An additional differentiation is made between high power density 
engines typically used in planing vessels and standard power density 
engines, with a cutpoint between them set at 35 kW/liter (47 hp/liter).
    We are removing the distinction for marine diesels under 37 kW (50 
hp) in Category 1, originally made because these were regulated under 
our nonroad engine program.
    Finally, we will further group engines by maximum engine power, 
especially in regards to setting appropriate long-term aftertreatment-
based standards.
    Note that we are retaining the differentiation between recreational 
and non-recreational marine engines within Category 1 because there are 
differences in their certification programs. Also, as discussed below, 
we are not finalizing Tier 4 standards for recreational marine engines 
at this time. Section IV.C(10) clarifies the definition of recreational 
marine diesel engine.
    The new standards and implementation schedules are shown on Tables 
III-4 through 7. Briefly summarized, the marine diesel standards 
include stringent engine-based Tier 3 standards, phasing in over 2009-
2014. They also include aftertreatment-based Tier 4 standards for 
commercial marine engines at or above 600 kW (800 hp), phasing in over 
2014-2017. For engines of power levels not included in the Tier 3 and 
Tier 4 tables, the previous tier of standards (Tier 2 or Tier 3, 
respectively) continues to apply. These standards and implementation 
dates are the same as those proposed except: (1) Recreational marine 
engines are not subject to Tier 4 standards; (2) The Tier 4 
NOX standard for 2000-3700 kW engines has been pulled 
forward by two years; (3) The proposed optional Tier 4 approach 
coordinated with locomotive Tier 4 has been modified; and (4) based on 
comments we received, the Tier 3 standards for high power density 
engines in the 3.5 to 7 liter/cylinder category (Table III-5) have been 
adjusted slightly to better align them with standards in other 
categories. The first three of these changes are discussed in more 
detail below. See section 3.2.1.1 of the Summary and Analysis of 
Comments document for discussion of the fourth.

                                  Table III-4.--Tier 3 Standards for Marine Diesel C1 Commercial Standard Power Density
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Maximum engine power                     L/cylinder                PM  g/bhp-hr (g/kW-hr)       NOX+HC \d\ g/bhp-hr  (g/kW-hr)     Model year
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<19 kW................................  <0.9                            0.30 (0.40)                    5.6 (7.5)                                    2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 to <75 kW..........................  <0.9 \a\                        0.22 (0.30)                    5.6 (7.5)                                    2009
                                                                        0.22 (0.30) \b\                3.5 (4.7) \b\                                2014
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
75 to <3700 kW........................  <0.9                            0.10 (0.14)                    4.0 (5.4)                                    2012
                                        0.9-<1.2                        0.09 (0.12)                    4.0 (5.4)                                    2013
                                        1.2-<2.5                        0.08 (0.11) \c\                4.2 (5.6)                                    2014
                                        2.5-<3.5                        0.08 (0.11) \c\                4.2 (5.6)                                    2013
                                        3.5-<7.0                        0.08 (0.11) \c\                4.3 (5.8)                                   2012
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(a) <75 kW engines at or above 0.9 L/cylinder are subject to the corresponding 75-3700 kW standards.
(b) Option: 0.15 g/bhp-hr (0.20 g/kW-hr) PM/4.3 g/bhp-hr (5.8 g/kW-hr) NOX+HC in 2014.
(c) This standard level drops to 0.07 g/bhp-hr (0.10 g/kW-hr) in 2018 for <600 kW engines.
(d) Tier 3 NOX+HC standards do not apply to 2000-3700 kW engines.


                           Table III-5.--Tier 3 Standards for Marine Diesel C1 Recreational and Commercial High Power Density
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Maximum engine power                     L/cylinder                PM g/bhp-hr  (g/kW-hr)         NOX+HC g/bhp-hr  (g/kW-hr)       Model year
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<19 kW................................  <0.9                            0.30 (0.40)                    5.6 (7.5)                                    2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 to <75 kW..........................  <0.9 \a\                        0.22 (0.30)                    5.6 (7.5)                                    2009

[[Page 37125]]


                                        ..............................  0.22 (0.30) \b\                3.5 (4.7) \b\                                2014
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
75 to <3700 kW........................  <0.9                            0.11 (0.15)                    4.3 (5.8)                                    2012
                                        0.9-<1.2                        0.10 (0.14)                    4.3 (5.8)                                    2013
                                        1.2-<2.5                        0.09 (0.12)                    4.3 (5.8)                                    2014
                                        2.5-<3.5                        0.09 (0.12)                    4.3 (5.8)                                    2013
                                        3.5-<7.0                        0.08 (0.11)                    4.3 (5.8)                                   2012
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(a) <75 kW engines at or above 0.9 L/cylinder are subject to the corresponding 75-3700 kW standards.
(b) Option: 0.15 g/bhp-hr (0.20 g/kW-hr) PM/4.3 g/bhp-hr (5.8 g/kW-hr) NOX+HC in 2014.


                             Table III-6.--Tier 3 Standards for Marine Diesel C2 \a\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       PM g/bhp-hr  (g/kW-   NOX+HC \b\ g/bhp-hr
     Maximum engine power            L/cylinder                hr)                (g/kW-hr)         Model year
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<3700 kW.....................  7-<15                  0.10 (0.14)           4.6 (6.2)                       2013
                               15-<20                 0.20 (0.27) \c\       5.2 (7.0)                       2014
                               20-<25                 0.20 (0.27)           7.3 (9.8)                       2014
                               25-<30                 0.20 (0.27)           8.2 (11.0)                     2014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(a) See note (c) of Table III-7 for optional Tier 3/Tier 4 standards.
(b) Tier 3 NOX+HC standards do not apply to 2000-3700 kW engines.
(c) For engines below 3300 kW in this group, the PM Tier 3 standard is 0.25g/bhp-hr (0.34 g/kW-hr).


                           Table III-7.--Tier 4 Standards for Marine Diesel C1 and C2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                PM g/bhp-hr  (g/kW-   NOX g/bhp-hr  (g/kW-   HC g/bhp-hr  (g/kW-
     Maximum engine power               hr)                    hr)                   hr)            Model year
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At or above 3700 kW..........  0.09 (0.12) \a\        1.3 (1.8)             0.14 (0.19)                 \c\ 2014
                               0.04 (0.06)            1.3 (1.8)             0.14 (0.19)                b, c 2016
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2000 to <3700 kW.............  0.03 (0.04)            1.3 (1.8)             0.14 (0.19)                c, d 2014
1400 to <2000 kW.............  0.03 (0.04)            1.3 (1.8)             0.14 (0.19)                   c 2016
600 to <1400 kW..............  0.03 (0.04)            1.3 (1.8)             0.14 (0.19)                  b 2017
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
(a) This standard is 0.19 g/bhp-hr (0.25 g/kW-hr) for engines with 15-30 liter/cylinder displacement.
(b) Optional compliance start dates can be used within these model years; see discussion below.
(c) Option for C2: Tier 3 PM/NOX+HC at 0.10 / 5.8 g/bhp-hr (0.14/7.8 g/kW-hr) in 2012, and Tier 4 in 2015.
(d) The Tier 3 PM standards continue to apply for these engines in model years 2014 and 2015 only.

    Engine manufacturers argued that modifying standard power density 
engines between 2000 and 3700 kW for Tier 3 NOX, and again 
for Tier 4 NOX shortly after would be too difficult. They 
argued that these engines could meet Tier 4 NOX in 2014, two 
years earlier, if the Tier 3 NOX+HC standard, proposed to 
apply in 2012, 2013, or 2014, depending on displacement, did not have 
to be met. We have analyzed this group of engines and agree that the 
suggested approach would be feasible and would have very little 
detrimental effect on NOX reductions in 2012-2013, while 
providing significant additional NOX reductions thereafter. 
We are therefore leaving the Tier 3/Tier 4 PM standards as proposed but 
revising the NOX implementation schedule as suggested by the 
industry.
    The Tier 3 standards for engines with maximum engine power less 
than 75 kW (100 hp) are based on the nonroad diesel Tier 2 and Tier 3 
standards, because these smaller marine engines are largely derived 
from (and often nearly identical to) the nonroad engine designs. The 
relatively straightforward carry-over nature of this approach also 
allows for an early implementation schedule, in model year 2009, 
providing substantial early benefits to the program. However, some of 
the nonroad engines less than 75 kW are also subject to aftertreatment-
based Tier 4 nonroad standards, and our new program does not carry 
these over into the marine sector, due to vessel design and operational 
constraints discussed in section III.C. Because of the widespread use 
of both direct- and indirect-injection diesel engines in the 19 to 75 
kW (25-100 hp) engine market today, we are making two options available 
to manufacturers for meeting Tier 3 standards on any engine in this 
range, as indicated in Table III-4. One option focuses on lower PM and 
the other on lower NOX, though both require substantial 
reductions in both PM and NOX and will take effect in 2014.
    With important exceptions, we are subjecting marine diesel engines 
at or above 75 kW (100 hp) to new emissions standards in two steps, 
Tier 3 and Tier 4. The Tier 3 standards are based on the engine-out 
emission reduction potential (apart from the addition of exhaust 
aftertreatment) of the nonroad Tier 4 diesel engines that will be 
introduced beginning in 2011. The Tier 3 standards for C1 engines will 
phase in over 2012-2014. We believe it is appropriate to coordinate the 
marine Tier 3 standards

[[Page 37126]]

with the nonroad Tier 4 (rather than Tier 3) engine developments in 
this way because marine diesel engines are largely derived from land-
based nonroad counterparts, and because the advanced fuel and 
combustion systems that we expect the Tier 4 nonroad engines to employ 
will allow approximately a 50 percent reduction in PM when compared to 
the reduction potential of the nonroad Tier 3 engines. Inserting an 
additional marine engine tier based on nonroad Tier 3 engines would 
result in overly short lead time and stability periods and/or a delay 
in stringent standards.
    We are applying high-efficiency aftertreatment-based Tier 4 
standards to all commercial and auxiliary C1 and C2 engines over 600 kW 
(800 hp). These standards will phase in over 2014-2017. Marine diesels 
over 600 kW, though fewer in number, are the workhorses of the inland 
waterway and intercoastal marine industry, running at high load 
factors, for many hours a day, over decades of heavy use. As a result 
they also account for the bulk of marine diesel engine emissions.
    After considering the substantial number of comments received on 
the feasibility of extending Tier 4 standards to engines below 600 kW, 
we are not at this time setting Tier 4 standards for these engines. We 
may do so at some point in the future if further technology 
developments show a path to address the issues we identify in RIA 
chapter 4 with the application of aftertreatment technologies to 
smaller vessels.
    We are also not extending the Tier 4 program to recreational marine 
diesel engines. In our proposal we indicated that at least some 
recreational vessels, those with engines above 2000 kW (2760 hp), have 
the space and design layout conducive to aftertreatment-based controls 
and professional crews who oversee engine operation and maintenance. 
This suggested that aftertreatment-based standards would be feasible 
for these larger recreational engines. While commenters on the proposal 
did not disagree with these views, they pointed out these very large 
recreational vessels often travel outside the United States, and, for 
tax reasons, flag outside the U.S. as well. Commenters argued that 
applying Tier 4 standards to large recreational marine diesel engines 
would further discourage U.S.-flagging because vessels with those 
engines would be limited to using only those foreign ports that make 
ULSD and reductant for NOX aftertreatment available at 
recreational docking facilities, limiting their use and hurting the 
vessel's resale value. The aftertreatment devices used to meet Tier 4 
are expected to be sensitive to sulfur in the exhaust and so ULSD must 
be used in these engines.
    In general, we expect ULSD to become widely available worldwide, 
which would help reduce these concerns. However, there are areas such 
as Latin America and parts of the Caribbean that currently do not plan 
to require use of this fuel. Even in countries where ULSD is available 
for highway vehicles but not mandated for other mobile sources, 
recreational marinas may choose to not make ULSD and reductant 
available if demand is limited to a small number of vessels, especially 
if the storage and dispensing costs are high. To the extent the fuel 
requirements for Tier 4 engines encourage vessel owners to flag outside 
the United States, the results would be increased emissions since the 
international standards for these engines are equivalent to EPA's Tier 
1 standards.
    After considering the above, we conclude that it is preferable at 
this time to hold recreational engines marine diesel engines to the 
Tier 3 standards. We plan to revisit this decision when we consider the 
broader questions of the application of our national marine diesel 
engine standards to engines on foreign vessels that enter U.S. ports in 
the context of our Category 3 marine diesel engine rulemaking.
    There is a group of commercial vessels that share some of the 
characteristics of recreational vessels in that they also operate 
outside the United States. However, the concerns that lead us to 
exclude recreational vessels from the Tier 4 standards (flagging or 
registering in a foreign country and thus avoiding all U.S. emission 
standards; resale value) do not generally apply to commercial vessels. 
Unlike recreational vessels, the majority of commercial vessels with C1 
or C2 main propulsion engines that operate in the United States do not 
have the option of flagging offshore. This is because they are engaged 
full-time in harbor activities in U.S. ports or in transporting freight 
or otherwise operating only between two U.S. ports, and cabotage laws 
require such vessels be flagged in the United States. In addition, most 
of these vessels operate at or between U.S. ports, so ULSD availability 
is not expected to be a problem. Finally, the resale of U.S. commercial 
vessels on the world market is already affected by other U.S.-specific 
vessel design and operation requirements, and these standards are not 
expected to affect that situation.
    Nevertheless, some commercial vessels are used in ways that could 
make the use of ULSD and even urea an intractable problem. These are 
commercial vessels that are routinely operated outside of the United 
States for extended periods of time, including tug/barge cargo vessels 
operated on circle routes between the United States and Latin America 
that routinely refuel in places where ULSD is not available, and lift 
boats, utility boats, supply boats and crewboats that are used in the 
offshore drilling industry and are contracted to work in waters off 
Latin America or Western Africa for up to several years at a time 
without returning to the United States. Owners of these vessels 
informed us that requiring them to use Tier 4 engines will adversely 
impact their business in significant ways since they would have to 
arrange for ULSD and urea outside the United States, potentially at 
great additional cost, and that this is turn would affect their ability 
to compete with foreign transportation providers who do not face the 
same costs. These owners flag their vessels in the U.S. to maximize the 
flexibility of their business operations, but they informed us that 
they would consider segregating their fleets and flagging some 
elsewhere if they are required to use Tier 4 engines. Similar to the 
recreational marine case, the engines on reflagged vessels would not be 
subject to any U.S. emission controls or compliance requirements. In 
addition, there could be adverse impacts on associated industries that 
use these services, if there are fewer vessels available for use in the 
Untied States. For all of these reasons, these vessel owner/operators 
encouraged EPA to consider a provision that would not require these 
vessels to use Tier 4 engines.
    We do not expect ULSD availability at foreign commercial ports to 
be a widespread problem. Many industrial nations already have or are 
expected to shift to ULSD in the near future, including Japan (by 
2008), Singapore (in 2007), Mexico (in 2007 for ``Northern border 
areas''), the EU member states (by 2009), and Australia (by 2009). 
Other countries may also make ULSD available by 2016, as refineries in 
other countries modify their production to supply ULSD to the U.S. 
markets even if they do not require it domestically. However, ULSD may 
be difficult to obtain in some areas of the world, notably Latin 
America and Africa. Therefore, it is reasonable to include a limited 
compliance exemption from the Tier 4 standards for the narrow set of 
vessels that are described above.
    Because the decision of whether a Tier 4 engine is required must be 
made at the design phase of a vessel, and not after it goes into 
service, it is preferable to define such an exemption based on vessel 
design characteristics instead of

[[Page 37127]]

the owner's intentions for how the vessel may ultimately be used. After 
consulting with industry representatives, we concluded that the most 
obvious design feature that indicates the vessel is intended for 
extensive international use is compliance with international safety 
standards. We have concluded that the costs of obtaining and 
maintaining certification for the International Convention for the 
Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) are high enough to discourage owners of 
vessels that will not be used outside the United States to obtain 
certification to evade the Tier 4 standards. These costs can range from 
about $250,000 to $1 million in capital costs and from about $50,000 to 
$100,000 in annual operating costs. The Port State Information Exchange 
database maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard indicates that about 30 
percent of offshore supply vessels built annually are SOLAS certified 
and that 3 percent or fewer passenger vessels and tugs built annually 
are SOLAS certified (based on new vessel construction, 1995-2006).\127\ 
Therefore, to be eligible for the exemption, the owner will be required 
to obtain and maintain relevant international safety certification 
pursuant to the requirements of the United States Coast Guard and SOLAS 
for the vessel on which an exempted engine is installed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \127\ Memorandum to Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190, Marine 
Vessels--SOLAS Certification, from Jean MarieRevelt, dated January 
11, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Vessel owners will be required to petition EPA for an exemption for 
a particular vessel in order for an engine manufacturer to sell them an 
exempted engine; granting of the exemption will not be automatic. In 
evaluating a request for a Tier 4 exemption, we will consider the 
owner's projections of how and where the vessel will be used and the 
availability of ULSD in those areas, as well as the mix of SOLAS and 
non-SOLAS vessels in the owner's current fleet and the extent to which 
those vessels are being or have been operated outside the United 
States. In general, it is our expectation that fleets should first use 
existing pre-Tier 4 vessels for operations where ULSD may not be 
available. Therefore, we would not expect to grant an exemption for a 
vessel that will be part of a fleet that does not already have a 
significant percentage of Tier 4 vessels, since a fleet with a smaller 
percentage of Tier 4 vessels would likely have more pre-Tier 4 vessels 
that could be employed in the overseas application instead. For 
example, if 30 percent of an owner's current fleet has SOLAS 
certification, we would expect that up to 70 percent of the vessels in 
that fleet could be Tier 4 compliant without changes in the operation 
of the fleet. We may also ask the petitioner to demonstrate that other 
vessels in the petitioner's fleet remain in service outside the United 
States and have not been placed into service domestically. EPA does not 
expect to approve applications for the Tier 4 exemption described in 
this paragraph prior to 2021; we expect that the existing fleet of Tier 
3 vessels can be used for overseas operations during that time. If an 
owner petitions EPA for an exemption prior to that year, we may request 
additional information on the owner's expected operation plans for that 
vessel and a more complete explanation as to why another vessel in the 
existing fleet could not be redirected to the offshore application with 
the Tier 4 vessel under construction taking that vessel's place. 
Finally, a failure to maintain SOLAS certification for the vessel on 
which an exempted engine is installed would result in a finding of 
noncompliance and the owner would be liable for applicable fines and 
other penalties.
    To address the situation in which an owner of a vessel with Tier 4 
engines wants to use that vessel in a country that does not have ULSD 
available, we are also including a provision that will allow the owner 
to petition EPA to temporarily remove or disable the Tier 4 controls on 
vessels that are operated solely outside the United States for a given 
period of time. The petitioner will need to specify where the vessel 
will operate, how long the vessel will operate there, and why the owner 
will be unable to provide ULSD for the vessel. The petitioner will also 
be required to describe what actions will be taken to disable or 
disconnect the Tier 4 controls. Permission to disable or remove the 
Tier 4 controls will be allowed only for the period specified by the 
owner and agreed to by EPA; however, the owner may re-petition EPA at 
the end of that period for an extension. As part of the approval of 
such a petition, the petitioner will be required to agree to re-install 
or reconnect the Tier 4 emission control devices prior to re-entry into 
the United States, whether this occurs only at the end of the specified 
period or earlier.
    These provisions for migratory vessels are intended to facilitate 
the use of vessels certified to the U.S. federal marine diesel emission 
standards while they are operated for extended periods in areas that 
may not have ULSD available. It should be noted that vessels that 
receive either limited exemptions or that petition EPA to remove or 
disable Tier 4 controls will still be subject to the MARPOL emission 
limits when they are operated outside the United States. We may review 
these migratory vessel provisions in the context of our upcoming 
Category 3 marine diesel engine rulemaking. We may also revisit this 
program in the future if the number of exemption requests appears to be 
unreasonably high or if we find that significant numbers of vessels 
that have obtained exemptions from Tier 4 are, in fact, in use 
domestically.
    Note that the implementation schedule in the above marine standards 
tables is expressed in terms of model years, consistent with past 
practice and the format of our regulations. However, in two cases we 
believe it is appropriate to provide a manufacturer the option to delay 
compliance somewhat, as long as the standards are implemented within 
the indicated model year. Specifically, we are allowing a manufacturer 
to delay Tier 4 compliance within the 2017 model year for 600-1000 kW 
(800-1300 hp) engines by up to 9 months (but no later than October 1, 
2017) and, for Tier 4 PM, within the 2016 model year for engines at or 
above 3700 kW (4900 hp) by up to 12 months (but no later than December 
31, 2016). We consider this option to delay implementation appropriate 
in order to give some flexibility in spreading the implementation 
workload and ensure a smooth transition to the long-term Tier 4 
program.
    The Tier 4 standards for locomotives and for C2 diesel marine 
engines of comparable size are at the same numerical levels but differ 
somewhat in implementation schedule: Locomotive Tier 4 standards start 
in 2015, while diesel marine Tier 4 standards start in 2016 for engines 
in the 1400-2000 kW (1900-2700 hp) range, and in 2014 for engines over 
2000 kW (with final PM standards starting in 2016 for these engines). 
We consider these locomotive and marine diesel Tier 4 implementation 
schedules to be close enough to warrant our adopting a marine engine 
option based on the Tier 4 locomotive schedule, aimed at facilitating 
continuance of today's frequent practice of developing a common engine 
platform for both markets. Commenters on the proposal supported this 
marine engine option, but expressed concerns about competitiveness 
issues and argued that we should remove the proposed restriction to 
engines of 7-15 liter/cylinder displacement and under 3700 kW maximum 
engine power.
    We are adopting this locomotive-based marine engine option, but 
with

[[Page 37128]]

some changes from the proposed approach to address potential 
competitiveness issues, as well as our own concern that this option be 
used only for the intended purpose of avoiding unnecessary dual design 
efforts. First, we are retaining some limits on its scope, specifically 
to engines above both a 7 liters per cylinder limit (Category 2 in the 
marine sector) and a 1400 kW (1900 hp) maximum engine power. Second, if 
the option is used, its standards must be met for all of a 
manufacturer's marine engines at or above 1400 kW (1900 hp) in the same 
displacement category (that is, 7-15, 15-20, 20-25, or 25-30 liters per 
cylinder) in all of the model years 2012 through 2016. This will help 
ensure the option is not gamed by artificially subdividing engine 
platforms. Because the switch locomotive program we are establishing 
already includes a similar streamlined option allowing the use of land-
based nonroad engines, we are not extending this option to switchers.
    We are adopting another provision to help ensure that this 
locomotive-based marine engine option is environmentally beneficial and 
is not used to gain a competitive advantage. We are requiring that 
marine engines under this option meet Tier 3 standards in 2012, the 
year Tier 3 starts for locomotives, with standards numerically 
corresponding to locomotive Tier 3 standards levels: 0.14 g/kW-hr (0.10 
g/bhp-hr) PM and 7.8 g/kW-hr NOX+HC (5.8 g/bhp-hr: that is, 
5.5 + 0.30 g/bhp-hr combined NOX and HC). Otherwise a 
manufacturer could take advantage of the later-starting marine Tier 3 
schedule to generate credits or allow increased emissions from these 
engines until 2015 when the option requires Tier 4 compliance. This 
approach also deals fairly with the problem identified in the proposal 
regarding redesigning locomotive-based engine platforms to meet the 
numerically lower marine Tier 3 NOX level.
    Finally, we considered but are not adopting a provision that would 
set a total vessel power limit for the Tier 4 standards. The comments 
we received on this issue lead us to conclude that multiple-engine 
configurations are used in vessel designs for specific purposes and are 
not likely to be employed to evade the Tier 4 standards. We may 
consider this type of restriction in a future action, however, if 
multiple-engine vessels are built in applications that have typically 
used a different number of engines in the past.
(b) Remanufactured Marine Engines
    In addition to the standards for newly-built engines, we are 
adopting for the first time emission standards for marine diesel 
engines on existing vessels. Many of these existing engines will remain 
in the fleet for 40 years or more, making them what would otherwise be 
a substantial source of air pollution. The marine remanufacture program 
will provide early PM reductions by reducing emissions from this legacy 
fleet sooner than would be the case from the retirement of old vessels 
in favor of new vessels with cleaner engines. Additional early 
NOX reductions are expected to be achieved from the use of 
locomotive remanufacture systems recertified under this program for 
Category 2 engines.
    The program we are finalizing is modified from what we described in 
the NPRM. In the NPRM we described a two-part program that would have 
applied to all commercial marine diesel engines above 600 kW when they 
are remanufactured. In the first part, which we considered beginning as 
early as 2008, vessel owners/operators and engine rebuilders who 
remanufacture engines would be required to use a certified 
remanufacture system when an engine is remanufactured (defined as 
replacement of all cylinder liners, either in one event or over a five-
year period) if such a certified system is available. In the second 
part, which we considered beginning in 2013, a marine diesel engine 
identified by EPA as a high-sales volume engine model would have been 
required to meet specified emission requirements when it is 
remanufactured. Specifically, the remanufacturers or owners of such 
engines would have been required to use systems certified to meet the 
standard; if no certified system is available, they would have needed 
to either retrofit the engines with emission reduction technology that 
demonstrates at least a 25 percent reduction or replace the engines 
with new ones. For engines not identified as high-sales volume engines, 
Part 1 would have continued to apply.
    Several commenters requested that EPA not finalize this program at 
this time but instead consider it in a separate rulemaking. They noted 
that this would allow additional time to consider the program and its 
requirements. Postponing the program, however, would also result in the 
loss of important emission reductions early in the program. Delay is 
also not necessary because the program we are adopting consists only of 
the first part of the program described in our proposal, requiring the 
owner of a marine diesel engine to use a certified marine remanufacture 
system when the engine is remanufactured if such a system is available. 
We are not adopting a requirement for the mandatory availability of 
remanufacture systems. (Under the option discussed in the proposal, in 
certain circumstances, if a remanufacture system was not made available 
the owner would have been required to retrofit an emission control 
technology, repower the vessel (replace its engines) or scrap the 
vessel.)
    The marine remanufacture program we are adopting applies to all 
commercial marine diesel engines with maximum engine power greater than 
600 kW and manufactured in 1973 or later, through Tier 2. The beginning 
date of 1973 is based on our existing locomotive program; many of the 
techniques used to achieve those standards are expected to be 
applicable to marine diesel engines over 600 kW.
    As described in more detail below, the program draws on aspects of 
our locomotive remanufacture and diesel retrofit programs with regard 
to the basic requirements that apply and how remanufacture systems are 
certified. The remainder of this section describes the main features of 
the program. The technological feasibility of this program is described 
in section III.C, and the certification requirements are set out in 
section IV. Small manufacturer, engine dresser, vessel builder, and 
operator flexibilities are set out in section IV.A(13)(b).
    Similar to the locomotive program, the marine program we are 
finalizing applies when a marine diesel engine is remanufactured. 
Covered engines are those that are remanufactured to as-new condition. 
Based on discussions with engine manufacturers, we have determined that 
replacing all cylinder liners is a simple and clear indicator that the 
servicing being done is extensive enough for the engine to be 
considered functionally equivalent to a freshly manufactured engine, 
both mechanically and in terms of how it is used. Therefore, we are 
defining remanufacture as the removal and replacement of all cylinder 
liners, either during a single maintenance event or over a five-year 
period. It should be noted that marine diesel engines are not 
considered to be remanufactured if the rebuilding process falls short 
of this definition (i.e., the cylinder liners are removed and replaced 
over more than a five-year period). As with locomotives, remanufactured 
marine diesel engines are new until they are sold or placed into 
service.

[[Page 37129]]

    For the purpose of this program, ``replace'' includes removing, 
inspecting, and requalifying a liner. This addresses the situation in 
which an engine experiences a cylinder failure prior to a scheduled 
rebuild: The owner might replace the failed cylinder right away and 
replace the others at rebuild; then, at the time of rebuild, the 
installer would likely inspect the cylinder that was a few months old 
to make sure it qualified for continued use according to the 
certificate holder's instructions. We do not think that owners will 
fail to requalify cylinders to avoid the remanufacture requirements 
because requalification is done both to ensure the continued 
reliability and durability of the engine and as part of surveys 
necessary to retain vessel certification for safety and other purposes. 
The five-year provision was first adopted in the locomotive program to 
help ensure that the standards are not avoided through phased 
remanufacturing (i.e., not replacing the power assemblies all at once). 
It is reasonable to use this approach in the marine sector as most 
commercial engines are rebuilt all at once, although some owners may 
choose a rolling rebuild approach in which a certain number of 
cylinders are rebuilt every year. We may revisit the five-year limit 
after a few years of the program to evaluate whether this is the 
appropriate period and whether owners are adjusting their rebuild 
practices, particularly with respect to rolling rebuilds, to circumvent 
the regulations (see discussion of rolling rebuilds, below).
    When an engine is remanufactured, it must be certified as meeting 
the emission standards for remanufactured engines (by using a certified 
remanufacture system) unless there is no certified remanufacturing 
system available for that engine. In other words, the owner/operator or 
installer of a covered engine would be required to use a certified 
marine remanufacture system when remanufacturing that engine if one is 
available. If there is no certified system available at that time, 
there is no requirement. Availability means not only that EPA has 
certified a system, but also that it can be obtained and installed in a 
timely manner consistent with normal business practices. For example, a 
system would generally not be considered to be available if it required 
that the engine be removed from the vessel and shipped to a factory to 
be remanufactured unless that is the normal rebuild process for that 
engine. Similarly, a system would not be considered to be available if 
the component parts are not available for purchase in the period 
normally associated with a scheduled rebuild. If a certified system is 
not available there is no requirement to comply with this program until 
the next remanufacture, at which time the remanufacturer would need to 
check again to see if a system is available. Nonavailability due to 
inability to obtain parts may be demonstrated by a written record that 
shows a good faith effort to obtain parts.
    Several states and localities have voluntary retrofit programs to 
reduce emissions from marine diesel engines. These programs encourage 
vessel owners to apply emission reduction strategies in return for a 
financial or operational incentive. Retrofit systems range from engine 
adjustments to installing different cylinders, fuel injectors, 
turbochargers, or other engine components. To receive the incentive, 
the owner must demonstrate the reduction, often through emission 
measurements. We received state agency comments expressing concern 
about the potential inconsistency between state and local retrofit 
programs and a potential marine remanufacture program. Specifically, a 
situation could be created in which a vessel owner who has already 
applied a retrofit device pursuant to a state or local retrofit program 
would be required to remove the voluntary retrofit device and install a 
certified marine remanufacture system. We do not want to negatively 
impact the positive benefits that arise from state and local retrofit 
programs, especially in those cases in which the retrofit achieves a 
greater reduction (e.g., retrofit of a SCR system) than a certified 
marine remanufacture system. We also do not want to discourage these 
programs especially in early years where states and local programs may 
achieve reductions before certified remanufacture systems become 
available.
    Therefore, we are adopting a provision that will allow an owner/
operator of an engine that is fit with a retrofit device prior to 2017 
pursuant to a state or local retrofit program to request a qualified 
exemption from the marine remanufacture requirements for that engine. 
This qualified exemption will be available only to engines equipped 
with retrofit device under a state or local program before 2017. The 
owner/operator must request the exemption prior to a remanufacturing 
event that would otherwise trigger the requirement to use a certified 
remanufacture system. The request must include documentation that the 
vessel has been retrofit pursuant to a state or local retrofit program 
and a signed statement declaring that to be true. Except for the 
initial request for a specific vessel and a specific retrofit, a 
request would be considered to be approved unless we notify the 
requestor otherwise within 30 days of the date that we receive the 
request. Note that the exemption does not apply where the sponsoring 
government specifies that inclusion in the retrofit program is not 
intended to provide an exemption from the requirements of this subpart. 
EPA's granting of the exemption is conditioned upon the owner/
operator's continued use and maintenance of the retrofit kit that 
provides the basis for the exemption.
    Beginning in 2017, this exemption will no longer be available for 
new retrofits. Engines included in state or local retrofit programs 
will be required to use a certified remanufacture system if one is 
available when the engine is remanufactured. In this case either the 
certified remanufacture system would be part of the retrofit or the 
vessel owner would use a certified remanufacture system the next time 
at the next remanufacture event.
    At this time, we are adopting standards for remanufacture systems 
only for marine diesel engines over 600 kW. This 600 kW threshold is 
reasonable because of the long hours of use, often at high load, of 
engines above 600 kW, and their long services lives. These engines are 
also more likely to undergo regular full overhauls, returning them to 
as-new condition. Commercial marine diesel engines larger than 600 kW 
typically undergo periodic full, like-new rebuilds. These large engines 
are often installed on tugs, towboats, ferries, offshore supply 
vessels, lakers, and coasters, which require reliable power at all 
times. These vessels are often used for ten or more hours a day, every 
day of the year. As a result, these engines are typically subject to 
regular maintenance to ensure their dependability. In addition, many 
manufacturers provide guidance for a full rebuild to as-new condition. 
This might include replacing piston rings, heads, bearings, and gear 
train/camshaft as well as piston liners.\128\ Rebuilding to as-new 
condition helps ensure smooth operation over the full maintenance 
interval. Owners of these vessels are also motivated to maintain their 
engines because it is very complicated and expensive to repower their 
vessels; replacing an engine may require major hull modifications. 
Because these vessels operate for decades, often 40 or

[[Page 37130]]

more years, their engines may be remanufactured to as-new condition 
anywhere from three to six or even more times before the vessel is 
scrapped.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \128\ See Note from Amy Kopin, Mechanical Engineer, to Jean 
Marie Revelt, EPS, Re: Marine Remanufacture Program. A copy of this 
Note is available in Docket OAR-2003-0190.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We are not setting standards for marine remanufacture systems for 
engines below 600 kW because we currently do not have sufficient data 
to determine the extent that rebuilding of engines below 600kW 
qualifies as remanufacturing to an as new condition. Smaller commercial 
engines under 600 kW or recreational engines typically have shorter 
useful lives than the larger engines and do not see as much wear on an 
annual basis. This means it takes longer to acquire the hours between 
maintenance intervals. Engines on some smaller commercial or 
recreational marine vessels may not be rebuilt at all but, instead, are 
replaced or the vessel is scrapped. There may also be other 
technological and cost issues with applying remanufacture requirements 
to smaller commercial or recreational engines.
    For these reasons, we are finalizing only standards for 
remanufactured commercial marine diesel engines above 600 kW. We may 
revisit this approach after implementing the program to evaluate 
whether other remanufactured marine diesel engines should be included 
in the program as well.
    A certified marine remanufacture system must achieve a 25 percent 
reduction in PM emissions compared to the engine's measured baseline 
emissions level (the emission level of the engine as rebuilt according 
to the manufacturer's specification but before the installation of the 
remanufacture system) without increasing NOX emissions 
(within 5 percent). We are not finalizing a 0.22 g/kW-hr PM cap, as 
proposed. The percent reduction is being adopted because the large 
range of engine platforms on existing marine diesel engines makes the 
selection of an effective numeric emission limit impractical. A more 
stringent emission limit may prevent the development of remanufacture 
systems for many engines, while a less stringent limit could allow 
manufacturers to certify remanufacture systems for engines that already 
meet the limit without any additional emission benefits. A percentage 
reduction has the advantage of allowing more engines to participate in 
the program while ensuring valid emission reductions.
    We are not adopting the multi-step approach discussed in the 
proposal. This approach, based on the Urban Bus program, would have 
entailed setting standards based on reductions of 60 percent, 40 
percent, and 20 percent, and requiring that a rebuild use the certified 
kit meeting the most stringent of these three standards if available. 
Manufacturers expressed concern that such a requirement would 
discourage the development of remanufacture systems since they could 
rapidly become obsolete. Owners were concerned that they would be 
subject to a moving requirement that would complicate their engine 
maintenance and overhaul schedules and could result in identical engine 
models being required to use different remanufacture systems. They also 
were concerned that such an approach would mean they would have to use 
a different system every time they remanufacture, and the impacts on 
engines that are remanufactured over several maintenance events. For 
these reasons, instead of adopting the multi-step approach, we are 
adopting a single emission reduction requirement. If several certified 
systems are available, we will allow any of them to be used. However, 
states may develop incentive programs to encourage the use of the 
certified remanufacture system with the greatest reduction. Also, we 
may revisit the emission level in the future to determine if it should 
be modified to reflect advances in applying new PM reduction 
technologies to existing marine diesel engines.
    We expect that this PM reduction will be met by using 
incrementally-improved components that are replaced when an engine is 
remanufactured, based on reduction technologies manufacturers are 
already using or will be using to achieve the Tier 3 PM standards. For 
example, a remanufacture system could reduce PM emissions by using 
different fuel injectors or different piston rings to reduce oil 
consumption. Remanufacturing systems may not adversely affect engine 
reliability, durability, or power.
    Some engine manufacturers expressed concern about the potential for 
unintended adverse effects on engine performance, reliability, or 
durability that could occur if another entity develops a remanufacture 
system for their engines. They were particularly concerned about being 
held responsible for an emission failure if the remanufacture system 
does not perform as intended, or for an engine failure if the system 
causes other engine components to fail. To address this concern, the 
program we are finalizing requires any person who wishes to certify a 
remanufacture system for an engine not produced by that person to 
notify the original engine manufacturer and request their comments on 
the remanufacture system. Any comments received by the certifier are 
required to be included in the certification application, as well as a 
description of how those comments were addressed.
    As we described at proposal, this final rule includes a cost cap on 
marine diesel remanufacture systems of $45,000 per ton of PM reduced, 
based on the incremental cost of the remanufacture system (the cost in 
excess of what a rebuild would otherwise cost). This cost cap is 
analogous to the reasonable cost limit in the current locomotive 
remanufacturing program and is intended to ensure that marine 
remanufacture systems do not impose excessively burdensome cost 
requirements on vessel owners that are not justified by the benefits of 
the reductions. The $45,000 per ton of PM reduced is similar to the 
cost of a number of mobile source retrofit programs. This cap includes 
all costs to the vessel owner associated with the remanufacture system 
beyond those associated with an engine remanufactured without a 
certified system, such as labor for any special installation procedures 
and any modifications to the vessel or its operation (e.g., fuel 
consumption impacts).
    It may not be possible for the certifier to predict the 
characteristics of all vessels that can use the remanufacture system 
and therefore provide a comprehensive estimate of the total incremental 
costs of installing the remanufacture system. Therefore, in addition to 
an estimate of the vessel-related installation costs that would apply 
to most vessels, the certifier must also provide an estimate of the 
amount of residual incremental costs that would be available for 
installation of the remanufacture system on a particular vessel without 
triggering the $45,000 per ton PM threshold (i.e., the maximum amount 
installation may cost for a particular vessel after the cost of the 
remanufacture system is deducted from the $45,000 maximum cost). This 
will guide vessel owners in determining if the cost of a certified 
remanufacture system will exceed the $45,000 threshold for a particular 
vessel.
    We are including a provision that will allow a vessel owner to 
request an exemption from EPA if the vessel owner can demonstrate to 
EPA's satisfaction that actual installation cost for his or her vessel 
will exceed the $45,000 per ton PM threshold. This may be necessary, 
for example, if a vessel with external keel cooling cannot be modified 
to achieve required cooling levels required by the remanufacture system 
without extensive modifications to the vessel hull. We are also 
including a small business exemption as well as a

[[Page 37131]]

financial hardship provision (see Section IV.A.13(b)(vi and vii)) that 
would allow postponing the requirements for owners who can show 
financial hardship.
    Marine remanufacture systems can be certified as soon as this rule 
goes into effect. A remanufacture system will be considered to be 
available 120 days after we issue a certificate of conformity for it or 
90 days after we include it on our list of certified remanufacture 
systems, whichever is later. Prior to the end of that period, a kit 
will not be considered to be ``available.'' This period allows time for 
owners to arrange for remanufacturing with a certified system once one 
that applies to the relevant engine has been certified. Once a marine 
remanufacture system is certified, as evidenced by an EPA-issued 
certificate of conformity, it will be considered to be available until 
it is withdrawn or the certificate holder fails to obtain a certificate 
of conformity for a subsequent year. We will maintain a list of 
available remanufacture systems and provide access to this list by 
posting it on our website. Owners should consult the list prior to any 
particular remanufacturing event to determine whether a certified 
system is available and therefore whether they are affected by the 
program. Uncertified systems purchased before that date can be used as 
long as they are consistent with the normal parts inventory practices 
of the owner or rebuild facility. Stockpiling of uncertified 
remanufacture systems to evade the requirements of the program is not 
allowed.
    For engines on a rolling rebuild schedule (i.e., cylinder liners 
are not replaced all at once but are replaced in sets on a schedule of 
5 or fewer years, for example 5 sets of 4 liners for a 20-cylinder 
engine on a 5-year schedule), the requirement is triggered at the time 
the remanufacture system becomes available, with the engine required to 
be in a certified configuration when the last set of cylinder liners is 
replaced. The remanufacturing requirements do not apply for cylinder-
liner replacements that occurred before the remanufacture system 
becomes available. Any remanufacturing that occurs after the system is 
available needs to use the certified system, including remanufacturing 
that occurs on a rolling schedule over less than five years following 
the availability of the remanufacturing system. If the components of a 
certified remanufacture system are not compatible with the engine's 
current configuration, the program allows the owner to postpone the 
installation of the remanufacture system until the replacement of the 
last set of cylinder-liners, which would occur no later than five years 
after the availability of the system. At that time, all engine 
components must be replaced according to the certified remanufacture 
system requirements.
    Initially, we expect marine remanufacture systems to be certified 
for C2 engines that are derived from certified locomotive remanufacture 
systems. Some of these certified locomotive systems are already used on 
C2 marine diesel engines, or can be used with modification. The new 
Tier 0+, Tier 1+ and Tier 2+ certified locomotive remanufacture systems 
are likely to be capable of being used on marine diesel engines without 
much additional development when those certified locomotive systems 
become available, for additional reductions. To encourage this 
practice, we are providing a streamlined certification process for 
locomotive systems certified to the new Tier 0+, Tier 1+, or Tier 2+ 
standards for use on C2 engines. The streamlined certification will 
also be allowed for existing Tier 0 locomotive remanufacture systems 
(certified under part 92), but those systems can be used only on pre-
Tier 1 (uncertified) C2 marine engines, and the use of these existing 
Tier 0 systems will not be permitted after systems certified to the new 
Tier 0+ (or Tier 1+ if applicable) locomotive standards are made 
available. The streamlined certification process will require only an 
engineering analysis demonstrating that the system would achieve 
emission reductions from marine engines similar to those from 
locomotives. The streamlined certification process will allow 
modifications to the previously certified locomotive system as 
necessary to install the system on a C2 marine engine. If the 
manufacturer of a locomotive remanufacture system chooses to modify 
that system in a substantive way, for example to remove NOX 
emission controls (because the marine remanufacture program only 
requires PM reductions), then the system will have to be recertified as 
a marine remanufacture system based on measured values and subject to 
all of the other certification requirements of the marine remanufacture 
program (see section IV). We are not providing a similar streamlined 
certification process for C1 marine systems because there are currently 
no certified remanufacture systems for C1-equivalent engines through 
our other mobile source programs.
    The program described above is engine-based in that it assumes that 
remanufacture systems will consist of changes to engine components or 
operational settings. At least one user asked EPA to consider also 
allowing remanufacture systems consisting of the use of specified fuels 
or fuel additives. The program we are adopting will allow this type of 
remanufacture system, subject to the following constraints.
    First, the use of a remanufacture system based on a fuel or fuel 
additive will not be mandatory if such a system is certified. Instead, 
the use of a fuel or fuel additive system will be allowed as an 
alternative compliance mechanism in place of an engine-based 
remanufacture system. In other words, if an engine-based remanufacture 
system is certified, owners of the affected engine models can either 
use that engine-based system or use a fuel or fuel additive system if 
one has also been certified; if there is no certified engine-based 
system, then there is no requirement to use the fuel or fuel additive 
remanufacture system. This requirement is necessary because, in 
contrast to an engine-based system, a fuel or fuel additive-based 
system requires positive action on the part of the owner to achieve the 
emission reductions. In the case of an engine-based system, the owner 
installs the replacement parts at the time of rebuild; installation of 
the parts will achieve the required reductions and there is little 
impact on the owner or the vessel's operations. In the case of a fuel 
or fuel additive system, however, the owner will be required to use the 
specified fuel or fuel additive at all times; if the owner does not 
take the required action, the ``system'' will not be in use. Because a 
fuel or fuel additive-based system will require the owner to do 
something on a continuous basis and require additional recording and 
recordkeeping, the success of the system requires a positive commitment 
on behalf of the owner/operator.
    Second, the certifier of a remanufacture system based on a fuel or 
fuel additive will be required to show that use of the fuel or fuel 
additive meets the 25 percent PM reduction based on measured values, 
without increasing NOX emissions, for all engines to which 
the system will apply. This will require testing an engine with and 
without the use of the specified fuel or fuel additive. Different 
engines may be combined into one engine family for the purpose of 
certification, based on EPA approval.
    Third, any fuel or fuel additive for which certification is sought 
under the marine remanufacture program must first be registered under 
40 CFR Part 79, Registration of Fuels and Fuel Additives. This is to 
ensure that the fuel or fuel additive does not contain

[[Page 37132]]

substances that are otherwise controlled by EPA.
    Fourth, as part of the certification, the certifier will be 
required to provide a sampling procedure that can be used by EPA or 
other enforcement authorities to verify owner compliance onboard and 
for enforcement purposes. That procedure should explain how to detect 
if the appropriate level of fuel additive or if the appropriate fuel 
type is actually being used onboard on the basis of a fuel sample taken 
from a fuel tank on the vessel. In addition to being provided to EPA as 
part of the certification process, the certifier will be required to 
provide a copy of this procedure to the purchaser as part of the 
remanufacture system package and will be required to maintain a copy of 
the procedure on the internet to facilitate in-field compliance 
verification.
    Fifth, the remanufacture system will require a notification to be 
placed at the appropriate fill location (either on the fuel tank inlet 
in the case of fuels or pre-blended fuel additives, or as specified on 
the engine in the case of fuel additives not blended in the fuel) that 
indicates the engine is outfitted with a fuel or fuel additive 
remanufacture system and that compliant fuel or additives must be used 
at all times.
    Finally, when an owner agrees to use a fuel or fuel additive-based 
remanufacture system in lieu of an engine-based system, that owner must 
also agree to any recordkeeping requirements specified in the 
certification of that system. These may include keeping a record of the 
purchase of the specified fuel or fuel additive and, in the case of 
additives, the amounts and dates of the additive use. These 
requirements must be set out by the certifier as part of the kit, and 
the owner will be deemed to have agreed to them by affixing a label to 
the engine or appropriate fuel or fuel additive inlet indicating that 
it is certified with a fuel or fuel-additive remanufacture system.
    If an owner or operator chooses a certified remanufacture system 
based on a particular fuel or fuel additive to meet these remanufacture 
requirements, the failure to use the fuel or fuel additive would be a 
violation of 1068.101(b)(1).
    Allowing the use of fuel or fuel additive-based remanufacture 
systems is not intended to be a mechanism to require fuel switching for 
marine diesel engines, either to 15 ppm fuel earlier than required or 
to distillate from residual fuel for auxiliary engines on vessels with 
Category 3 marine diesel engines or for those smaller vessels than may 
currently use residual fuel in their C2 main propulsion engines. It is 
also not intended to prevent the use of off-spec fuel in marine diesel 
engines. If there is no certified engine-based remanufacture system 
available for an engine, a fuel or fuel additive-based kit will not be 
required to be used even if one is certified.
    EPA is committed to the development and successful operation of a 
marine remanufacture program. We intend to assess the effectiveness of 
this program as early as 2012 to ascertain the extent to which engine 
manufacturers are providing certified remanufacture systems. If 
remanufacture systems are not available or are not in the process of 
being developed and certified at that time for a significant number of 
engines, we may consider changes to the program. As part of that 
assessment, we may evaluate whether to include Part 2 of the program 
described in our proposal. Part 2 would require the owner/operator or 
installers of a marine diesel engine identified by EPA as a high-sales 
volume engine to either use a certified remanufacture system when the 
engine is remanufactured or, if no system is available, retrofit an 
emission reduction technology for the engine that meets the 25 percent 
PM reduction, or repower (replace the engine with a freshly 
manufactured engine). Part 2 was intended to create a market for marine 
remanufacture systems, to help ensure their development over the 
initial five years of the program. However, vessel owners were very 
concerned that a mandatory repower program would have the opposite 
impact, and would discourage certification of remanufacture systems in 
favor of mandatory repowers due to the higher value of a replacement 
engine compared to a remanufacture system. In evaluating the 
effectiveness of the remanufacture program in the future, EPA may 
revisit the need for Part 2, or something similar, to ensure emission 
reductions from the large marine legacy fleet are occurring in a timely 
and effective manner. We may also evaluate other aspects of the 
program, including the criteria that trigger a remanufacturing event 
(including the 5-year period for incremental remanufactures), and 
whether we should set remanufacture standards for engines less than 600 
kW.
(3) Carbon Monoxide, Hydrocarbon, and Smoke Standards
    We did not propose and are not setting new standards for CO. 
Emissions of CO are typically relatively low in diesel engines today 
compared to non-diesel pollution sources. Furthermore, among diesel 
application sectors, locomotives and marine diesel engines are already 
subject to relatively stringent CO standards in Tier 2--essentially 1.5 
and 3.7 g/bhp-hr, respectively, compared to the current heavy-duty 
highway diesel engine CO standard of 15.5 g/bhp-hr. Therefore, the Tier 
3 and Tier 4 CO standards for all locomotives and marine diesel engines 
will remain at current Tier 2 levels and remanufactured Tier 0, 1 and 2 
locomotives will likewise continue to be subject to the existing CO 
standards for each of these tiers. Although we are not setting more 
stringent standards for CO in Tier 4, we note that aftertreatment 
devices using precious metal catalysts that we project will be employed 
to meet Tier 4 PM, NOX and HC standards will provide 
meaningful reductions in CO emissions as well.
    As discussed in section II, HC emissions, often characterized as 
VOCs, are precursors to ozone formation, and include compounds that EPA 
considers to be air toxics. As with CO, emissions of HC are typically 
relatively low in diesel engines compared to non-diesel sources. 
However, in contrast to CO standards, the HC standard for Tier 2 line-
haul locomotives (0.30 g/bhp-hr), though comparable to HC standards 
from other diesel applications in Tier 2 and Tier 3, is more than twice 
that of the long-term 0.14 g/bhp-hr standard set for both the heavy-
duty highway 2007 and nonroad Tier 4 programs. For marine diesel 
engines, the Tier 2 HC standard is expressed as part of a combined 
NOX+HC standard varying (by engine size) between 5.4 and 8.2 
g/bhp-hr, which clearly allows for high HC levels. Our more stringent 
Tier 3 NOX+HC standards for marine diesel engines will 
likely provide some reduction in HC emissions, but we expect that the 
catalyzed exhaust aftertreatment devices used to meet the Tier 4 
locomotive and marine NOX and PM standards will concurrently 
provide very sizeable reductions in HC emissions. Therefore, in 
accordance with the Clean Air Act section 213 provisions outlined in 
section I.B(3) of this preamble, we are applying a 0.14 g/hp-hr HC 
standard to locomotives and marine diesel engines in Tier 4. This level 
is the same as that adopted for highway and nonroad diesel engines 
equipped with high-efficiency aftertreatment.
    We are retaining the existing form of the HC standards through Tier 
3. That is, locomotive and marine HC standards will remain in the form 
of total hydrocarbons (THC), except for gaseous- and alcohol-fueled 
engines (See 40CFR Sec.  92.8 and Sec.  94.8). Likewise, the Tier 3 
marine NOX+HC standards are based on THC, except that Tier 3 
standards for less than 75 kW (100 hp) engines are

[[Page 37133]]

based on NMHC, consistent with their basis in the nonroad engine 
program. Tier 4 HC standards are expressed as NMHC standards, 
consistent with aftertreatment-based standards adopted for highway and 
nonroad diesel engines.
    As for other diesel mobile sources, we believe that locomotive 
smoke standards currently in place are of diminishing usefulness as PM 
emissions are reduced to very low levels, as these low-PM engines emit 
very little or no visible smoke. We are therefore not setting smoke 
standards for locomotives covered under the new 40 CFR Part 1033 
created by this final rule, if the locomotives are certified to a PM 
family emission limit (FEL) or standard of 0.05 g/bhp-hr (0.07 g/kW-hr) 
or lower. Locomotives certified with PM at higher levels are subject to 
smoke standards equal to those established previously in Part 92. This 
allows manufacturers of locomotives certified to Tier 4 PM (or to an 
FEL slightly above Tier 4) to avoid the unnecessary expense of testing 
for smoke. Marine diesel engines currently have no smoke standards and 
we are not setting any in this rule.
    Commenters suggested that smoke testing is superfluous for pre-Tier 
4 engines as well, because a properly maintained engine meeting any 
tier of EPA emissions standards will also meet the smoke standards. 
Based on the available information, we remain unconvinced that this 
argument is valid in all cases and we are therefore retaining the smoke 
standards for locomotives with PM FELs above 0.05 g/bhp-hr. However, we 
do agree that this relationship generally holds true for engines 
designed to emission standards being set in this rule, and are 
therefore waiving the smoke test requirement from certification, 
production line, and in-use testing, unless there is visible evidence 
of excessive smoke emissions. This provides the test cost savings 
sought by the manufacturers but retains the EPA enforcement opportunity 
if smoke should become a problem in engines subject to this program.

C. Are the Standards Feasible?

    In this section, we describe the feasibility of the various 
emission control technologies we project will be used to meet the 
standards we are finalizing today. Because of the range of engines and 
applications we cover in this rulemaking and because of the diversity 
in technologies that will be available for them, our standards span a 
range of emission levels. We have identified a number of different 
emission control technologies we expect will be used to meet these 
standards. The technologies range from incremental improvement of 
existing engine components to highly advanced catalytic exhaust 
aftertreatment systems similar to those expected to be used to control 
emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks and nonroad equipment.
    We first describe the feasibility of emission control technologies 
we project will be used to meet the standards we are finalizing for 
existing locomotive and marine engines that are remanufactured as new 
(i.e., Tier 0, 1, 2 locomotives and marine diesel engines >600 kW). We 
next describe how these same technologies will be applied to meet the 
interim standards for freshly manufactured engines (i.e., Tier 3). We 
conclude this section with a discussion of catalytic exhaust 
aftertreatment technologies projected to be used to meet our Tier 4 
standards. Throughout this section, we also address many of the 
comments submitted by stakeholders concerning the feasibility, 
applicability, performance, and durability of the emission control 
technologies we presented in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). 
For a more detailed analysis of these technologies, issues related to 
their application to locomotive and marine diesel engines, and our 
response to public comments, we refer you to the Regulatory Impact 
Analysis (RIA) and Summary & Analysis of Comments documents associated 
with this rulemaking.
(1) Emission Control Technologies for Remanufacture of Existing 
Locomotives and Marine Diesel Engines >600 kW
    In the locomotive sector, emissions standards already exist for 
engines that are remanufactured as new. Some of these engines were 
originally unregulated (i.e. Tier 0), and others were originally built 
to earlier emissions standards (Tier 1 and Tier 2). This rulemaking now 
requires more stringent standards for these engines whenever the 
locomotives are remanufactured as new. Our remanufactured engine 
standards apply to locomotive engines and marine engines >600 kW that 
were originally built as early as 1973.
    We project that incremental improvements to existing engine 
components will make it feasible to meet both our locomotive and marine 
remanufactured engine standards for PM. In many cases, these 
improvements have already been implemented on newly built locomotives 
to meet our current locomotive standards. To meet the more stringent 
NOX standard for the locomotive Tier 0+ and Tier 1+ 
remanufacturing program, we expect that improvements in fuel system 
design, engine calibration and optimization of existing after-cooling 
systems will be used to reduce NOX from the current 9.5 g/
bhp-hr Tier 0 standard to the tightened Tier 1+ standard for 
NOX of 7.4 g/bhp-hr. These are the same technologies used to 
meet the current Tier 1 emission standard of 7.4 g/bhp-hr. In essence, 
locomotive manufacturers will duplicate current Tier 1 locomotive 
NOX and HC emission solutions and incorporate them into the 
portion of the existing Tier 0 fleet able to accommodate them (i.e. 
locomotives manufactured with separate-circuit cooling systems for 
intake air and engine coolant). For older Tier 0 locomotives without 
separate-circuit cooling systems, reaching the Tier 1 NOX 
level will not be possible, and 8.0 g/hp-hr represents the lowest 
achievable NOX emission level through the application of 
improved fuel system design.
    To meet the more stringent PM standards for the Tier 0+, 1+, and 2+ 
locomotive and marine remanufacturing programs (as well as the new 
locomotive Tier 3 interim standards), we expect that lubricating oil 
consumption control technologies will be implemented. A significant 
fraction of the PM in today's medium-speed locomotive and locomotive-
based marine engines is comprised of lubricating oil.\129\ Engine 
design changes which reduce oil consumption also reduce the volatile 
organic fraction of the engine-out PM. Whether oil consumption is 
reduced through improvements in piston ring-pack design, improved 
closed crankcase ventilation systems, or a combination of both, lower 
PM emissions will result. We believe that use of existing low-oil-
consumption piston ring-pack designs--in conjunction with improvements 
to closed crankcase ventilation systems--can provide the significant, 
near-term PM reductions required for these remanufacturing programs. 
These PM-reducing technologies can be applied to all medium-speed 
locomotive and locomotive-based marine engines--including those built 
as far back as 1973.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \129\ Smith, B., Osborne, D., Fritz, S., ``AAR Locomotive 
Emissions Testing 2006 Final Report,'' Association of American 
Railroads, Document LA-023.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For the remanufacture of locomotive- and nonroad-based marine 
engines >600 kW, we believe that similar improvements to piston ring-
pack designs, as well as turbocharger, fuel system, and closed 
crankcase ventilation system improvements can achieve the 25 percent PM 
reduction required in this program without the use of exhaust 
aftertreatment devices.

[[Page 37134]]

Turbocharger designs which increase engine airflow or charge air 
cooling system enhancements which reduce intake air temperatures can 
reduce PM levels. Fuel system changes such as increased injection 
pressure or improved injector tip design can enhance fuel atomization, 
improving combustion efficiency and reducing soot PM. Any combination 
of these improvements--or other technologies which achieve the 25 
percent PM reduction--can become part of a certified marine 
remanufacture kit.
    We believe that some fraction of the remanufacturing systems for 
locomotives can be developed and certified as early as this year, so we 
are requiring the usage of the new Tier 0+, Tier 1+ and Tier 2+ 
emission control systems as soon as they are available. However, we 
estimate that it will take approximately 2 years to complete the 
development and certification process for all of the Tier 0+ and Tier 
1+ emission control systems, so full implementation of the Tier 0+ and 
Tier 1+ remanufactured engine standards is not anticipated until it is 
required in 2010. We base this lead time on the types of technology 
that we expect to be implemented and on the amount of lead time 
locomotive manufacturers needed to certify similar systems for our 
current remanufacturing program. The lead time required to implement 
the design changes necessary to meet the Tier 3 and remanufactured Tier 
2 locomotive PM emission standards led to an implementation date of 
2012 for new Tier 3 engines and 2013 for remanufactured Tier 2 engines. 
These engine changes include further improvements to ring pack designs 
(especially for two-stroke engines) and the implementation of high 
efficiency crankcase ventilation systems, which are described and 
illustrated in detail in Chapter 4 of the RIA.
(2) Emission Control Technologies for New Tier 3 Locomotive and Marine 
Diesel Engines
    The new Tier 3 locomotive and marine diesel engine standards 
require PM reductions relative to current Tier 2 levels. Based upon our 
on-highway and nonroad clean diesel experience, we expect that the 
introduction of ULSD fuel into the locomotive and marine sectors will 
reduce sulfate PM formation and assist in meeting the PM standards for 
locomotives (both remanufactured Tier 2 and new Tier 3) and new marine 
diesel engines. We believe that the combination of reduced sulfate PM 
and incremental design changes that bring oil and crankcase emission 
control to near Tier 3 nonroad or 2007 heavy-duty on-highway levels can 
provide at least a 50 percent reduction in PM emissions.
    For Tier 3 marine diesel engines (which are, in almost all 
instances, a derivative of land-based nonroad and locomotive engines), 
the technologies and design changes needed to meet the more stringent 
NOX and PM standards are already being developed for nonroad 
Tier 4 applications. In order to meet our nonroad Tier 4 emission 
levels, these engines, in the years before 2012, will see significant 
base engine improvements designed to reduce engine-out emissions. For 
details on the design, calibration, and hardware changes we expect will 
be used to meet the Tier 3 standards for lower horsepower marine 
engines, we refer you to our nonroad Tier 4 rulemaking.\130\ For 
example, we expect that marine engines will utilize high-pressure, 
common-rail fuel injection systems or improvements in unit injector 
design. When such fuel system improvements are used in conjunction with 
engine mapping and calibration optimization, the marine Tier 3 diesel 
engine standards can be met. In the case of locomotive-based marine 
engines, we expect that manufacturers will transfer the technologies 
used to meet locomotive standards to the marine engine designs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \130\ ``Final Regulatory Impact Analysis: Control of Emissions 
from Nonroad Diesel Engines,'' EPA420-R-04-007, May 2004, Docket 
EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0012. The RIA is also available online at http://
epa.gov/nonroad-diesel/2004fr/420r04007.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The 2009 Tier 3 start date for marine engines <75 kW constitutes a 
special case. We proposed this very early start date, matched with 
standard levels equal to the nonroad engine Tier 4 standard levels that 
take effect in 2008, based on our assessment that these engines are 
close derivatives of the nonroad engines on which they are based--in 
some cases, with no substantive modifications. The 2009 start date 
accounts for time needed to make the necessary modifications, prepare 
for and conduct the certification process, and deal with the large 
overall workload burden for diesel engine manufacturers. Although the 
manufacturers commented that this is a very aggressive schedule, at the 
limits of feasibility, they did not refute our assessment. Their 
objections to implementation of the not-to-exceed (NTE) standard on the 
same schedule, and our response, are discussed in section IV.A(3).
    Because all of the aforementioned technologies to reduce 
NOX and PM emissions can be developed for production, 
certified, and introduced into the marine engine sector without 
extended lead-time, we believe these technologies can be implemented 
for some engines as early as 2009, and for all engines by 2014, on a 
schedule that very closely follows the nonroad Tier 4 engine changes.
(3) Catalytic Exhaust Aftertreatment Technologies for Tier 4 Locomotive 
and Marine Engines
    For marine diesel engines in commercial service that are greater 
than 600 kW and for all locomotives, we are setting stringent Tier 4 
standards based on the use of advanced catalytic exhaust aftertreatment 
systems to control both PM and NOX emissions. There are four 
main issues to address when analyzing the application of this 
technology to these new sources: The efficacy of the fundamental 
catalyst technology in terms of the percent reduction in emissions 
given certain engine conditions such as exhaust temperature; its 
appropriateness in terms of packaging; its long-term durability; and 
whether the technology significantly impacts an industry's supply chain 
infrastructure--especially with respect to supplying urea reductant for 
NOX aftertreatment on locomotives and marine vessels. We 
have carefully examined these points, and based upon our analysis 
(detailed in Chapter 4 of the RIA), we have identified robust PM and 
NOX catalytic exhaust aftertreatment systems that are 
suitable for locomotives and marine engines that also pose a manageable 
impact on the rail and marine industries' infrastructure.
(a) Catalytic PM Emission Control Technology
    The most effective exhaust aftertreatment used for diesel PM 
emission control is the diesel particulate filter (DPF). In Europe, 
more than one million light-duty diesel passenger cars are OEM-equipped 
with DPF systems, and worldwide, over 200,000 DPF retrofits to diesel 
engines have been completed.\131\ Broad application of catalyzed diesel 
particulate filter (CDPF) systems with greater than 90 percent PM 
control began with the successful introduction of 2007 model year 
heavy-duty diesel trucks in the United States. These systems use a 
combination of passive and active soot regeneration strategies. CDPF 
systems utilizing metal substrates are a further development that 
balances a degree of elemental carbon soot control with reduced

[[Page 37135]]

backpressure, improved ability of the trap to clear oil ash, greater 
design freedom regarding filter size/shape, and greater system 
robustness. Metal-CDPFs were initially introduced as passive-
regeneration retrofit technologies for diesel engines designed to 
achieve approximately 60 percent control of PM emissions. Recent data 
from development of these systems for Euro-4 truck applications has 
shown that metal-CDPF trapping efficiency for elemental carbon PM can 
exceed 70 percent for engines with inherently low elemental carbon 
emissions.\132\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \131\ ``Diesel Particulate Filter Maintenance: Current Practices 
and Experience'', Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association, 
June 2005, online at http://meca.org/galleries/default-file/Filter_
Maintenance_White_Paper_605_final.pdf.
    \132\ Jacob, E., La[euml]mmerman, R., Pappenheimer, A., Rothe, 
D. ``Exhaust Gas Aftertreatment System for Euro 4 Heavy-duty 
Engines'', MTZ, June, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Data from locomotive testing confirms a relatively low elemental 
carbon fraction and relatively high organic fraction for PM emissions 
from medium-speed Tier 2 locomotive engines.\133\ The use of an 
oxidizing catalyst with platinum group metals (PGM) coated directly to 
the CPDF combined with a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) mounted 
upstream of the CDPF will provide 95 percent or greater removal of HC, 
including the semi-volatile organic compounds that contribute to PM. 
Such systems will reduce overall PM emissions from a locomotive or 
marine diesel engine by approximately 90 percent from today's levels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \133\ Smith, B., Osborne, D., Fritz, S. ``AAR Locomotive 
Emissions Testing 2006 Final Report'' Association of American 
Railroads, Document LA-023.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We believe that locomotive and marine diesel engine manufacturers 
will benefit from the extensive development taking place to implement 
DPF technologies in advance of the heavy-duty truck and nonroad PM 
standards in Europe and the United States. Given the steady-state 
operating characteristics of locomotive and marine engines, DPF 
regeneration strategies will certainly be capable of precisely 
controlling PM under all conditions and passively regenerating whenever 
the exhaust gas temperature is >250 [deg]C. Therefore, we believe that 
the Tier 4 PM standards we are adopting for locomotive and marine 
diesel engines are technologically feasible. And given the level of 
activity in the on-highway and nonroad sectors to implement DPF 
technology, we have concluded that our implementation dates for 
locomotive and marine diesel engines are appropriate and achievable.
(b) Catalytic NOX Emission Control Technology
    We have analyzed a variety of technologies available for 
NOX reduction to determine their applicability to diesel 
engines in the locomotive and marine sectors. As described in more 
detail in Chapter 4 of the RIA, we expect locomotive and marine diesel 
engine manufacturers will choose to use Selective Catalytic Reduction 
(SCR) to comply with our new standards. SCR is a commonly-used 
aftertreatment device for meeting stricter NOX emissions 
standards in diesel applications worldwide. Stationary power plants 
fueled with coal, diesel, and natural gas have used SCR for three 
decades as a means of controlling NOX emissions, and 
currently European heavy-duty truck manufacturers are using this 
technology to meet Euro 5 emissions limits. To a lesser extent, SCR has 
been introduced on diesel engines in the U.S. market, but the 
applications have been largely limited to ferry boats and stationary 
electrical power generation demonstration projects in California and 
several of the Northeast states. However, several heavy-duty truck 
engine manufacturers have indicated that they will use SCR technology 
by 2010, when 100 percent of the heavy-duty diesel trucks are required 
to meet the NOX limits of the 2007 heavy-duty highway 
rule.134, 135 Providing comment on our NPRM, locomotive and 
marine diesel engine manufacturers confirm that they expect to use 
urea-SCR catalyst systems to comply with our Tier 4 standards. While 
other promising NOX-reducing technologies such as lean 
NOX catalysts, NOX adsorbers, and advanced 
combustion control continue to be developed (and may be viable 
approaches to the standards we are setting today), our analysis assumes 
that SCR will be the Tier 4 NOX technology of choice in the 
locomotive and marine diesel engine sectors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \134\ ``Review of SCR Technologies for Diesel Emission Control: 
European Experience and Worldwide Perspectives,'' presented by Dr. 
Emmanuel Joubert, 10th DEER Conference, July 2004.
    \135\ Lambert, C., ``Technical Advantages of Urea SCR for Light-
Duty and Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle Applications,'' SEA Technical 
Paper 2004-01-1292, 2004.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    An SCR catalyst supports the chemical reactions which reduce 
nitrogen oxides in the exhaust stream to elemental nitrogen 
(N2) and water by using ammonia (NH3) as the 
reducing agent. The most-common method for supplying ammonia to the SCR 
catalyst is to inject an aqueous urea-water solution into the exhaust 
stream. In the presence of high-temperature exhaust gasses (>250 
[deg]C), the urea hydrolyzes to form NH3 and CO2. 
The NH3 is stored on the surface of the SCR catalyst where 
it is used to complete the NOX-reduction reaction. In 
theory, it is possible to achieve 100 percent NOX conversion 
if the NH3-to-NOX ratio ([alpha]) is 1:1 and the 
space velocity within the catalyst is not excessive. However, given the 
space limitations in packaging exhaust aftertreatment devices in mobile 
applications, an [alpha] of 0.85-1.0 is often used to balance the need 
for high NOX conversion rates against the potential for 
NH3 slip (where NH3 passes through the catalyst 
unreacted). The urea dosing strategy and the desired [alpha] are 
dependent on the conditions present in the exhaust gas; namely 
temperature and the quantity of NOX present (which can be 
determined by engine mapping, temperature sensors, and NOX 
sensors). Overall NOX conversion efficiency, especially 
under low-temperature exhaust gas conditions, can be improved by 
controlling the ratio of two NOX species within the exhaust 
gas; NO2 and NO. This can be accomplished through use of an 
oxidation catalyst upstream of the SCR catalyst to promote the 
conversion of NO to NO2. The physical size and catalyst 
formulation of the oxidation catalyst are the principal factors that 
control the NO2-to-NO ratio, and by extension, improve the 
low-temperature performance of the SCR catalyst.
    Recent studies have shown that SCR systems are capable of providing 
well in excess of 80 percent NOX reduction efficiency in 
high-power, diesel applications.136, 137, 138 SCR catalysts 
can achieve significant NOX reduction throughout much of the 
exhaust gas temperature operating range observed in locomotive and 
marine applications. Collaborative research and development activities 
between diesel engine manufacturers, truck manufacturers, and SCR 
catalyst suppliers have also shown that SCR is a mature, cost-effective 
solution for NOX reduction on diesel engines in other mobile 
sources. While many of the published studies have focused on highway 
truck applications, similar trends, operational characteristics, and 
NOX reduction efficiencies have been reported for marine and 
stationary applications as well.\139\ Given the preponderance of 
studies and data--and our analysis summarized here and detailed in 
Chapter 4 of the RIA--we have

[[Page 37136]]

concluded that this technology is appropriate for locomotive and marine 
diesel applications. Furthermore, locomotive and marine diesel engine 
manufacturers will benefit from the extensive development taking place 
to implement SCR technologies in advance of the heavy-duty truck 
NOX standards in Europe and the U.S. The urea dosing systems 
for SCR, already in widespread use across many different diesel 
applications, are expected to become more refined, robust, and reliable 
in advance of our Tier 4 locomotive and marine standards. Given the 
predominately steady-state operating characteristics of locomotive and 
marine engines, SCR NOX control strategies will certainly be 
capable of precisely controlling NOX under all conditions 
whenever the exhaust gas temperature is greater than 250 [deg]C.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \136\ Walker, A.P. et al., ``The Development and In-Field 
Demonstration of Highly Durable SCR Catalyst Systems,'' SAE 2004-01-
1289.
    \137\ Conway, R. et al., ``Combined SCR and DPF Technology for 
Heavy Duty Diesel Retrofit,'' SAE Technical Paper 2005-01-1862, 
2005.
    \138\ ``The Development and On-Road Performance and Durability 
of the Four-Way Emission Control SCRTTM System,'' presented by Andy 
Walker, 9th DEER Conference, August 28, 2003.
    \139\ Telephone conversation with Gary Keefe, Argillon, June 6, 
2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    To ensure that we have the most up-to-date information on urea-SCR 
NOX technologies and their application to locomotive and 
marine engines, we have met with a number of locomotive and marine 
engine manufacturers, as well as manufacturers of catalytic 
NOX emission control systems. Through our discussions we 
have learned that some engine manufacturers perceive some risk 
regarding urea injection accuracy and long-term catalyst durability, 
both of which could result in either less efficient NOX 
reduction or ammonia emissions. Comments on our NPRM, submitted by the 
Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association (MECA), provided 
additional information on the issues of urea dosing accuracy, catalyst 
durability, and system performance and their comments are consistent 
with our own analysis that urea-SCR technology can provide durable 
control of NOX emissions. We have carefully investigated 
these issues for other diesel applications and conclude that precise 
urea injection systems and durable catalysts already exist and have 
been applied to urea-SCR NOX emission control systems which 
are similar to those that we expect to be implemented in locomotive and 
marine applications.
    Urea injection systems applied to on-highway diesel trucks and 
diesel electric power generators already ensure the precise injection 
of urea, and these applications have similar--if not more dynamic--
engine operation as compared to locomotive and marine engine operation. 
To ensure precise urea injection across all engine operating 
conditions, these systems utilize NOX sensors to maintain 
closed-loop feedback control of urea injection. These NOX-
sensor-based feedback control systems are similar to oxygen sensor-
based systems that are used with catalytic converters on virtually 
every gasoline vehicle on the road today. These systems, already 
developed for many diesel engines, are directly applicable to 
locomotive and marine engines as well.
(c) Durability of Catalytic PM and NOX Emission Control 
Technology
    Published studies indicate that SCR systems will experience very 
little deterioration in NOX conversion throughout the life-
cycle of a diesel engine.140, 141 The principal mechanism of 
deterioration in an SCR catalyst is thermal sintering--the loss of 
catalyst surface area due to the melting and growth of active catalyst 
sites under high-temperature conditions (as the active sites melt and 
combine, the total number of active sites at which catalysis can occur 
is reduced). This effect can be minimized by design of the SCR catalyst 
washcoat and substrate for the exhaust gas temperature window in which 
it will operate. Several commenters noted that locomotives are subject 
to consist operation in tunnels, which results in elevated exhaust gas 
temperatures. Further, they speculated that these elevated exhaust 
temperatures could reach 700 [deg]C--a temperature that could lead to 
deterioration of catalyst performance over the useful life of a 
locomotive. To investigate this scenario, EPA conducted a study (in 
cooperation with locomotive manufacturers and the railroads) in August, 
2007 on Union Pacific's Norden tunnel system (between Sparks, NV and 
Roseville, CA).\142\ We determined that the peak, post-turbine exhaust 
gas temperature observed in the 2 trailing units of a 4-unit lead 
consist was only 560 [deg]C. In light of this new information, we are 
more confident that catalytic aftertreatment devices will be both 
effective and durable when used in locomotive service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \140\ Conway, R. et al., ``NOX and PM Reduction Using 
Combined SCR and DPF Technology in Heavy Duty Diesel Applications,'' 
SAE Technical Paper 2005-01-3548, 2005.
    \141\ Searles, R.A., et al., ``Investigation of the Feasibility 
of Achieving EURO V Heavy-Duty Emission Limits with Advanced 
Emission Control Systems,'' 2007 AECC Conference--Belgium, Paper 
Code: F02E310.
    \142\ ``Locomotive Exhaust Temperatures During High Altitude 
Tunnel Operation In Donner Pass,'' U.S. EPA, August 29, 2007. This 
document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190-0736.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Another mechanism for catalyst deterioration is chemical 
poisoning--the plugging and/or chemical de-activation of active 
catalytic sites. Phosphorus from the engine oil and sulfur from diesel 
fuel are the primary components in the exhaust stream which can de-
activate a catalytic site. The risk of catalyst deterioration due to 
sulfur poisoning will be all but eliminated with the 2012 
implementation of ULSD fuel (<15 ppm S) for locomotive and marine 
applications. Locomotive and marine operators will already have several 
years of experience running ULSD fuel by the time NOX 
aftertreatment technology is required. Catalyst deterioration due to 
chemical poisoning can also be reduced through the use of an engine oil 
with lower levels of sulfated ash, phosphorous, and sulfur (commonly 
referred to as ``low-SAPS'' oil). Such an oil formulation, designed for 
use in 2007 DPF- and DOC-equipped on-highway, heavy-duty engines was 
introduced in October 2006 and is specified by the American Petroleum 
Institute (API) as ``CJ-4.'' \143\ This specification has new and/or 
lower limits on the amount of sulfated ash, phosphorous, and sulfur an 
oil may contain and was developed specifically for 2007 on-highway 
engines equipped with exhaust aftertreatment technologies running on 
ULSD fuel. Previous oil formulations for heavy-duty, on-highway 
engines, such as API CI-4, did not specify a limit for sulfur content, 
and allowed higher levels of phosphorous (0.14% vs. 0.12%) and ash 
(1.2~1.5% vs. 1.0%) content.\144\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \143\ ``API CJ-4 Performance Specifications,'' American 
Petroleum Institute, online at http://apicj-4.org/performance_
spec.html. This document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-
0190-0738.
    \144\ ``CJ-4 Performance Specification: Frequently Asked 
Questions,'' Lubrizol, online at http://www.lubrizol.com/cj-4/
faq.asp. This document is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190-
0741.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The migration of low-SAPS engine oil properties to future 
locomotive and marine oil formulations--while beneficial and 
directionally helpful in regards to the durability, performance, and 
maintenance of the exhaust aftertreatment components we reference--does 
not affect our feasibility analysis. European truck and marine 
applications have shown that SCR is a durable technology even without 
using a low-SAPs oil formulation. One commenter suggested that these 
newer, low-SAPS oil formulations, developed for use in on-highway and 
nonroad diesel engines, may not be appropriate for locomotive or marine 
applications. While we acknowledge that the exact oil formulation for 
locomotive and marine applications using ULSD fuel is not known today, 
we do believe that there is adequate time to develop an appropriate oil 
formulation. For example, in the State of California, all

[[Page 37137]]

intra-state locomotives, marine vessels (in the SCAQMD), and nonroad 
engines have been operating with ULSD fuel since June, 2006--so there 
should already be field data/experience available today to begin 
developing an oil formulation for ULSD in advance of the implementation 
date for aftertreatment-forcing standards. In addition, the nonroad 
sector will have transitioned to ULSD fuel nationwide by June, 2010, 
followed by the locomotive sector in June, 2012--again, leaving ample 
time to develop an oil formulation which does not contain any more 
sulphated-ash than necessary to neutralize crankcase acids.
    Thermal cycling, mechanical vibration, and shock loads are all 
factors which can affect the mechanical durability of exhaust system 
components. The stresses applied to the aftertreatment devices by these 
factors can be managed through the selection of proper materials and 
the design of support and mounting structures which are capable of 
withstanding the shock and vibration levels present in locomotive and 
marine applications. One commenter to our NPRM stated that shock 
loading for a locomotive catalyst is estimated to be 10-12 g. This 
level of shock loading is consistent with the levels that catalyst 
substrate manufacturers, catalyst canners, and exhaust system 
manufacturers are currently designing to (for OEM aftertreatment 
systems and components subject to the durability requirements of on-
highway, marine, and nonroad applications). Nonroad applications such 
as logging equipment are subject to shock loads in excess of 10 g and 
on-highway applications can exceed 30 g (with some OEM applications 
specifying a 75 g shock load requirement).\145\ In addition, the 
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) specification for exhaust manifolds 
on diesel engines states that these parts may need to withstand 
vibration levels as high as 10 g at 600 [deg]C for 90 
minutes.\146\ Given these examples of shock and vibration requirements 
for today's nonroad, on-highway, and marine environments, we believe 
that appropriate support structures can be designed and developed for 
the aftertreatment devices we expect to be used on Tier 4 locomotives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \145\ Correspondence from Adam Kotrba of Tenneco. This document 
is available in Docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0190-0742.
    \146\ ``ABS Rules for Building and Classing--Steel Vessels Under 
90 Meters (295 Feet) In Length,'' Part 4--Vessel Systems and 
Machinery, American Bureau of Shipping, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(d) Packaging of Catalytic PM and NOX Emission Control 
Technologies
    Locomotive manufacturers will need to design the exhaust system 
components to accommodate the aftertreatment system. Our analysis, 
detailed in the RIA, shows that the packaging requirements for the 
aftertreatment system are such that they can be accommodated within the 
envelope defined by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Plate 
``L'' clearance diagram for freight locomotives.\147\ The typical 
volume required for the SCR catalyst and post-SCR ammonia slip catalyst 
for Euro V and U.S. 2010 heavy-duty truck applications is approximately 
2 times the engine displacement, and the upstream DOC/CDPF volume is 
approximately 1-1.5 times the engine displacement. Due to the longer 
useful life and maintenance intervals required for locomotive 
applications, we estimate that the SCR catalyst volume will be sized at 
approximately 2.5 times the engine displacement, and the combined DOC/
CDPF volume will be approximately 1.7 times the engine displacement. 
For a typical locomotive engine with 6 ft3 of total cylinder 
displacement, the volume requirement for the aftertreatment components 
alone would be approximately 25 ft3 (of the 80 
ft3 estimated to be available for packaging these components 
and their associated ducts/hardware above the engine).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \147\ ``AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices,'' 
Standard S-5510, Association of American Railroads.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    EPA engineers have examined Tier 2 EMD and GE line-haul locomotives 
and acknowledge that packaging the necessary aftertreatment components 
will be a difficult task. However, this task should not be more 
difficult (and will quite likely less so) than the packaging challenges 
faced by nonroad and on-highway applications. Given the space available 
on today's locomotives, we feel that packaging catalytic PM and 
NOX emission control technologies onboard locomotives may be 
less challenging than packaging similar technologies onboard other 
mobile sources (such as light-duty vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, and 
nonroad equipment). Given that similar exhaust systems are either 
already implemented onboard these vehicles or will be implemented on 
these vehicles years before similar systems would be required onboard 
locomotives and marine vessels, we have concluded that any packaging 
issues will be successfully addressed early in the locomotive and 
marine vessel design process. Our analysis concludes that there is 
adequate space to package these components, as well as their associated 
ducts, transitions, and urea/exhaust mixing devices. This conclusion 
also applies to new switcher locomotives as well, which while being 
shorter in length than line-haul locomotives, are also equipped with 
smaller, less-powerful engines--resulting in smaller volume 
requirements for the aftertreatment components.
    For commercial vessels which use marine diesel engines greater than 
600 kW, we expect these vessels will be designed to accommodate the 
exhaust system components engine manufacturers specify as necessary to 
meet the new standards. Our discussions with marine architects and 
engineers, along with our review of vessel characteristics, leads us to 
conclude that for commercial marine vessels, adequate engine room space 
can be made available to package aftertreatment components. Packaging 
of these components, and analyzing their mass/placement effect on 
vessel characteristics, will become part of design process undertaken 
by marine architecture firms.\148\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \148\ Telephone conversation between Brian King, Elliot Bay 
Design Group, and Brian Nelson, EPA, July 24, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We did determine, however, that for recreational vessels and for 
vessels equipped with engines less than 600 kW, catalytic PM and 
NOX exhaust aftertreatment systems were less practical from 
a packaging standpoint than for the larger, commercially operated 
vessels. We have identified catalytic emission control systems that 
would significantly reduce emissions from these smaller vessels. 
However, after taking into consideration costs, energy, safety, and 
other relevant factors, we found a number of reasons, detailed in the 
RIA, to not adopt any new exhaust aftertreatment-forcing standards at 
this time on these smaller vessels. One reason is that most of these 
vessels use seawater-cooled exhaust systems--and even seawater 
injection into their exhaust systems--to cool engine exhaust gases and 
prevent the overheating materials such as a fiberglass hull. This 
current practice of cooling and seawater injection could reduce the 
effectiveness of catalytic exhaust aftertreatment systems. This is 
significantly more challenging than for gasoline catalyst systems due 
to much larger relative catalyst sizes and cooler exhaust temperatures 
typical of diesel engines. In addition, because of these vessels' small 
size and their typical operation by planing high on the surface

[[Page 37138]]

of the water, catalytic exhaust aftertreatment systems pose several 
significant packaging and weight challenges. These challenges could be 
addressed by the use of lightweight hull and superstructure materials. 
But any solution which employs new, lightweight hull and superstructure 
materials would have to be developed, tested and approved by 
classifying organizations prior to their application on vessels using 
catalytic exhaust aftertreatment systems. Taken together, these factors 
led us to conclude that it is not prudent to set aftertreatment-forcing 
emission standards for marine diesel engines below 600 kW at this time.
(e) Infrastructure Impacts of Catalytic PM and NOX Emission 
Control Technologies
    For PM trap technology the rail and marine industries will 
experience minimal impacts on their infrastructures. Since PM trap 
technology relies on no separate reductant, any infrastructure impacts 
will be limited to some minor changes in maintenance practices and 
equipment at maintenance facilities. Such maintenance will be limited 
to the infrequent removal of ash buildup from within a PM trap. This 
type of maintenance may require that maintenance facilities 
periodically remove PM traps for ash cleaning and may involve the use 
of a crane or other lifting device. We understand that much of this 
kind of infrastructure already exists for other locomotive and marine 
engine maintenance practices. We have toured shipyards and locomotive 
maintenance facilities at rail switchyards, and we observed that such 
facilities are generally already adequate for any required PM trap 
removal and maintenance.
    We do expect some impact on the railroad and marine sectors to 
accommodate the use of a separate reductant for use in a NOX 
SCR system. For light-duty, heavy-duty, and nonroad applications, the 
commonly preferred reductant in an SCR system has been a 32.5 percent 
urea-water solution. The 32.5 percent solution, also known as the 
``eutectic'' concentration, provides the lowest freezing point (-11 
[deg]C or 12 [deg]F) and ensures that the ratio of urea-to-water will 
not change when the solution begins to freeze.\149\ Heated urea storage 
tanks and insulation of the urea dosing hardware onboard the locomotive 
(urea storage tank, pump, and lines) may be necessary to prevent 
freeze-up in northern climates. Locomotives and marine vessels are 
commonly refueled from large, centralized fuel storage tanks, tanker 
trucks, or tenders with long-term purchase agreements. Urea suppliers 
will be able to distribute urea to the locomotive and marine markets in 
a similar manner, or they may choose to employ multi-compartment diesel 
fuel/urea tanker trucks for delivery of both products simultaneously. 
The frequency that urea will need to be replenished is dependent on 
many factors; urea storage capacity, engine duty-cycle, and expected 
urea dosing rate for each application. We expect that locomotive 
manufacturers and marine vessel designers will size the urea storage 
tanks appropriate to the usage factors for each application plus some 
margin-of-safety (to reduce the probability that an engine will be 
operated without urea). Discussions concerning the urea infrastructure 
in North America and specifications for an emissions-grade urea 
solution are now under way amongst light- and heavy-duty on-highway 
diesel stakeholders.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \149\ Miller, W. et al., ``The Development of Urea-SCR 
Technology for US Heavy Duty Trucks,'' SAE Technical Paper 2000-01-
0190, 2000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Although an infrastructure for widespread transportation, storage, 
and dispensing of SCR-grade urea does not currently exist in the U.S., 
the affected stakeholders in the light- and heavy-duty on-highway and 
nonroad diesel sectors are expected to follow the European model, where 
diesel engine/truck manufacturers and fuel refiners/distributors have 
formed a collaborative working group known as ``AdBlue.'' The goal of 
the AdBlue organization is to resolve potential problems with the 
supply, handling, and distribution of urea and to establish standards 
for product purity.\150\ With regard to urea production capacity, the 
U.S. has more-than-sufficient capacity to meet the additional needs of 
the rail and marine industries. For example, in 2003, the total diesel 
fuel consumption for Class I railroads was approximately 3.8 billion 
gallons.\151\ If 100 percent of the Class I locomotive fleet were 
equipped with SCR catalysts, approximately 190 million gallons-per-year 
of 32.5 percent urea-water solution would be required.\152\ It is 
estimated that 190 million gallons of urea solution would require 0.28 
million tons of dry urea (1 ton dry urea is needed to produce 667 
gallons of 32.5 percent urea-water solution). Currently, the U.S. 
consumes 14.7 million tons of ammonia resources per year, and relies on 
imports for 41 percent of that total (of which, urea is the principal 
derivative). In 2005 domestic ammonia producers operated their plants 
at 66 percent of rated capacity, resulting in 4.5 million tons of 
reserve production capacity.\153\ In the very long-term situation 
above, where 100 percent of the locomotive fleet required urea, only 
6.2 percent of the reserve domestic capacity would be needed to satisfy 
the additional demand. A similar analysis for the marine industry, with 
a yearly diesel fuel consumption of 2.2 billion gallons per year, would 
not significantly impact the urea demand-to-reserve capacity equation. 
Since the rate at which urea-SCR technology is introduced to the 
railroad and marine markets will be gradual--and the reserve urea 
production capacity is more-than-adequate to meet the expected demand 
from all diesel markets in the 2017 timeframe--EPA does not project any 
urea cost or supply issues, beyond the costs estimated in the RIA, will 
result from implementing the Tier 4 standards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \150\ ``Ensuring the Availability and Reliability of Urea Dosing 
for On-Road and Non-Road,'' presented by Glenn Barton, Terra Corp., 
9th DEER Conference, August 28, 2003.
    \151\ ``National Transportation Statistics--2004,'' Table 4-5, 
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
    \152\ Assuming the dosing rate of 32.5 percent urea-water 
solution is 5 percent of the total fuel consumed; 3.8 billion 
gallons of diesel fuel * 0.05 = 190 million gallons of urea-water 
solution.
    \153\ ``Mineral Commodity Summaries 2006,'' page 118, U.S. 
Geological Survey, online at www.minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/
mcs/mcs2006.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(f) Unregulated Pollutants
    There is potential for the formation of unregulated pollutants of 
significant concern to EPA any time engine technologies change, 
including when new emission control technologies are added. Some 
examples of these unregulated pollutants include N2O and 
ammonia (NH3). In addition, failure to dose urea in an SCR 
system while operating under load may cause elevated NO2 
emissions. Similarly, use of a CDPF that produces NO2 in 
excess of what is needed for passive regeneration--and operated without 
a downstream SCR system--may lead to elevated NO2 emissions. 
Such increased NO2 emissions could be a concern for 
operation in enclosed environments such as locomotive operation in 
minimally ventilated or unventilated tunnels. Similarly, use of 
NOX reduction catalysts with poor selectivity could result 
in elevated N2O emissions. An aggressive urea dosing 
strategy within an SCR system (for high levels of NOX 
control) without a properly designed/calibrated feedback control 
system, ammonia slip catalyst, or adequate exhaust/urea mixing could 
also result in elevated ammonia (NH3) emissions.

[[Page 37139]]

These NH3 emissions, which can be minimized through the use 
of closed-loop feedback and control of urea injection, can be all-but-
eliminated through use of an oxidation catalyst downstream of the SCR 
catalyst. Such catalysts, commonly referred to as ``slip catalysts,'' 
are in use today and have been shown to be highly effective at 
eliminating ammonia emissions.\154\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \154\ Smedler, Gudmund, ``NOX Emission Control 
Options'', 2007 HDD Emission Control Symposium--Gothenberg, Sweden, 
September 11, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The issue of NH3 emissions (or ammonia slip) was raised 
by several commenters, with claims that excessive NH3 
emissions are ``inevitable'', and may reach 25 ppm during steady-state 
operation and 100 ppm during transient operation. We have assessed this 
issue and concluded that a properly-designed slip catalyst, with good 
selectivity to nitrogen (N2), can convert most of the excess 
NH3 released from the SCR catalyst into N2 and 
water. Recent studies by Johnson Matthey and the Association for 
Emissions Control by Catalyst (AECC) have shown that an aged SCR system 
equipped with a slip catalyst can achieve tailpipe NH3 
levels of less of than 10 ppm when tested on the European Stationary 
Cycle (ESC) and European Transient Cycle (ETC).154, 155 The 
SCR system in the Johnson Matthey study was aged on a cycle which 
included 400 hours of high-temperature operation at 650 [deg]C (to 
simulate active DPF regeneration events). Our analysis of the 
locomotive engine operating conditions presumes a maximum, post-turbine 
exhaust temperature of 560 [deg]C. This presumption is based on 
implementation of a ``passive'' DPF regeneration approach (in which 
NO2 created by the oxidation catalyst is sufficient to 
oxidize trapped soot) and our own testing of locomotives during 
operation in non-ventilated tunnels.\142\ Under these conditions, we 
expect slip catalysts to be durable and effective in reducing 
NH3 slip.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \155\ Searles, R.A., et al., ``Investigation of Feasibility of 
Achieving EURO V Heavy-Duty Emission Limits with Advanced Emission 
Control Systems,'' 2007 AECC Conference--Belgium, Paper Code: 
F02E310.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We expect manufacturers to be conscious of these possibilities and 
to take appropriate action to minimize or prevent the formation of 
unregulated pollutants when designing emission control systems. 
Manufacturers must comply with the ``Prohibited Controls'' section of 
40 CFR 1033.115(c), which states:
    ``You may not design or produce your locomotives with emission 
control devices, systems, or elements of design that cause or 
contribute to an unreasonable risk to public health, welfare, or safety 
while operating. For example, this would apply if the locomotive emits 
a noxious or toxic substance it would otherwise not emit that 
contributes to such an unreasonable risk.''
    Emission control systems designed to meet the 2007 and 2010 heavy-
duty truck and Tier 2 light-duty vehicle emission standards already 
take these unregulated pollutants into account through compliance with 
section 202(A)(4) of the Clean Air Act. CDPF systems that minimize 
formation of excess NO2 while still relying primarily on 
passive regeneration have entered production for OEM and retrofit 
applications. Compact urea-SCR systems that have been developed to meet 
the U.S. 2010 heavy-duty truck standards use closed-loop controls that 
continuously monitor NOX reduction performance. Such systems 
have the capability to control stack emissions of NH3 to 
below 5 ppm during transient operation even without the use of an 
ammonia slip catalyst. We understand that such systems may still emit 
some very small level of uncontrolled pollutants and we would not 
generally consider a system that releases de minimis amounts of 
NH3 or N2O while employing technology consistent 
with limiting these emissions to be in violation of Sec.  1033.115(c)--
which is the same way we currently treat passenger cars and heavy-duty 
trucks with regard to N2O and H2S emissions.
(4) The New Standards Are Technologically Feasible
    Our rulemaking involves a range of engines, and we have identified 
a range of technologically feasible emission control technologies that 
we project will be used to meet our new standards. Some of these 
technologies are incremental improvements to existing engine 
components, and many of these improved components have already been 
applied to similar engines. The other technologies we identified 
involve catalytic exhaust aftertreatment systems. For these 
technologies we carefully examined the catalyst technology, its 
applicability to locomotive and marine engine packaging constraints, 
its durability with respect to the lifetime of today's locomotive and 
marine engines, and its impact on the infrastructure of the rail and 
marine industries. From our analysis, which is presented in detail in 
our RIA, we conclude that incremental improvements to engine components 
and the implementation of catalytic PM and NOX exhaust 
aftertreatment technology will be feasible to meet our new emissions 
standards.

IV. Certification and Compliance Program

    This section describes the regulatory changes being finalized for 
the locomotive and marine compliance programs, beyond the standards 
discussed in section III. The most obvious change is that the 
regulations have been written in plain language. They are structured to 
contain the provisions that are specific to locomotives in a new part 
1033 and the provisions that are specific to marine engines and vessels 
in a new part 1042. We also proposed to apply the general provisions of 
existing parts 1065 and 1068.\156\ The plain language regulations, 
however, are not intended to significantly change the compliance 
program, except as specifically noted in today's notice. These plain 
language regulations will supersede the regulations in part 92 and 94 
(for Categories 1 and 2) as early as the 2008 model year. See section 
III for the starting dates for different engines. The changes from the 
existing programs are described below briefly along with other notable 
aspects of the compliance program. See the regulatory text for the 
detailed requirements and see the Summary and Analysis of Comments 
document for a more complete rationale for the changes being adopted. 
Note: The term manufacturer is used in this section to include 
locomotive and marine manufacturers and remanufacturers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \156\ We proposed modifications to the existing provisions of 40 
CFR part 1068 on May 18, 2007 (72 FR 28097). Readers interested in 
the compliance provisions that will apply to locomotives and marine 
diesel engines should also read the actual regulatory changes in 
that will be finalized in that rulemaking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

A. Issues Common to Locomotives and Marine

    For many aspects of compliance, we are adopting similar provisions 
for marine engines and locomotives, which are discussed in this 
section. Several other issues are also included in this section, where 
we are specifying different provisions, but where the issues are 
similar in nature. The remaining compliance issues are discussed in 
sections IV.B. (for locomotives) and IV.C. (for marine).
(1) Test Procedures
    (a) Incorporation of Part 1065 Test Procedures for Locomotive and 
Marine Diesel Engines
    As part of our initiative to update the content, organization and 
writing style

[[Page 37140]]

of our regulations, we are revising our test procedures. We have 
grouped all of our engine dynamometer and field testing test procedures 
into one part entitled, ``Part 1065: Test Procedures.'' For each engine 
or vehicle sector for which we have recently promulgated standards 
(such as land-based nonroad diesel engines or recreational vehicles), 
we identified an individual part as the standard-setting part for that 
sector. These standard-setting parts then refer to one common set of 
test procedures in part 1065. These programs regulate land-based on-
highway heavy-duty engines, land-based nonroad diesel engines, 
recreational vehicles, and nonroad spark-ignition engines over 19 kW. 
In this rule, we are applying part 1065 to all locomotive and marine 
diesel engines, as part of a plan to eventually have all our engine 
programs refer to a common set of procedures.
    In the past, each engine or vehicle sector had its own set of 
testing procedures. There are many similarities in test procedures 
across the various sectors. However, as we introduced new regulations 
for individual sectors, the more recent regulations featured test 
procedure updates and improvements that the other sectors did not have. 
As this process continued, we recognized that a single set of test 
procedures allows for improvements to occur simultaneously across 
engine and vehicle sectors. A single set of test procedures is easier 
to understand than trying to understand many different sets of 
procedures, and it is easier to move toward international test 
procedure harmonization if we only have one set of test procedures. We 
note that procedures that are particular for different types of engines 
or vehicles, for example, test schedules designed to reflect the 
conditions expected in use for particular types of vehicles or engines, 
remain separate and are reflected in the standard-setting parts of the 
regulations.
    The part 1065 test procedures are organized and written to be 
clearer than locomotive- and marine-specific test procedures found in 
parts 92 and 94. In addition, part 1065 improves the content of the 
respective testing specifications, including the following:
     Specifications and calculations written in the 
international system of units (SI)
     Procedures by which manufacturers can demonstrate that 
alternate test procedures are equivalent to specified procedures
     Specifications for new measurement technology that has 
been shown to be equivalent or more accurate than existing technology
     Procedures that improve test repeatability
     Calculations that simplify emissions determination
     New procedures for field testing engines
     More comprehensive sets of definitions, references, and 
symbols
     Calibration and accuracy specifications that are scaled to 
the applicable standard, which allows us to adopt a single 
specification that applies to a wide range of engine sizes and 
applications.
    We are adopting the lab-testing and field-testing specifications in 
part 1065 for all locomotive and marine diesel engines. These 
procedures replace those currently published in parts 92 and 94. We are 
making a gradual transition from the part 92 and 94 procedures. In 
general, we specify that manufacturers use the test procedures in 1065 
when certifying under part 1033 or 1042. However, we will allow 
manufacturers to use a combination of the old and new test procedures 
through 2014, provided such use is done using good engineering 
judgment. Moreover, manufacturers may continue to rely on carryover 
test data based on part 92 or 94 procedures to recertify engine 
families that are not changing.
    In the future, we may apply the test procedures specified in part 
1065 to other types of engines, so we encourage companies involved in 
producing or testing other engines to stay informed of developments 
related to these test procedures.
(b) Revisions to Part 1065
    Part 1065 was originally adopted on November 8, 2002 (67 FR 68242) 
and was initially applicable to standards regulating large nonroad 
spark-ignition engines and recreational vehicles under 40 CFR parts 
1048 and 1051. The test procedures initially adopted in part 1065 were 
sufficient to conduct testing, but on July 13, 2005 (70 FR 11534) we 
promulgated a final rule that reorganized these procedures and added 
content to make various improvements. Today, we are finalizing 
additional modifications, largely as proposed. The reader is referred 
to the NPRM, the regulatory text, and the docket for more information 
about the changes being made to Part 1065 in this final rule. Note that 
since part 1065 applies for diesel engines subject to parts 86 and 
1039, we are also making some minor revisions to those parts to reflect 
the changes being made to part 1065. (We are also making a technical 
correction to an equation in Sec.  86.117-96.)
    These changes will become effective July 7, 2008. Section 
1065.10(c)(6) of the existing regulations includes a provision that 
automatically allows manufacturers an additional 12 months beyond the 
effective date to revise their test procedures to comply with the new 
regulations. Since these changes will not affect the stringency of the 
standards, we also plan to use our authority under Sec.  1065.10(c)(4) 
to allow the use of carryover data collected using the earlier 
procedures.
(2) Certification Fuel
    It is well-established that measured emissions may be affected by 
the properties of the fuel used during the test. For this reason, we 
have historically specified allowable ranges for test fuel properties 
such as cetane and sulfur content. These specifications are intended to 
represent most typical fuels that are commercially available in use. 
This helps to ensure that the emissions reductions expected from the 
standards occur in use as well as during emissions testing.
    In our previous regulation of in-use locomotive and marine diesel 
fuel, we established a 15 ppm sulfur standard at the refinery gate for 
locomotive and marine (LM) diesel fuel beginning June 1, 2012. However, 
since we intended to allow the sale, distribution, and use of higher 
sulfur LM diesel fuel (such as contaminated ULSD) to continue 
indefinitely, we did not set a ``hard and fast'' downstream requirement 
that only 15 ppm LM diesel may be sold and distributed in all areas of 
the country . Because refiners cannot intentionally produce off-
specification fuel for locomotives, most in-use locomotive and marine 
diesel fuel will be ULSD (with a sulfur content of 15 ppm or less). 
Nevertheless, we expect that some fuel will be available with sulfur 
levels between 15 and 500 ppm, and our existing regulations require 
that such fuel be designated as 500 ppm sulfur diesel fuel. Note that 
fuel designated as 500 ppm sulfur is also known as low sulfur diesel 
fuel (LSD).
    Because we have reduced the upper limit for locomotive and marine 
diesel fuel sulfur content for refiners to 15 ppm in 2012, we are 
establishing new ranges of allowable sulfur content for diesel test 
fuels. See section IV.C.(8) for information about testing marine 
engines designed to use residual fuel. For marine diesel engines, we 
are specifying the use of ULSD fuel as the test fuel for Tier 3 and 
later standards. We believe this will correspond to the fuels that 
these engines will see in use over the long term. We recognize that 
this approach will mean that some marine engines will use a test fuel 
that is lower in sulfur than in-use fuel

[[Page 37141]]

during the first few years and that other Tier 2 marine engines allowed 
to be produced after 2012 will use a test fuel that is higher in sulfur 
than fuel already available in use when they are produced. However, we 
believe that it is more important to align changes in marine test fuels 
with changes in the PM standards than strictly with changes in the in-
use fuel. Nevertheless, we are allowing Tier 2 certification with fuel 
meeting the 7 to 15 ppm sulfur specification to simplify testing but 
will require that PM emissions be corrected to be equivalent to testing 
conducted with the specified fuel. This will ensure that the effective 
stringency of the Tier 2 standards will not be affected.
    For locomotives, we will require that Tier 4 engines be certified 
based on ULSD test fuels. We are also requiring that these locomotives 
use ULSD in the field. We will continue to allow the use of 500 ppm LM 
diesel fuel, in older locomotives in the field.\157\ Thus, we are 
requiring that remanufacture systems for Tier 0 and Tier 1 locomotives 
be certified on LSD test fuel. We are allowing the use of test fuels 
other than those specified here. Specifically, we will allow the use of 
ULSD during emission testing for locomotives otherwise required to use 
LSD, provided they do not use sulfur-sensitive technology (such as 
oxidation catalysts). However, as a condition of this allowance, the 
manufacturer will be required to add an additional amount to the 
measured PM emissions to make them equivalent to what would have been 
measured using LSD. For example, we will allow a manufacturer to test 
with ULSD if they adjusted the measured PM emissions upward by 0.01 g/
bhp-hr (which would be a relatively conservative adjustment and would 
ensure that manufacturers would not gain an inappropriate advantage by 
testing on ULSD).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \157\ Under our existing fuel regulations (40 CFR 80.510(g)), 
500 ppm LM diesel fuel may not be sold and/or distributed in the 
Northeast/Mid-Atlantic (NE/MA) area beginning October 1, 2012. Such 
fuel may no longer be used in the NE/MA area beginning December 1, 
2012.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We are adopting special fuel provisions for Tier 3 locomotives and 
Tier 2 locomotive remanufacture systems. The final regulations specify 
that the test fuel for these be ULSD without sulfur correction since 
these locomotives will use ULSD in use for most of their service lives. 
However, unlike Tier 4 locomotives, we will not require them to be 
labeled to require the use of ULSD, unless they included sulfur 
sensitive technology.
    We are adopting a new flexibility for locomotives and Category 2 
marine engines to reduce fuel costs for testing. Because these engines 
can consume 200 gallons of diesel fuel per hour at full load, fuel can 
represent a significant fraction of the testing cost, especially if the 
manufacturer must use specially blended fuel rather than commercially 
available fuel. To reduce this cost, we will allow manufacturers to 
immediately begin testing of locomotives and Category 2 marine engines 
with commercially available diesel fuel. We do not believe that this 
will change the effective stringency of the standards.
    For both locomotive and marine engines, all of the specifications 
described above will apply to emission testing conducted for 
certification, production-line testing, and in-use, as well as any 
other testing for compliance purposes for engines in the designated 
model years. Any compliance testing of previous model year engines will 
be done with the fuels designated in our regulations for those model 
years.
(3) Supplemental Emission Standards
    We are continuing the supplemental emission standards for 
locomotives and marine engines. For locomotives, this means we will 
continue to apply notch emission caps, based on the emission rates in 
each notch, as measured during certification testing. We recognize that 
for our Tier 4 standards it will not be practical to measure very low 
levels of PM emissions separately for each notch during testing, and 
thus we are changing the calculation of the PM notch cap for Tier 4 
locomotives. All other notch caps will be determined and applied as 
they currently are under 40 CFR 92.8(c). See Sec.  1033.101(e) of the 
regulations for the detailed calculation.
    Marine engines will continue to be subject to not-to-exceed (NTE) 
standards; however, we are making certain changes to these standards 
based upon our understanding of in-use marine engine operation and 
based upon the underlying Tier 3 and Tier 4 duty cycle emissions 
standards. As background, we determine NTE compliance by first applying 
a multiplier to the duty-cycle emission standard, and then we compare 
to that value an emissions result that is recorded when an engine runs 
within a certain range of engine operation. This range of operation is 
called an NTE zone (see 40 CFR 94.106). The first regulation of ours 
that included NTE standards was the commercial marine diesel 
regulation, finalized in 1999. After we finalized that regulation, we 
promulgated other NTE regulations for both heavy-duty on-highway and 
nonroad diesel engines. We also finalized a regulation that requires 
heavy-duty on-highway engine manufacturers to conduct field testing to 
demonstrate in-use compliance with the on-highway NTE standards. 
Throughout our development of these other regulations, we have learned 
many details about how best to specify NTE zones and multipliers that 
will ensure the greatest degree of in-use emissions control, while at 
the same time will avoid disproportionately stringent requirements for 
engine operation that has only a minor contribution to an engine's 
overall impact on the environment. Based upon the Tier 3 and Tier 4 
standards--and our best information of in-use marine engine operation--
we are making certain improvements to our marine NTE standards.
    For marine engines we are broadening the NTE zones in order to 
better control emissions in regions of engine operation where an 
engine's emissions rates (i.e. grams/hour, tons/day) are greatest; 
namely at high engine speed and high engine load. This is especially 
important for commercial marine engines because they typically operate 
at steady-state at high-speed and high-load operation. This change also 
will make our marine NTE zones much more similar to our on-highway and 
nonroad NTE zones. Additionally, we analyzed different ways to define 
the marine NTE zones, and we determined a number of ways to improve and 
simplify the way we define and calculate the borders of these zones. We 
feel that these improvements will help clarify when an engine is 
operating within a marine NTE zone.
    Note that we specify different duty cycles to which a marine engine 
may be certified, based upon the engine's specific application (e.g., 
fixed-pitch propeller, controllable-pitch propeller, constant speed, 
auxiliary, etc.). These duty cycles are described below in section 
IV.C.(9). Correspondingly, we also have a unique NTE zone for each of 
these duty cycles. These different NTE zones are intended to best 
reflect an engine's real-world range of operation for that particular 
application. One primary change in the NTE zones, compared to the NPRM, 
is for controllable-pitch propeller applications. Rather than using the 
nonroad NTE zone, as proposed, the final NTE zone for these engines has 
been revised to better reflect marine engine operation. Please refer to 
section 1042.101(c) of the new regulations for a description of our new 
NTE standards. In the cases where marine auxiliary engines use the same 
duty cycle as their land-based nonroad counterparts, we

[[Page 37142]]

are adopting the same NTE standards as we have already finalized for 
nonroad engines in 40 CFR Sec.  1039.101. As the standards for marine 
diesel engines under 75 kW are based on the corresponding nonroad 
engine standards, we are aligning the NTE standard start dates for 
these engines with the nonroad engine NTE start dates in 2012 and 2013.
    We are also implementing new NTE multipliers. We have analyzed how 
the Tier 3 and Tier 4 emissions standards affect the stringency of the 
marine NTE standards, especially in comparison to the stringency of the 
underlying duty cycle standards. We recognized that in certain sub-
regions of our new NTE zones, slightly higher multipliers are necessary 
because of the way that our more stringent Tier 3 and Tier 4 emissions 
standards will affect the stringency of the NTE standards. For 
comparison, Tier 2 marine NTE standards contain multipliers that range 
in magnitude from 1.2 to 1.5 times the corresponding duty cycle 
standard. The new multipliers range from 1.2 to 1.9 times the standard. 
Even with these slightly higher NTE multipliers, we are confident that 
our changes to the marine NTE standards will ensure the greatest degree 
of in-use emissions control. We are also confident that our changes to 
the marine NTE standards will continue to ensure proportional emissions 
reductions, across the full range of marine engine operation.
    We are also adopting other NTE provisions for marine engines that 
are similar to our existing heavy-duty on-highway and nonroad diesel 
NTE standards. We are making these particular changes to account for 
the implementation of catalytic exhaust treatment devices on marine 
engines. One such provision is to account for when a marine engine 
rarely operates within a limited region of the NTE zone (i.e. less than 
5 percent of in-use operation). Another provision allows small 
deficiencies in NTE compliance for a limited period of time. We feel 
that these provisions have been effective in our on-highway and nonroad 
NTE programs; therefore, we are adopting them for our marine NTE 
standards as well.
(4) Emission Control Diagnostics
    We requested comment on a requirement that all Tier 4 engines 
include a simple engine diagnostic system to alert operators to general 
emission-related malfunctions. As is described in the S&A document, we 
are not adopting such general requirements today. (See section IV.A.(7) 
of this Final Rule for related requirements involving SCR systems.) We 
are, however, adopting special provisions for locomotives that include 
emission related diagnostics. First, we will require locomotive 
operators to respond to malfunction indicators by performing the 
required maintenance or inspection. Second, locomotive manufacturers 
will be allowed to repair such malfunctioning locomotives during in-use 
compliance testing (they would still be required to include a 
description of the malfunction in the in-use testing report.). This 
approach takes advantage of the unique market structure with two major 
manufacturers and only a few railroads buying nearly all of the freshly 
manufactured locomotives. These provisions create incentives for both 
the manufacturers and railroads to work together to develop a 
diagnostic system that would effectively reveal real emission 
malfunctions. Our current regulations already require that locomotive 
operators complete all manufacturer-specified emission-related 
maintenance, and this new requirement treats repairs indicated by 
diagnostic systems as such emission-related maintenance. Thus, the 
railroads will have a strong incentive to make sure that they only have 
to perform this additional maintenance when real malfunctions are 
occurring. On the other hand, manufacturers will want to have all 
emission malfunctions revealed so that when they test an in-use 
locomotive they can repair identified malfunctions before testing if 
the railroad has not yet done it.
(5) Monitoring and Reporting of Emissions Related Defects
    We are applying the defect reporting requirements of Sec.  1068.501 
to replace the provisions of subparts E in parts 92 and 94. This will 
result in two significant changes for manufacturers. First, Sec.  
1068.501 obligates manufacturers to tell us when they learn that 
emission control systems are defective and to conduct investigations 
under certain circumstances to determine if an emission-related defect 
is present. Second, it changes the thresholds after which they must 
submit defect reports. See the text 40 CFR 1068.501 for details about 
this requirement.
(6) Rated Power
    We are specifying in parts 1033 and 1042 how to determine maximum 
engine power in the regulations for both locomotives and marine 
engines. The term ``maximum engine power'' will be used for marine 
engines instead of previously undefined terms such as ``rated power'' 
or ``power rating'' to specify the applicability of the standards. The 
addition of this definition is intended to allow for more objective 
applicability of the standards. More specifically, for marine engines, 
we define maximum engine power to mean the maximum brake power output 
on the nominal power curve for an engine.
    For locomotives, the term ``rated power'' will continue to be used, 
but is explicitly defined to be the brakepower of the engine at notch 
8. We will continue to use the term ``rated power'' because this 
definition is consistent with the commercial meaning of the term.
(7) In-Use Compliance for SCR Operation
    As discussed in section III.C, we are projecting that manufacturers 
will use urea-based SCR systems to comply with the Tier 4 emission 
standards.\158\ These systems are very effective at controlling 
NOX emissions as long as the operator continues to supply 
urea of acceptable quality. Thus we considered concepts put forward by 
manufacturers in other mobile source sectors in dealing with this 
issue. These include design features to prevent an engine from being 
operated without urea if an operator ignores repeated warnings and 
allows the urea level to run too low. EPA has issued a guidance 
document for urea SCR systems discussing the use of such features on 
highway diesel vehicles.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \158\ The provisions described in this section will apply 
equally to SCR systems using reductants other than urea, except for 
systems using normal diesel fuel as the reductant.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We believe that the nature of the locomotive and large commercial 
marine sectors supports a different in-use compliance approach. This 
approach focuses on requirements for operators of locomotives and 
marine diesel engines that depend on urea SCR to meet EPA standards, 
aided by onboard alarm and logging mechanisms that engine manufacturers 
will be required to include in their engine designs. Except in the rare 
instance that operation without urea may be necessary, the regulatory 
provisions put no burden on the end-user beyond simply filling the urea 
tank with appropriate quality urea. Specifically, we are specifying:
     That it is illegal to operate without acceptable quality 
urea when the urea is needed to keep the SCR system functioning 
properly;
     That manufacturers must include clear and prominent 
instructions to the operator on the need for, and proper steps for, 
maintaining urea, including a

[[Page 37143]]

statement that it is illegal to operate the engine without urea;
     That manufacturers must include visible and audible alarms 
at the operator's console to warn of low urea levels or inadequate urea 
quality;
     That engines and locomotives must be designed to track and 
log, in nonvolatile computer memory, all incidents of engine operation 
with inadequate urea injection or urea quality; and
     That operators must report to EPA in writing any incidence 
of operation with inadequate urea injection or urea quality within 30 
days of each incident, and
     That, when requested, locomotive and vessel operators must 
provide EPA with access to, and assistance in obtaining information 
from, the electronic onboard incident logs.
    We understand that in extremely rare circumstances, such as during 
a temporary emergency involving risk of personal injury, it may be 
necessary to operate a vessel or locomotive without adequate urea. We 
would intend such extenuating circumstances to be taken into account 
when considering what penalties or other actions are appropriate as a 
result of such operation. The information from SCR compliance 
monitoring systems described above may also be useful for state and 
local air quality agencies and ports to assist them in any marine 
engine compliance programs they implement.
    Our new regulations specify that what constitutes acceptable urea 
solution quality be specified by the manufacturers in their maintenance 
instructions and require that the certified emission control system 
must meet the emissions standards with any urea solution within stated 
specifications. This could be facilitated by an industry standard for 
urea quality, which we expect will be generated in the future as these 
systems move closer to market. We recognize that this will likely 
require automated sensing of some characteristic indicator such as urea 
concentration or exhaust NOX concentration.
    We believe these provisions can be an effective tool in ensuring 
urea use for locomotives and large commercial marine vessels because of 
the relatively small number of railroads and operators of large 
commercial vessels in the U.S., especially considering that the number 
of SCR-equipped locomotives and vessels will ramp up quite gradually 
over time. In-use compliance provisions of the sort we are adopting for 
locomotives and large commercial marine engines would be much less 
effective in other mobile source sectors such as highway vehicles 
because successful enforcement involving millions of vehicle owners 
would be extremely difficult. In addition, the highway and nonroad 
diesel sectors are characterized by a wide variety of applications and 
duty cycles, which further differentiate in-use compliance approaches 
that may make sense in the relatively uniform rail and marine sectors 
from those that would be effective in the highway and nonroad sectors.
(8) Temporary In-Use Compliance Margins
    Consistent with the approach we took in the highway heavy-duty rule 
(66 FR 5113) and nonroad diesel rule (69 FR 38957), we are adopting a 
provision for in-use compliance flexibility in the initial years of the 
Tier 4 program. We proposed to allow adjusted in-use compliance 
standards for the first three model years of the Tier 4 locomotive 
standards to help assure the manufacturers that they will not face 
recall if they exceed standards by a small amount during this 
transition to advanced clean diesel technologies.
    Commenters suggested that the reasons we gave for applying this 
provision to locomotives were valid for marine engines too. We agree 
and are extending this provision to Tier 4 marine diesel engines. 
Commenters also argued that we over-emphasized the flexibility needed 
for NOX technology compared to PM technology. In response, 
we have concluded that it is appropriate to provide an alternative set 
of margins available to manufacturers willing to accept more stringent 
in-use compliance levels for NOX in exchange for somewhat 
less stringent levels for PM.
    Table IV-1 shows the in-use adjustments that we will apply. These 
adjustments would be added to the appropriate standards or FELs in 
determining the in-use compliance level for a given in-use hours 
accumulation. Our intent is that these add-on levels be available only 
for highly-effective advanced technologies such as particulate traps 
and SCR, and so we will apply them only to engines certified at or 
below the Tier 4 standards without the use of credits, through the 
first three model years of the new standards. As part of the 
certification process, manufacturers will still be required to 
demonstrate compliance with the unadjusted Tier 4 certification 
standards using deteriorated emission rates. Therefore manufacturers 
will not be able to use these in-use adjustments in setting design 
targets for the engine. They need to project that engines will meet the 
standards in use without adjustment. The in-use adjustments merely 
provide some assurance that they will not be forced to recall engines 
because of some small miscalculation of the expected deterioration 
rates.
    Also, to avoid what would essentially be a doubling up of the 
benefits of the two alternatives, contrary to their purpose, we are 
requiring that a manufacturer may only use the alternative set of add-
ons for an engine family if this choice is indicated in the 
certification application and may not reverse this choice in carry-over 
certifications or certifications by design.

                 Table IV-1.--In-Use Add-Ons (g/bhp-hr)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Primary set     Alternative set
      For useful life fractions      -----------------------------------
                                        NOX       PM      NOX       PM
------------------------------------------------------------------------
<50% UL.............................      0.7  .......      0.2
50%-75% UL..........................      1.0     0.01      0.3     0.03
>75% UL.............................      1.3  .......      0.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As discussed in section III.B(1)(a)(ii), in response to industry 
comments, we are providing another Tier 4 NOX compliance 
option for line-haul locomotives with a reduced in-use NOX 
add-on of 0.6 g/bhp-hr. Under this option, for the first 8 model years 
of Tier 4 (2015-2022), a line-haul locomotive manufacturer may certify 
a locomotive to the 1.3 g/bhp-hr NOX standard without 
needing to calculate or apply a deterioration factor. These 
locomotives, when tested in-use, must comply with an in-use standard of 
1.9 g/bhp-hr but

[[Page 37144]]

do not get the additional NOX compliance margins discussed 
above.
    Because this option is meant to address manufacturer concerns about 
manufacturing variability as well as catalyst durability, we are 
allowing manufacturers using this option to substitute an in-use 
locomotive test for each required production line test. These tests 
must be conducted on locomotives with more than 50 hours of accumulated 
operation, but at less than one-half of their useful life, and are in 
addition to normally-required manufacturer in-use testing. Furthermore, 
locomotives certified under this option may not generate credits under 
the ABT program because of their potentially higher in-use emissions. 
Also, of course, they may not be purposely designed to emit regulated 
pollutants at higher levels in use than at certification. This option 
will be available through the 2022 model year. It will not be available 
for the 2015-2022 model year locomotives when they are remanufactured 
in 2023 or later.
(9) Fuel Labels and Misfueling
    The advanced emission controls that will be used to comply with 
many of the new standards will require the use of ULSD. Therefore, we 
are requiring that manufacturers notify each purchaser of a Tier 4 
locomotive or marine engine that it must be fueled only with the ultra 
low-sulfur diesel fuel meeting our regulations. We are also applying 
this requirement for locomotives and engines having sulfur-sensitive 
technology and certified using ULSD. All of these locomotives and 
vessels must be labeled near the refueling inlet to say: ``Ultra-Low 
Sulfur Diesel Fuel Only''. These labels are required to be affixed or 
updated any time any engine on a vessel is replaced after the new 
program goes into effect.
    We are requiring the use of ULSD in locomotives and vessels labeled 
as requiring such use, including all Tier 4 locomotives and marine 
engines. More specifically, use of the wrong fuel for locomotives or 
marine engines would be a violation of 40 CFR 1068.101(b)(1) because 
use of the wrong fuel would have the effect of disabling the emission 
controls.
    We addressed the supply of ultra-low sulfur fuel in our previous 
regulation of in-use locomotive and marine diesel fuel. Specifically, 
we established a 15 ppm sulfur standard at the refinery gate for 
locomotive and marine (LM) diesel fuel beginning June 1, 2012. However, 
since we allow the sale, distribution, and use of 500 ppm LM diesel 
fuel to continue indefinitely, we did not set a ``hard and fast'' 
downstream requirement that only 15 ppm LM diesel may be sold and 
distributed in all areas of the country.\159\ This was to allow the LM 
diesel fuel pool to remain an outlet for off-specification distillate 
product and interface/transmix material. Because refiners cannot 
intentionally produce off-specification fuel for locomotives--refiners 
will no longer be able to produce nonroad, locomotive, or marine diesel 
fuel above 15 ppm beginning June 1, 2012--most in-use locomotive and 
marine diesel fuel will be ULSD (with a sulfur content of 15 ppm or 
less). Nevertheless, we expect that some fuel will be available with 
sulfur levels between 15 and 500 ppm, and our regulations require such 
fuel to be designated as 500 ppm sulfur diesel fuel.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \159\ However, in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic (NE/MA) area, as 
defined at 40 CFR 80.510(g), 500 ppm LM diesel fuel may no longer be 
sold and/or distributed beginning October 1, 2012. Such fuel may no 
longer be used in the NE/MA area beginning December 1, 2012.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We received comments regarding the fact that we did not set a 
strict downstream requirement on the use of 15 ppm LM for the entire 
country. The commenters feared that while a port might receive 
deliveries of 15 ppm LM fuel, the port might keep its pump labeled as 
``500 ppm LM'' to allow it to receive and dispense either 15 ppm or 500 
ppm LM. (As part of the diesel fuel regulations, all pumps dispensing 
diesel fuel must be labeled with the type and maximum sulfur level of 
the diesel fuel being dispensed.) The commenters were concerned that if 
such practice were widespread, marine vessels that require ULSD could 
potentially have problems finding it.
    We understand the commenters' concerns and have discussed a few 
potential solutions to this problem. One possible option is to require 
large ports (i.e., ports over some certain size) to make 15 ppm LM 
diesel fuel available. This size requirement could be by volume of 
single sale or above some other specified volume. Under this 
requirement, those ports with multiple tanks could continue to offer 
500 ppm LM diesel fuel in addition to the 15 ppm LM diesel fuel. Or, if 
a port (regardless of size) continues to sell 500 ppm LM diesel fuel, 
it must also sell 15 ppm LM diesel fuel. Another potential option would 
be to limit the sale of 500 ppm LM diesel fuel to small ports and 
locomotives only. However, these potential solutions would need to be 
discussed thoroughly with all stakeholders (including those in the fuel 
distribution and marketing industry) and put out for notice and 
comment. Therefore, we are merely noting potential solutions in this 
final rule but we are committing to investigate this issue further and, 
if the facts warrant doing so, addressing it in a separate action.
(10) Deterioration Factor Plan Requirements
    In this rulemaking, we are amending our deterioration factor (DF) 
provisions to include an explicit requirement that DF plans be 
submitted by manufacturers for our approval in advance of conducting 
engine durability testing, or in the case where no new durability 
testing is being conducted, in advance of submitting the engine 
certification application. We are not fundamentally changing either the 
locomotive or marine engine DF requirements with this provision, other 
than to require advance approval.
    An advance submittal and approval format will allow us sufficient 
time to ensure consistency in DF procedures, without the need for 
manufacturers to repeat any durability testing or for us to deny an 
application for certification should we find the procedures to be 
inconsistent with the regulatory provisions. We expect that the DF plan 
would outline the amount of service accumulation to be conducted for 
each engine family, the design of the representative in-use duty cycle 
on which service will be accumulated, and the quantity of emission 
tests to be conducted over the service accumulation period.
(11) Production Line Testing
    We proposed to continue the existing production line testing 
provisions that apply to manufacturers. Some manufacturers suggested 
that we should eliminate this requirement on the basis that very low 
noncompliance rates are being detected at a high expense. While we 
agree that compliance rates have been very good, we do not agree that 
they mean that the program has little or no value. As we move toward 
more stringent emission standards with this rulemaking, we anticipate 
that the margin of compliance with the standards for these engines is 
likely to decrease. Consequently, this places an even greater 
significance on the need to ensure little variation in production 
engines from the certification engine, which is often a prototype 
engine. For this reason, it is important to maintain our production 
line testing program.
    However, the existing regulations allow manufacturers to develop 
alternate programs that provide equivalent assurance of compliance on 
the production line and to use such programs instead of the specified


[[Continued on page 37145]]
[Federal Register: June 30, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 126)]
[Rules and Regulations]               
[Page 37145-37194]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30jn08-15]                         
 
[[pp. 37145-37194]] Control of Emissions of Air Pollution From Locomotive Engines and 
Marine Compression-Ignition Engines Less Than 30 Liters per Cylinder; 
Republication

[[Continued from page 37144]]

[[Page 37145]]

production line testing program. For example, given the small sales 
volumes associated with marine engines it may be appropriate to include 
a production verification program for marine engines as part of a 
manufacturer's broader production verification programs for its non-
marine engines. We believe these existing provisions already address 
the concerns raised to us by the manufacturers.
    We are adding provisions to allow manufacturers to use special 
procedures for production line testing of catalyst-equipped engines. 
Under the existing Part 92 and Part 94 programs, a manufacturer of a 
catalyst-equipped locomotive or Category 2 marine engine would be 
required to assemble and test the engine with a complete catalyst 
system. At the manufacturer's choice, the engine could be broken in by 
operating it for up to 300 hours or it could be tested in a ``green'' 
state and its measured emissions adjusted by applying ``green engine 
factors''. The new regulations in Parts 1033 and 1042 will continue to 
allow these options, but will also include additional options.
    For locomotives, the new regulations will allow a locomotive to be 
used in service for up to 1,000 hours before it is tested. This will be 
sufficient time to degreen a catalyst. We believe that this approach 
should work well for locomotives given the very close working 
relationships between the manufacturers and the major railroads. (See 
section IV.A.(8) for additional interim provisions related to 
production-line testing of locomotives.)
    We do not believe this locomotive approach would work for marine 
engines because the marine market is much more diverse and the very 
close working relationships cannot be assumed. Therefore, we will rely 
on our general authority to approve alternate PLT programs. Should a 
consensus develop in the future about how to appropriately verify that 
engines and catalysts are produced to conform to the regulations, we 
may adopt specific regulatory provisions to address these marine 
engines.
(12) Evaporative Emission Requirements
    While nearly all locomotives currently subject to part 92 are 
fueled with diesel fuel, Sec.  92.7 includes evaporative emission 
provisions that would apply for locomotives fueled by a volatile liquid 
fuel such as gasoline or ethanol. These regulations do not specify test 
procedures or specific numerical limits, but rather set ``good 
engineering'' requirements. We are adopting these same requirements in 
part 1033.
    We are also adopting similar requirements for marine engines and 
vessels that run on volatile fuels. We are not aware of any 
compression-ignition marine engines currently being produced that would 
be subject to these requirements but believe that it is appropriate to 
adopt these requirements now rather than waiting until such engines are 
produced. In this final rule, we are adopting requirements for 
controlling evaporative emissions that are identical to those for 
locomotives. As described in the proposal, we intend to apply to 
compression-ignition marine engines and vessels the same requirements 
we will be adopting for spark-ignition engines and vessels before the 
end of 2008 (as proposed at 72 FR 28098). We therefore intend to modify 
part 1042 in the final rule corresponding to that proposal related to 
spark-ignition marine engines and vessels. Specifically, if someone 
were to build a marine vessel with a compression-ignition engine that 
runs on a volatile liquid fuel, the engine would be subject to the 
exhaust emission standards of part 1042, but the fuel system would be 
subject to the evaporative emission requirements of the recently 
proposed part 1045.\160\
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    \160\ Part 1045 was proposed on May 18, 2007 (72 FR 28097).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(13) Small Business Provisions
    There are a number of small businesses that will be subject to this 
rule because they are locomotive manufacturers/remanufacturers, 
railroads, marine engine manufacturers, post-manufacture marinizers, 
vessel builders, or vessel operators. We largely continue the existing 
provisions that were adopted previously for these small businesses in 
the 1998 Locomotive and Locomotive Engines Rule (April 16, 1998; 63 FR 
18977); our 1999 Commercial Marine Diesel Engines Rule (December 29, 
1999; 64 FR 73299) and our 2002 Recreational Diesel Marine program 
(November 8, 2002; 67 FR 68304). These provisions, which are discussed 
below, are designed to minimize regulatory burdens on small businesses 
needing added flexibility to comply with emission standards while still 
ensuring the greatest emissions reductions achievable. (See section 
IX.C of this rule for discussion of our outreach efforts with small 
entities.)
(a) Locomotive Sector
(i) Production-Line and In-Use Testing Does not Apply
    Production-line and in-use testing requirements do not apply to 
small locomotive manufacturers until January 1, 2013, which is up to 
five calendar years after this program becomes effective.
    In the 1998 Locomotive Rule (April 16, 1998; 63 FR 18977), the in-
use testing exemption was provided to small remanufacturers with 
locomotives or locomotive engines that became new during the 5-year 
delay, and this exemption was applicable to these locomotives or 
locomotive engines for their entire useful life (the exemption was 
based on model years within the delay period, but not calendar years as 
we are promulgating today). As an amendment to the existing in-use 
testing exemption, small remanufacturers with these new locomotives or 
locomotive engines must now begin complying with the in-use testing 
requirements after the five-year delay on January 1, 2013 (exemption 
based on calendar years). Thus, they are no longer exempt from in-use 
testing for the entire useful life of a locomotive or a locomotive 
engine. We are finalizing this provision to ensure that small 
remanufacturers comply with our standards in-use, and subsequently, the 
public is assured they are receiving the air quality benefits of 
today's standards. In addition, this amendment provides a date certain 
for small remanufacturers when in-use testing requirements begin to 
apply.
    We received a number of comments asking us to clarify whether or 
not we were still planning to require production-line audits or 
verification for small locomotive remanufacturers during this 5-year 
delay (until January 1, 2013). In response, we are clarifying that we 
did not intend to exempt small locomotive remanufacturers from 
production-line audits during the 5-year delay (our intent was to 
exempt these entities from production-line and in-use testing 
requirements). We believe this requirement is of minimal regulatory 
burden to small locomotive remanufacturers. Moreover, we have clarified 
the general auditing regulations to explicitly allow audits to be 
conducted by the owner/operator, which further minimizes the burden.
(ii) Class III Railroads Exempt From New Standards for Existing Fleets
    EPA is limiting the category of small railroads which are exempt 
from the Tier 0, 1 and 2 remanufacturing requirements for existing 
fleets to those railroads that qualify as Class III railroads and that 
are not owned by a large parent company. Under the current Surface 
Transportation Board classification system, this exemption is limited 
to railroads having total revenue less than $25.5 million per year. 
This change requires that all Class II

[[Page 37146]]

railroads, when remanufacturing their locomotives, meet the new 
standards finalized for existing fleets.
    EPA had requested comment on whether the small railroads exemption 
from emissions standards for existing fleets had been effective and 
appropriate and whether they should continue under the new program 
finalized today. Under part 92, only railroads qualifying as ``large'' 
businesses, as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA) were 
subject to the standards for their pre-existing fleet. The SBA 
definition of a large railroad is based on employment. For line-haul 
railroads the threshold is 1,500 or more employees, and for short-haul 
railroads it is 500 or more employees. Additionally, any railroad owned 
by a parent company that is large by SBA definition is also subject to 
the current existing fleet requirements. Although this excludes a 
majority of the more than 500 U.S. freight railroads, it addresses the 
vast majority of the emissions because it includes all Class I 
railroads.
    The majority of comments supported revising the criterion for 
exempting railroads from emissions standards for existing fleets. While 
some of these commenter's felt that a revenue based approach exempting 
Class III railroads was appropriate, others disagreed, and argued that 
all railroads, regardless of classification or revenues should be 
subject to the new emission standards for existing fleets. These 
commenters felt no exemption would be legitimate because of both the 
extremely long operational life of these locomotive engines and the 
predominance of Class II and III railroads in various nonattainment 
areas of the country which contribute to air quality problems. Those 
commenters opposing any change to the existing exemption scheme argued 
that the current approach of exempting all small railroads should be 
retained because the costs involved in meeting new standards for 
existing fleets would impose a heavy financial burden on small 
railroads currently exempt from the program. Additionally, these 
commenters argued that small railroads' emissions are trivial and do 
not impact air quality.
    In finalizing this new approach, EPA believes that continuing to 
exempt Class III railroads with annual revenues under $25.5 million 
while including all Class II railroads in the existing fleet program is 
a reasonable approach that addresses both industry concerns regarding 
costs while also recognizing that small railroads do contribute to air 
pollution in areas they service including nonattainment areas 
throughout the U.S.
    We are clarifying our definition that intercity passenger or 
commuter railroads are not included as railroads that are small 
businesses because they are typically governmental or are large 
businesses. Due to the nature of their business, these entities are 
largely funded through tax transfers and other subsidies. Thus, the 
only passenger railroads that could qualify for the small railroad 
provisions will be small passenger railroads related to tourism.
(iii) Small Railroads Excluded From In-Use Testing Program
    The railroad in-use testing program continues to apply to Class I 
freight railroads only, and thus no small railroads are subject to this 
testing requirement. It is important to note many Class II and III 
freight railroads qualify as small businesses. This provision provides 
flexibility to all Class II and III railroads, which includes small 
railroads. All Class I freight railroads are large businesses.\161\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \161\ U.S. EPA, Assessment and Standards Division, Memorandum 
from Chester J. France to Alexander Cristofaro of U.S. EPA's Office 
of Policy, Economics, and Innovation, Locomotive and Marine Diesel 
RFA/SBREFA Screening Analysis, September 25, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(iv) Hardship Provisions
    Section 1068.245 of the existing regulations in title 40 contains 
hardship provisions for engine and equipment manufacturers, including 
those that are small businesses. We will apply this section for 
locomotives as described below.
    Under the unusual circumstances hardship provision, locomotive 
manufacturers may apply for hardship relief if circumstances outside 
their control cause their failure to comply and if the failure to sell 
the subject locomotives will have a major impact on the company's 
solvency. An example of an unusual circumstance outside a 
manufacturer's control may be an ``Act of God,'' a fire at the 
manufacturing plant, or the unforeseen shut down of a supplier with no 
alternative available. The terms and time frame of the relief depend on 
the specific circumstances of the company and the situation involved. 
As part of its application for hardship, a company is required to 
provide a compliance plan detailing when and how it will achieve 
compliance with the standards.
(b) Marine Sector
(i) Revised Definitions of Small-Volume Manufacturer and Small-Volume 
Boat Builder
    As proposed, we are revising the definitions of small-volume 
manufacturer (SVM) and small-volume boat builder to include worldwide 
production. Currently, an SVM is defined as a manufacturer with annual 
U.S.-directed production of fewer than 1,000 engines (marine and 
nonmarine engines), and a small-volume boat builder is defined as a 
boat manufacturer with fewer than 500 employees and with annual U.S.-
directed production of fewer than 100 boats. By including worldwide 
production in these definitions, we prevent a manufacturer or boat 
builder with a large worldwide production of engines or boats, or a 
large worldwide presence, from receiving relief from the requirements 
of this program. The provisions that apply to small-volume 
manufacturers and small-volume boat builders as described below are 
intended to minimize the impact of this rule for those entities that do 
not have the financial resources to quickly respond to requirements in 
the rule.
(ii) Broader Engine Families and Testing Relief
    Broader engine families: We are finalizing as proposed the 
provision that post-manufacture marinizers (PMMs) and SVMs be allowed 
to continue to group all commercial Category 1 engines into one engine 
family for certification purposes, all recreational engines into one 
engine family, and all Category 2 engines into one family. As with 
existing regulations, these entities are responsible for certifying 
based on the ``worst-case'' emitting engine. This approach minimizes 
certification testing because the marinizer and SVMs can use a single 
engine in the first year to certify their whole product line. In 
addition, marinizers and SVMs may then carry over data from year to 
year until changing engine designs in a way that might significantly 
affect emissions.
    As described in the proposal, this broad engine family provision 
still requires a certification test and the associated burden for 
small-volume manufactures. We realize that the test costs are spread 
over low sales volumes, and we recognize that it may be difficult to 
determine the worst-case emitter without additional testing but we need 
a reliable, test-based, technical basis to issue a certificate for 
these engines. However, manufacturers will be able to use carryover 
test data to spread costs over multiple years of production.
    Production-line and deterioration testing: In addition, as 
proposed, SVMs producing engines less than or equal to 600 kW (800 hp) 
are exempted from production-line and deterioration testing for the 
Tier 3 standards. We will assign a deterioration factor for use in

[[Page 37147]]

calculating end-of-useful life emission factors for certification. This 
approach minimizes compliance testing since production-line and 
deterioration testing is more extensive than a single certification 
test. As described in the proposal, Tier 3 standards for these engines 
are not expected to require the use of aftertreatment--similar to the 
existing Tier 1 and Tier 2 standards. The Tier 4 standards for engines 
greater than 600 kW are expected to require aftertreatment emission-
control devices. Currently, we are not aware of any SVMs that produce 
engines greater than 600 kW, except for one marinizer that plans to 
discontinue their production in the near future.\162\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \162\ U.S. EPA, Assessment and Standards Division, Memorandum 
from Chester J France to Alexander Cristofaro of U.S. EPA's Office 
of Policy, Economics, and Innovation, Locomotive and Marine Diesel 
RFA/SBREFA Screening Analysis, September 25, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We are finalizing provisions that require SVMs to undertake 
production-line and deterioration testing in the future if they begin 
producing these larger engines due to the sophistication of 
manufacturers that produce engines with aftertreatment technology. We 
believe these manufacturers will have the resources to conduct both the 
design and development work for the aftertreatment emission-control 
technology, along with production-line and deterioration testing.
    (iii) Delayed Standards
    One-year delay: As described in the proposal, post-manufacture 
marinizers (PMMs) generally depend on engine manufacturers producing 
base engines for marinizing. This can delay the certification of the 
marinized engines. There may be situations in which, despite its best 
efforts, a marinizer cannot meet the implementation dates, even with 
the provisions described in this section. Such a situation may occur if 
an engine supplier without a major business interest in a marinizer 
were to change or drop an engine model very late in the implementation 
process or was not able to supply the marinizer with an engine in 
sufficient time for the marinizer to recertify the engine. Based on 
this concern, we are finalizing as proposed to allow a one-year delay 
in the implementation dates of the Tier 3 standards for post-
manufacture marinizers qualifying as small businesses (the definition 
of small business, not SVM, used by EPA for these provisions for 
manufacturers of new marine diesel engines--or other engine equipment 
manufacturing--is 1,000 or fewer employees; as defined by the Small 
Business Administration's (SBA) regulations at 13 CFR 121.201) and 
producing engines less than or equal to 600 kW (800 hp).
    As described above and in the proposal, the Tier 4 standards for 
engines greater than 600 kW (800hp) are expected to require 
aftertreatment emission-control devices. We will not apply this one-
year delay to small PMMs that begin marinizing these larger engines in 
the future due to the sophistication of entities that produce engines 
with aftertreatment technology. We expect that the large base engine 
manufacturer (with the needed resources), not the small PMM, will 
conduct both the design and development work for the aftertreatment 
emission-control technology and that they will also take on the 
certification responsibility in the future. Thus, the small PMM 
marinizing large engines will not need a one-year delay.
    Three-year delay for not-to-exceed (NTE) requirements: As described 
in the proposal, additional lead time is also appropriate for PMMs to 
demonstrate compliance with NTE requirements. Their reliance on another 
company's base engines affects the time needed for the development and 
testing work needed to comply. Thus, as proposed, PMMs qualifying as 
small businesses and producing engines less than or equal to 600 kW 
(800hp) may also delay compliance with the NTE requirements by up to 
three years, for the Tier 3 standards. Three years of extra lead time 
(compared to one year for the primary certification standards) is 
appropriate considering their more limited resources. As described 
above and in the proposal, the Tier 4 standards for engines greater 
than 600 kW are expected to require aftertreatment emission-control 
devices. We do not apply this three-year delay to small PMMs that begin 
marinizing these larger engines in the future due to the sophistication 
of entities that produce engines with aftertreatment technology. We 
expect that the large base engine manufacturer (with the needed 
resources), not the small PMM, will conduct both the design and 
development work for the aftertreatment emission-control technology and 
that they will also take on the certification responsibility in the 
future. Thus, the small PMM marinizing large engines does not need a 
three-year delay for compliance with the NTE requirements.
    Five-year delay for recreational engines: For recreational marine 
diesel engines, the existing regulations (2002 Recreational Diesel 
Marine program; November 8, 2002, 67 FR 68304) allow small-volume 
manufacturers up to a five-year delay for complying with the standards. 
However, as proposed, we will not continue this provision. As discussed 
above and in the proposal, the Tier 3 standards for these engines are 
expected to be engine-out standards which do not require the use of 
aftertreatment--similar to the existing Tier 1 and Tier 2 standards. 
The Tier 4 standards will not apply to recreational engines. Also, Tier 
3 engines are expected to require far less in terms of new hardware, 
and in fact, are expected to only require upgrades to existing hardware 
(i.e., new fuel systems). In addition, manufacturers have experience 
with engine-out standards from the existing Tier 1 and Tier 2 
standards, and thus, they have learned how to comply with such 
standards. Thus, small-volume manufacturers of recreational marine 
diesel engines do not need more time to meet the new standards. For 
small PMMs of recreational marine diesel engines, the one-year delay 
described earlier will provide enough time for these entities to meet 
today's standards.
(iv) Engine Dressing Exemption
    We are finalizing as proposed that marine engine dresser will 
continue to be exempt from certification and compliance requirements. 
As described in the proposal, many marine diesel engine manufacturers 
take a new, land-based engine and modify it for installation on a 
marine vessel. Some of these companies modifying an engine make no 
changes that might affect emissions. Instead, the modifications may 
consist of adding mounting hardware and a generator or reduction gears 
for propulsion. It can also involve installing a new marine cooling 
system that meets original manufacturer specifications and duplicates 
the cooling characteristics of the land-based engine but with a 
different cooling medium (such as sea water). In many ways, these 
manufacturers are similar to nonroad equipment manufacturers that 
purchase certified land-based nonroad engines to make auxiliary 
engines. This simplified approach of producing an engine can more 
accurately be described as dressing an engine for a particular 
application. As indicated above, engine dressers make changes to an 
engine without affecting the emission characteristics of the engine, 
which would include modifications that do not affect aftertreatment 
emission-control devices or systems (as stated earlier, Tier 4 
standards for engines greater than 600 kW (800 hp) are expected to 
require aftertreatment).
    Because the modified land-based engines are subsequently used on a 
marine vessel, however, these modified engines are considered marine 
diesel

[[Page 37148]]

engines, which then fall under these requirements. As described in the 
proposal, while we continue to consider them to be manufacturers of a 
marine diesel engine, they are not be required to obtain a certificate 
of conformity (as long as they ensure that the original label remains 
on the engine and report annually to EPA that the engine models that 
are exempt pursuant to this provision). This extends section 94.907 of 
the existing regulations. For further details of engine dressers 
responsibilities see section 1042.605 of the regulations.
(v) Vessel Builder Provisions
    Current recreational marine engines regulations (2002 Recreational 
Diesel Marine program; November 8, 2002, 67 FR 68304) allow 
manufacturers with a written request from a small-volume boat builder 
to produce a limited number of uncertified engines (over a five year 
period)--an amount equal to 80 percent of the boat builders sales for 
one year. For builders with very small production volumes, this 80 
percent allowance could be exceeded, as long as sales did not exceed 10 
engines in any one year nor 20 total engines over five years and 
applied only to engines less than or equal to 2.5 liters per cylinder. 
We are not continuing this provision because recreational marine 
engines are subject only to the Tier 3 standards that are not expected 
to change the physical characteristics of engines (Tier 3 standards 
will not result in a larger engine or otherwise require any more space 
within a vessel). Because of the similarity to Tier 2 engine standards 
there will be no need for boat builders to redesign engine compartments 
thus eliminating the need for this 5 year delay provision.
(vi) Small Vessel Operators Exempt From New Standards for Existing 
Fleet
    In the proposed rule, we requested comment on an alternative 
program option (Alternative 5: Existing Engines) that would for the 
first time set emission standards for marine diesel engines on existing 
vessels--the marine existing fleet or remanufacture program. As 
described earlier in section III.B.2.b, Remanufactured Marine 
Standards, we plan to finalize only the first part of this option 
requiring the owner of a marine diesel engine (vessel operator) to use 
a certified marine remanufacture system when the engine is 
remanufactured if such a system is available.
    The marine existing fleet program will apply only to those 
commercial marine diesel engines (C1 and C2 engines) which meet the 
following criteria:
     Greater than 600 kW (800 hp);
     Tier 0 or Tier 1 engines for C1 engines;
     Tier 0, Tier 1 or Tier 2 engines for C2 engines;
     Built in model year 1973 or later; and
     Have a certified kit available at time of remanufacture.
    We estimate that about 4 percent (or about 3,885 of 105,406 
engines) of all C1 and C2 engines are subject to the existing fleet 
program and are likely to have certified kits available at the time of 
remanufacture. Thus, the percentage of vessels impacted by the 
remanufacture program is estimated to be similar.
    Industry commented that a small portion of the vessel operators 
with engines greater than 600 kW (800 hp) are small businesses that 
would be significantly burdened by the existing fleet program. To 
address these comments, the requirements of the marine existing fleet 
program do not apply to owners of marine diesel engines or vessel 
operators with less than $5 million in gross annual sales revenue. This 
threshold includes annual sales revenue from parent companies or 
affiliates of the owners/operators. (Small Business Administration's 
(SBA's) regulations at 13 CFR 121.103 describe how SBA determines 
affiliation.) If at some future date gross annual sales revenues are $5 
million or more, they become subject to the existing fleet program at 
that point. The $5 million limit was chosen because a substantial 
sample of data for vessel operators--with vessels that have C1 and C2 
engines greater than 600 kW--indicates that a significant portion of 
the total revenue for this sample set, about 80 percent, is generated 
by operators with $5 million or more in annual sales revenue.\163\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \163\ The Waterways Journal, Inc., 2006 Inland River Record.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We expect that the amount of emissions from this sector correlates 
reasonably well with the amount of revenue generated (anticipate that 
revenue corresponds to activity which correlates well to emissions), 
and thus, most of the emissions from vessel operators (with engines 
greater than 600 kW (800 hp)) is obtained from those operators with $5 
million or greater in revenue. The $5 million threshold for annual 
sales revenue is estimated to include about 8 percent less of the total 
vessel operator revenue compared to a $10 million limit, while 
reflecting 15 percent more revenue than a $1 million threshold. About 
90 percent of all vessel operators with C1 and C2 engines have less 
than $5 million in revenue. The cost to remanufacture engines is a 
greater burden to the vessel operators with less than $5 million in 
revenue (larger fraction of revenue, etc.) than those above this limit. 
Therefore, the $5 million revenue threshold eliminates the regulatory 
burden for a substantial number of small vessel operators, while 
capturing a significant portion of the emissions from operators in the 
marine remanufacture program.
(vii) Hardship Provisions
    Sections 1068.245, 1068.250 and 1068.255 of the existing title 40 
regulations contain hardship provisions for engine and equipment 
manufacturers, including those that are small businesses. As proposed, 
we will apply these sections for marine applications such as PMMs, 
SVMs, and small-volume boat builders, which will effectively continue 
existing hardship provisions for these entities as described below.
    In addition, for the marine existing fleet or remanufacture 
program, we are now providing these same hardship provisions to vessel 
operators or marine remanufacturers that qualify as small businesses. 
These provisions are described below.
    Post-Manufacture Marinizers (PMMs), Small-Volume Manufacturers 
(SVMs), and Vessel Operators (or Marine Remanufacturers): As proposed, 
we are continuing two existing hardship provisions for PMMs and SVMs. 
In addition, we now extend these two provisions to small vessel 
operators or small marine remanufacturers for the marine existing fleet 
program. All of these entities may apply for this relief on an annual 
basis. First, under an economic hardship provision, PMMs, SVMs, and 
vessel operators (or marine remanufacturers) may petition us for 
additional lead time to comply with the standards. They must show that 
they have taken all possible business, technical, and economic steps to 
comply, but the burden of compliance costs will have a major impact on 
their company's solvency. As part of its application of hardship, a 
company is required to provide a compliance plan detailing when and how 
it plans to achieve compliance with the standards. Hardship relief 
could include requirements for interim emission reductions and/or 
purchase and use of emission credits. The length of the hardship relief 
decided during initial review is up to one year, with the potential to 
extend the relief as needed. We anticipate that one to two years is 
normally sufficient. Also, for PMMs and SVMs, if a certified base 
engine is available, they must generally use this

[[Page 37149]]

engine. We believe this provision will protect PMMs and SVMs from undue 
hardship due to certification burden. Also, some emission reduction can 
be gained if a certified base engine becomes available. See the 
regulatory text in 40 CFR 1068.250 for additional information.
    Second, under the unusual circumstances hardship provision, PMMs, 
SVMs, and vessel operators (or marine remanufacturers) may also apply 
for hardship relief if circumstances outside their control cause the 
failure to comply and if the failure to sell the subject engines will 
have a major impact on their company's solvency. An example of an 
unusual circumstance outside a manufacturer's control may be an ``Act 
of God,'' a fire at the manufacturing plant, or the unforeseen shut 
down of a supplier with no alternative available (the second example is 
mainly for PMMs and SVMs). The terms and time frame of the relief 
depend on the specific circumstances of the company and the situation 
involved. As part of its application for hardship, a company is 
required to provide a compliance plan detailing when and how it will 
achieve compliance with the standards. We consider this relief 
mechanism to be an option of last resort. We believe this provision 
will protect PMMs, SVMs, and vessel operators (or marine 
remanufacturers) from circumstances outside their control. We, however, 
do not envision granting hardship relief if contract problems with a 
specific company prevent compliance for a second time. See the 
regulatory text in 40 CFR 1068.245 for additional information.
    Small-volume boat builders: As proposed, we are continuing the 
unusual circumstances hardship provision for small-volume boat builders 
(those with less than 500 employees and worldwide production of fewer 
than 100 boats). Small-volume boat builders may apply for hardship 
relief if circumstances outside their control cause the failure to 
comply and if the failure to sell the subject vessels will have a major 
impact on the company's solvency. An example of an unusual circumstance 
outside a boat builder's control may be an ``Act of God,'' a fire at 
the boat building facility, or the unforeseen breakdown of a supply 
contract with an engine supplier. This relief allows the boat builder 
to use an uncertified engine and is considered a mechanism of last 
resort. The terms and time frame of the relief depend on the specific 
circumstances of the company and the situation involved. As part of its 
application for hardship, a company is required to provide a compliance 
plan detailing when and how it plans to achieve compliance with the 
standards. See the regulatory text in 40 CFR 1068.250 for additional 
information.
    In addition, as described in the proposal, small-volume boat 
builders generally depend on engine manufacturers to supply certified 
engines in time to produce complying vessels by the date emission 
standards begin to apply. We are aware of other applications where 
certified engines have been available too late for equipment 
manufacturers to adequately accommodate changing engine size (for 
engines meeting Tier 4 standards, which are described in section 
III.B.2 of today's rule) \164\ or performance characteristics. To 
address this concern, we are allowing small-volume boat builders to 
request up to one extra year before using certified engines if they are 
not at fault and will face serious economic hardship without an 
extension. See the regulatory text in 40 CFR 1068.255 for additional 
information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \164\ Tier 3 engine-out standards are not expected to change the 
physical characteristics of marine engines. Tier 3 standards will 
not result in a larger engine or otherwise require any more space 
within a vessel. For Tier 4 standards, we expect that vessels will 
be designed to accommodate emission components that engine 
manufacturers specify as necessary to meet these new standards 
(e.g., ensure adequate space is available to package aftertreatment 
components).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(14) Alternate Tier 4 NOX+HC Standards
    We proposed to continue our existing emission averaging programs 
for the new Tier 4 NOX and HC standards for locomotives and 
marine engines. However, the existing averaging programs do not allow 
manufacturers to show compliance with HC standards using averaging. 
Because we are concerned that this could potentially limit the benefits 
of our averaging program as a phase-in tool for manufacturers, we are 
establishing an alternate NOX+HC standard of 1.4 g/bhp-hr 
that could be used as part of the averaging program. Manufacturers that 
were unable to comply with the Tier 4 HC standard would be allowed to 
certify to a NOX+HC FEL, and use emission credits to show 
compliance with the alternate standard instead of the otherwise 
applicable NOX and HC standards. For example, a manufacturer 
may choose to use banked emission credits to gradually phase in its 
Tier 4 1200 kW marine engines by producing a mix of Tier 3 and Tier 4 
engines during the early part of 2014. NOX+HC credits and 
NOX credits could be averaged together without discount.
    The value of this alternate standard (1.4 g/bhp-hr) is the rounded 
sum of the Tier 4 NOX and HC standards. We proposed to set 
this value at the level of the NOX standard (1.3 g/bhp-hr). 
However, based on the comments received, we no longer believe this to 
be appropriate. See the Summary and Analysis of Comments for more 
discussion of this issue.
(15) Other Issues
    We are finalizing other minor changes to the compliance program. 
For example, engine manufacturers will be required to provide 
installation instructions to vessel manufacturers and kit installers to 
ensure that engine cooling systems, aftertreatment exhaust emission 
controls, and other emission controls are properly installed. Proper 
installation of these systems is critical to the emission performance 
of the equipment. Vessel manufacturers and kit installers will be 
required to follow the instructions to avoid improper installation that 
could render emission controls inoperative. Improper installation would 
subject them to penalties equivalent to those for tampering with the 
emission controls.
    We are also clarifying the general requirement that no emission 
controls for engines subject to this final rule may cause or contribute 
to an unreasonable risk to public health, welfare, or safety, 
especially with respect to noxious or toxic emissions that may increase 
as a result of emission-control technologies. The regulatory language, 
which addresses the same general concept as the existing Sec. Sec.  
92.205 and 94.205, implements sections 202(a)(4) and 206(a)(3) of the 
Act and clarifies that the purpose of this requirement is to prevent 
control technologies that would cause unreasonable risks, rather than 
to prevent trace emissions of any noxious compounds. This requirement 
prevents the use of emission-control technologies that produce 
pollutants for which we have not set emission standards but 
nevertheless pose a risk to the public. As is described in Section III 
and the Summary and Analysis of Comments document, this provision does 
not preclude the use of urea-based SCR emission controls.
    Some marine engine manufacturers have expressed concern over the 
current provisions in our regulation for selection of an emission data 
engine. Part 94 specifies that a marine manufacturer must select for 
testing from each engine family the engine configuration which is 
expected to be worst-case for exhaust emission compliance on in-use 
engines. Some manufacturers have interpreted this to

[[Page 37150]]

mean that they must test all the ratings within an engine family to 
determine which is the worst-case. Understandably, this interpretation 
could cause production problems for many manufacturers due to the lead 
time needed to test a large volume of engines. Our view is that the 
current provisions do not necessitate testing of all ratings within an 
engine family. Rather, manufacturers are allowed to base their 
selection on good engineering judgment, taking into consideration 
engine features and characteristics which, from experience, are known 
to produce the highest emissions. This methodology is consistent with 
the provisions for our on-highway and nonroad engine programs. 
Therefore, we are keeping essentially the same language in part 1042 as 
is in part 94. We are adopting similar language for locomotives and 
will apply it in the same manner as we do for marine engines.

B. Compliance Issues Specific to Locomotives

(1) Refurbished Locomotives
    Section 213(a)(5) of the Clean Air Act directs EPA to establish 
emission standards for ``new locomotives and new engines used in 
locomotives.'' In the previous rulemaking, we defined ``new 
locomotive'' to mean a freshly manufactured or remanufactured 
locomotive.\165\ We defined ``remanufacture'' of a locomotive as a 
process in which all of the power assemblies of a locomotive engine are 
replaced with freshly manufactured (containing no previously used 
parts) or reconditioned power assemblies. In cases where all of the 
power assemblies are not replaced at a single time, a locomotive is 
considered to be ``remanufactured'' (and therefore ``new'') if all of 
the power assemblies from the previously new engine had been replaced 
within a five year period.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \165\ As is described in this section, freshly manufactured 
locomotives, repowered locomotives, refurbished locomotives, and all 
other remanufactured locomotives are all ``new locomotives'' in both 
the previous and new regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Our new regulations clarify the definition of ``freshly 
manufactured locomotive'' when an existing locomotive is substantially 
refurbished including the replacement of the old engine with a freshly 
manufactured engine. The existing definition in Sec.  92.12 states that 
freshly manufactured locomotives are locomotives that do not contain 
more than 25 percent (by value) previously used parts. We allowed 
freshly manufactured locomotives to contain up to 25 percent used parts 
because of the current industry practice of using various combinations 
of used and unused parts. This 25 percent value applies to the dollar 
value of the parts being used rather than the number because it more 
properly weights the significance of the various used and unused 
components. We chose 25 percent as the cutoff because setting a very 
low cutoff point would have allowed manufacturers to circumvent the 
more stringent standards for freshly manufactured locomotives by 
including a few used parts during the final assembly. On the other 
hand, setting a very high cutoff point could have required 
remanufacturers to meet standards applicable to freshly manufactured 
locomotives, but such standards may not have been feasible given the 
technical limitations of the existing chassis.
    We are adding to Sec.  1033.901 a definition of ``refurbish'' which 
will mean the act of modifying an existing locomotive such that the 
resulting locomotive contains less than 50 percent (by value) 
previously used parts (but more than 25 percent). We believe that where 
an existing locomotive is improved to this degree, it is appropriate to 
consider it separately from locomotives that are simply remanufactured 
in a conventional sense. As described below, we are specifying 
provisions for refurbished locomotives that vary by application (switch 
or line-haul) and model year (before or after 2015). See also section 
IV.B(2), which describes minimum credit proration factors for 
refurbished locomotives.
    We are also clarifying that any locomotives built before 1973 
become ``new'' and thus subject to our emission standards when 
refurbished. In the 1998 rulemaking, we determined that pre-1973 
locomotives should not be considered ``new'' when remanufactured.\166\ 
An important policy consideration in making that determination was our 
analysis of the feasibility of such locomotives to meet the Tier 0 
emission standards. However, that analysis is not valid for refurbished 
locomotives. Given the degree to which such locomotives are redesigned 
and reconfigured, there is no reason that they should be considered 
differently from 1973 locomotives simply because their frames (or some 
other parts) were originally manufactured earlier.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \166\ ``Locomotive Emission Standards: Regulatory Support 
Document'', APPENDIX L, ``Exclusion of Pre-1973 Locomotives'', April 
1998.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We requested comment on setting more stringent standards for 
refurbished locomotives, considering that these locomotives are 
restored to a condition likely to allow for many years of continued 
service. Industry commenters expressed concern that our subjecting 
refurbished locomotives to more stringent standards could prove 
counterproductive, because state and local programs that currently help 
fund voluntary refurbishments to very clean emission levels could lose 
their incentive to continue doing so, given that these refurbishments 
would now just be meeting EPA standards. It was further argued that 
these refurbishments would also lose any opportunity to generate 
valuable ABT credits, given the challenge just in meeting the 
standards.
    We believe that the need for financial incentives will be just as 
clear and just as strong under the new program as before. Refurbishing 
a locomotive effectively removes an old, high-emitting locomotive from 
the fleet and replaces it with a clean one. The substantial cost of 
doing so and the potential that, absent incentives, old locomotives 
(especially switchers) would continue in operation almost indefinitely 
are the true drivers for creating incentives, regardless of the 
standards involved. We expect that state and local government officials 
involved in this process are well aware of this and will act 
accordingly. The ABT credits that can be gained from these 
refurbishments have not been a major factor to date and, considering 
that the credits can subsequently be used to produce other, less clean 
locomotives, we do not believe that state and local governments would 
or should be satisfied to help finance clean locomotives that result in 
dirtier locomotives elsewhere. As detailed below, we are therefore 
adopting more stringent standards for refurbished locomotives and 
phasing in these standards in a way that we believe best facilitates 
continued refurbishment of existing locomotives, while recognizing 
differences between the switch and line-haul locomotive fleets and the 
emission reduction trends resulting from our tiered approach to 
standards-setting.
    Currently, small numbers of old low-horsepower locomotives are 
being refurbished as significantly lower-emitting switch locomotives. 
The regulations in part 92 subject these locomotives to the Tier 0 
standards (unless they contain less than 25 percent previously used 
parts) and allow them to generate emission credits if they are cleaner 
than required. The regulations in part 1033 will continue this approach 
through model year 2014. It is important to note that since most of 
these locomotives were originally manufactured before 1973, simply by

[[Page 37151]]

meeting the Tier 0 standards they will achieve significant emission 
reductions.
    For similar reasons, we are adopting an interim program for 
slightly larger locomotives with power between 2300 and 3000 horsepower 
refurbished through model year 2014. These locomotives, which are 
frequently used as road switchers, would also be subject to the Tier 0 
standards for this period.
    We do not believe, however, that it would be appropriate to allow 
switch locomotives to be refurbished to the Tier 0+ standards in the 
long term. Once the Tier 4 standards begin to apply, we will allow 
these locomotives to be certified to the Tier 3 switch locomotive 
standards, which will still provide the opportunity to generate some 
emission credits as an incentive.
    The story is slightly different for higher power line-haul 
locomotives, which are currently not being refurbished. Nearly all of 
these remaining in the Class I railroad fleets were originally 
manufactured in or after 1973 and are already subject to the Tier 0 or 
later standards. Therefore there will be less of an air quality 
incentive to fund their refurbishment, and so we are specifying that 
refurbished line-haul locomotives be subject to the same standards as 
freshly manufactured locomotives. The regulations would treat them the 
same except for emission credit proration factors, which are described 
in section IV.B.(2)
    Another important consideration is the potential for refurbishment 
to be used as a loophole to circumvent the freshly manufactured 
standards for line-haul locomotives. Railroads currently turn over 
their line-haul fleets much faster than their switch fleets. However, 
it is not hard to envision a scenario in which railroads began 
refurbishing their locomotives rather than buying freshly manufactured 
locomotives, especially as the Tier 4 standards went into effect. A 
long-term program requiring that refurbished line-haul locomotives meet 
the same standards as freshly manufactured locomotives prevents 
refurbishment from being used as such a loophole.

       Table IV-2.--Provisions for Refurbished Switch Locomotives
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Minimum
                                    Applicable tier of       proration
                                        standards             factor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Locomotives refurbished before    Tier 0+...............            0.60
 2015.
Locomotives refurbished in 2015   Tier 3................            0.60
 or later.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


      Table IV-3.--Provisions for Refurbished Line-Haul Locomotives
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Minimum
                                    Applicable tier of       proration
                                        standards             factor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Locomotives refurbished before    Tier 2+/3.............            0.60
 2015.
Locomotives refurbished in 2015   Tier 4................            0.60
 or later.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

(2) Averaging, Banking and Trading
    For the most part, our new regulations will continue the existing 
averaging banking and trading provisions for locomotives. This section 
only highlights the provisions that are most significant in the context 
of this Final Rule. The reader is encouraged to read subpart H of part 
1033 for details of this program.
    In order to ensure that the ABT program is not used to delay the 
implementation of the Tier 4 technology, we are applying a restriction 
similar to the averaging restriction that was adopted for Tier 2 
locomotives in the previous locomotive rulemaking. We are restricting 
the number of Tier 4 locomotives that could be certified using credits 
to no more than 50 percent of a manufacturer's annual production. As 
was true for the earlier restriction, this is intended to ensure that 
progress is made toward compliance with the advanced technology 
expected to be needed to meet the Tier 4 standards. This will encourage 
manufacturers to make every effort toward meeting the Tier 4 standards, 
while allowing some use of banked credits to provide needed lead time 
in implementing the Tier 4 standards by 2015, allowing them to 
appropriately focus research and development funds.
    We proposed to allow the carryover of all Part 92 credits except 
for PM credits generated from Tier 0 or Tier 1 locomotives. The Tier 0 
and Tier 1 PM standards under part 92 were set above the average 
baseline level to act as caps on PM emissions rather than technology-
forcing standards. While Part 92 allows credits generated only relative 
the estimated average baseline rather than the standards, we were still 
concerned that such credits might have been windfall credits. However, 
as is described in the Summary and Analysis of Comments document, after 
further analysis we now believe that allowing the carryover of all part 
92 PM credits is appropriate and will allow such credits to be used 
under part 1033.
    We are also updating the proration factors for credits generated or 
used by remanufactured locomotives. The updated proration factors 
better reflect the difference in service time for line-haul and switch 
locomotives. The ABT program is based on credit calculations that 
assume as a default that a locomotive would remain at a single FEL for 
its full service life (from the point it is originally manufactured 
until it is scrapped). However, when we established the existing 
standards, we recognized that technology would continue to evolve and 
that locomotive owners may wish to upgrade their locomotives to cleaner 
technology and certify the locomotive to a lower FEL at a subsequent 
remanufacture. We established proration factors based on the age of the 
locomotive to make calculated credits for remanufactured locomotives 
consistent with credits for freshly manufactured locomotives in terms 
of lifetime emissions. These proration factors are shown in Sec.  
1033.705 of the new regulations. These replace the existing proration 
factors of Sec.  92.305. For example, using the new proration factors, 
a 15-year-old line-haul locomotive certified to a new FEL that was 1.00 
g/bhp-hr below the applicable standard would generate the same amount 
of credit as a freshly manufactured locomotive that was certified to an 
FEL that was 0.43 g/bhp-hr below the applicable standard because the 
proration factor would be 0.43. For comparison, under the old 
regulations, the proration factor would have been 0.50.

[[Page 37152]]

    We are correcting how the proration factors apply for refurbished 
locomotives to more appropriately give credits to railroads for 
upgrading old locomotives to use clean engines, rather than to continue 
using the old high emission engines indefinitely. As with the rest of 
the program, credits will be calculated from the difference between the 
applicable standard and the emissions of the new refurbished 
locomotive, adjusted to account for the projected time the locomotive 
would remain in service. The correction creates a floor for the credit 
proration factor for refurbished locomotives of 0.60. This is equal to 
the proration factor for 20-year-old switchers and would also be 
equivalent to a proration factor for a locomotive that was just over 10 
years old. For example, refurbishing a 35-year-old switch locomotive to 
an FEL 1.0 g/bhp-hr below the Tier 0 standard would generate the same 
amount of credit as a conventional remanufacture of a 20-year-old 
switch locomotive to an FEL 1.0 g/bhp-hr below the Tier 0 standard. 
This is because we believe that such refurbished switch locomotives 
will almost certainly operate as long as a 20-year-old locomotive that 
was remanufactured at the same time. Similarly, we believe that 
refurbished line-haul locomotives would likely operate as long as a 10-
year-old locomotive that was remanufactured at the same time.
    Finally, we are finalizing special provisions for credits generated 
and used by Tier 3 and later locomotives. Under the current part 92 ABT 
program, credits are segregated based on the cycle over which they are 
generated but not by how the locomotive is intended to be used (switch, 
line-haul, passenger, etc.). Line-haul locomotives can generate credits 
for use by switch locomotives, and vice versa, because both types of 
locomotives are subject to the same standards. However, for the Tier 3 
and Tier 4 programs, switch and line-haul locomotives are subject to 
different standards with emissions generally measured only for one test 
cycle. We will allow credits generated by Tier 3 or later switch 
locomotives over the switch cycle to be used by line-haul locomotives 
to show compliance with line-haul cycle standards. As proposed, we are 
not allowing such cross-cycle use of line-haul credits (or switch 
credits generated by line-haul locomotives) by Tier 3 or later switch 
locomotives.
    To make this approach work without double-counting of credits, we 
are also adopting a special calculation method where the credit using 
locomotive is subject to standards over only one duty cycle while the 
credit generating locomotive is subject to standards over both duty 
cycles (and can thus generate credits over both cycles). In such cases, 
we would require the use of credits under both cycles. For example, for 
a Tier 4 line-haul engine family needing 1.0 megagram of NOX 
credits to comply with the line-haul emission standard, the 
manufacturer would have to use 1.0 megagram of line-haul NOX 
credits and 1.0 megagram of switch NOX credits if the line-
haul credits were generated by a locomotive subject to standards over 
both cycles.
(3) Phase-In and Reasonable Cost Limit
    The new Tier 0 and 1 emission standards become applicable on 
January 1, 2010. We also proposed a requirement for 2008 and 2009 when 
a remanufacturing system is certified to these new standards. If such a 
system is available before 2010 for a given locomotive model at a 
reasonable cost, remanufacturers of those locomotives may no longer 
remanufacture them to the previously applicable standards. They must 
instead comply with the new Tier 0 or 1 emission standards when they 
are remanufactured. Similarly, we are requiring them to use certified 
Tier 2 systems for 2008 through 2012 when a remanufacturing system is 
certified to the new Tier 2 standards. For the purposes of this 
provision, ``reasonable cost'' means that the total incremental cost to 
the operators of the locomotive (including initial hardware, increased 
fuel consumption, and increased maintenance costs) during the useful 
life of the locomotive must be less than $250,000. This cost limit is 
based on the upper cost we think likely to be required to meet these 
standards and reflects comments on our NPRM from remanufacturers.
    As part of this phase-in requirement, we are requiring certifiers 
to notify customers that they are applying for certificate such that 
their locomotives will become subject to the new standards. We would 
then allow owners/operators a minimum 90-day grace period (after we 
issue the certificate) in which they could remanufacture their 
locomotives to the previously applicable standards once they are 
notified by the certificate holder that such systems are available. 
This allows them to use up inventory of older parts. However, where the 
certifiers do not immediately notify them, railroads would be allowed a 
grace period of at least 120 days after they are notified. This 
combined approach allows sufficient time to find out about the 
availability of kits and to make appropriate plans for compliance. We 
are also adding a new provision for owners/operators that limits the 
total number of locomotives that would need to meet the new standards 
during 2008 and 2009 to a fraction of the total number of 
remanufactures they do between October 3, 2008 and December 31, 2009 
that are subject to either the old or new standards.
    We are adding provisions that would allow Tier 0/1 remanufacturers 
to use during the phase-in period an assigned deterioration factor of 
0.03 g/bhp-hr for PM and assume that all other deterioration factors 
are zero. We will also apply an in-use PM add-on of 0.03 g/bhp-hr. 
These two provisions are intended to address lead time concerns raised 
by commenters. The commenters correctly point out that the available 
lead time is not sufficient to allow remanufacturers to verify 
durability of the emission controls in a more conventional way. By 
addressing this lead time issue, we will make it more likely that the 
low emission kits will be brought to market early.
(4) Recertification Without Testing
    Once manufacturers have certified an engine family, we have 
historically allowed them to obtain certificates for subsequent model 
years using the same test data if the engines remain unchanged from the 
previous model year. We refer to this type of certification as 
``carryover.'' We are also extending this allowance to owner/operators. 
Specifically, we are adding the following paragraph to the end of Sec.  
1033.240:

    (c) An owner/operator remanufacturing its locomotive to be 
identical to the previously certified configuration may certify by 
design without new emission test data. To do this, submit the 
application for certification described in Sec.  1033.205, but 
instead of including test data, include a description of how you 
will ensure that your locomotives will be identical in all material 
respects to their previously certified condition. You have all of 
the liabilities and responsibilities of the certificate holder for 
locomotives you certify under this paragraph.
(5) Railroad Testing
    Section 92.1003 requires Class I freight railroads to annually test 
a small sample of their locomotives. We proposed to adopt the same 
requirements in Sec.  1033.810, but asked for comments on whether this 
program should be changed. In particular, we requested suggestions to 
better specify how a railroad selects which locomotives to test, which 
has been a source of some confusion in recent years. In this final 
rule, we are adopting a revised approach that should reduce this 
confusion. The regulations provide four options for railroads to select

[[Page 37153]]

locomotives for testing and require EPA to notify the railroad by 
January 1st for any year in which we choose to specify which 
locomotives should be tested.
    In addition, the maximum annual testing rate is being lowered to 
0.075 percent, from the previously applicable rates of 0.15 to 0.10 
percent. This new rate will require Class I railroads to test 
approximately 20 locomotives per year. We believe that this number of 
tests (in addition to the testing required for certificate holders) 
will be enough to allow us to appropriately monitor the emission 
performance of in-use locomotives.
(6) Test Conditions and Corrections
    In our previous rule, we established test conditions that are 
representative of in-use conditions. Specifically, we required that 
locomotives comply with emission standards when tested at temperatures 
from 45[deg]F to 105[deg]F and at both sea level and altitude 
conditions up to about 4,000 feet above sea level. One of the reasons 
we established such a broad range was to allow outdoor testing of 
locomotives. While we only required that locomotives comply with 
emission standards when tested at altitudes up to 4,000 feet for 
purposes of certification and in-use liability, we also required 
manufacturers to submit evidence with their certification applications, 
in the form of an engineering analysis, that shows that their 
locomotives were designed to comply with emission standards at 
altitudes up to 7,000 feet. We included correction factors that are 
used to account for the effects of ambient temperature and humidity on 
NOX emission rates.
    We are now changing how the regulations deal with the test 
temperatures. We are specifying that testing without correction may be 
performed down to a lower limit of 60[deg]F. In implementing the prior 
regulations, we found that the broad temperature range with correction, 
which was established to make testing more practical, was problematic. 
Given the uncertainty with the existing correction, manufacturers have 
generally tried to test in the narrower range being adopted today. 
However, we will still allow manufacturers to test at lower 
temperatures but will require them to develop correction factors 
specific to their locomotive designs.
    We are also changing the altitude requirements for switch 
locomotives in response to a comment noting that switch locomotives 
will rarely operate above 5,500 feet. For switch locomotives, we will 
only require manufacturers to show that their locomotives comply with 
emission standards at altitudes up to 5,500 feet.
(7) Duty Cycles and Calculations
(a) Idle Weighting Adjustments
    While we did not propose any changes to the weighting factors for 
the locomotive duty cycles, we did request comment on whether such 
changes would be appropriate in light of the proposed idle reduction 
requirements. The regulations specify an alternate calculation for 
locomotive equipped with idle shutdown features. This provision allows 
a manufacturer to appropriately account for the inclusion of idle 
reduction features as part of its emission control system. There are 
three primary reasons why we are not changing the calculation 
procedures with respect to the idle requirements. First, different 
shutdown systems will achieve different levels of idle reduction in 
use. Thus, no single adjustment to the cycle would appropriately 
reflect the range of reductions that will be achieved. Second, the 
existing calculation provides an incentive for manufacturers to design 
shutdown systems that achieve in the greatest degree of idle reduction 
that is practical. Finally, our feasibility analysis is based in part 
on the emission reductions achievable relative to the existing 
standards. Since some manufacturers already rely on the calculated 
emission reductions from shutdown features incorporated into many of 
their locomotive designs, our feasibility is based in part on allowing 
such calculations.
    We are adopting a slight change to the way this adjustment works as 
compared to the previous regulations. We are specifying that idle 
emission rates for locomotives meeting our minimum shutdown 
requirements in Sec.  1033.115 be reduced by 25 percent, unless the 
manufacturer demonstrates that greater idle reduction will be achieved.
(b) Representative Cycles
    We also recognize that the potential exists for locomotives to 
include additional power notches, or even continuously variable 
throttles, and that the standard FTP sequence for such locomotives 
would result in an emissions measurement that does not accurately 
reflect their in-use emissions performance. Moreover, some locomotives 
may not have all of the specified notches, making it impossible to test 
them over the full test. Under the previous regulations, we handled 
such locomotives under our discretion to allow alternate calculations 
(40 CFR 92.132(e)). We are now adopting more specific provisions in 
Sec.  1033.520. In general, for locomotives missing notches, we believe 
the existing duty cycle weighting factors should be reweighted without 
the missing notches. For locomotives without notches or more than 8 
power notches, the regulations reference following information provided 
to us by manufacturers for the previous rulemaking that shows typical 
notch power levels expressed as a percentage of the rated power of the 
engine.
    In response to comments we are also adding provisions to address 
locomotives that include new design features that will result in 
changes to the in-use duty cycle. Specifically, the regulations state 
that manufacturers must notify us if they are adding design features 
that will make the expected average in-use duty cycle of their engine 
family significantly different from the otherwise applicable test 
cycle. They must also recommend an alternate test cycle that represents 
the expected average in-use duty cycle. We will specify whether to use 
the default duty cycle, the recommended cycle, or a different cycle, 
depending on which cycle we believe best represents expected in-use 
operation. For locomotives subject to both line-haul and switch cycle 
standards, the regulations specify that a single set of standards would 
apply for the representative cycle.
(c) Energy Saving Design Features
    We are adopting special provisions for locomotives equipped with 
energy-saving design features, such as sophisticated electronic 
optimization of throttle and brake settings based on route data or 
locomotive operation in a consist, electronically controlled pneumatic 
(ECP) brakes, and hybrid technology. The provisions we are adopting 
recognize that to whatever degree the total work done by a locomotive 
is reduced, the mass emissions would likely also be reduced. For 
example, if certain design features reduced by three percent the amount 
of work needed to pull a typical train, then the mass emission rate (g/
hr) would generally also be reduced by three percent. Under the new 
provisions, manufacturers will be allowed to adjust their locomotives' 
emissions to reflect this, based on data gathered prior to 
certification.
    Manufacturers choosing to adjust emissions under these provisions 
must present a test plan to EPA for approval prior generating the in-
use data necessary to estimate their emissions reductions. The degree 
to which manufacturers would be allowed to take

[[Page 37154]]

a credit at certification would be determined from a statistical 
analysis of their supporting data to address the uncertainty in their 
estimate. This would minimize the possibility that manufacturers would 
be given credit for emission reductions that did not actually occur. 
Later, additional data on the in-use fleet using the feature could be 
gathered to improve the statistical certainty and this could then be 
factored into subsequent certifications. In concept, however, if we had 
perfect data, we would grant the manufacturers full credit for the 
savings.
    Since our standards are specified as brake-specific emission 
limits, no credit or adjustment will be allowed for features that only 
improve the engine's brake-specific fuel consumption. The nature of the 
test procedure itself already properly credits such features. Thus, 
allowing additional credits to be calculated would be double-counting 
of credits.
(8) Non-OEM Remanufacturing Parts
    We are adopting measures in Sec.  1033.645 to help provide for the 
continued participation in remanufacturing by parts manufacturers 
willing to take responsibility for the long-term emissions performance 
of their parts but who lack the wherewithal to design and certify 
entire locomotive remanufacture systems that may include complex 
emissions control systems far beyond their expertise. Under this 
program, we would determine, based on an upfront engineering analysis, 
that the part supplier has a reasonable basis for concluding that use 
of their part would be equivalent to the OEM part in use. We would 
later verify its emission performance through in-use emission testing.
    The exact nature of the engineering analysis necessary to 
demonstrate that the part supplier has a reasonable basis for 
concluding that use of their part (or parts) will not cause emissions 
to increase beyond the level expected from the OEM part in use, is 
expected to vary. We see four possible paths to accomplish this.
     The part is shown to be identical to the original part in 
all material respects.
     The part differs physically from the original in a small 
number of ways and each of these is evaluated to show that the 
aftermarket part will be as good as or better than the original with 
respect to emissions performance.
     Measurable emission-critical parameters such as fuel 
injection profile or engine oil consumption rate are established and an 
engine (or relevant engine subsystem) using the aftermarket part is 
shown through testing to perform as good or better than one with the 
original part with respect to these parameters.
     Emissions testing and durability demonstration is 
performed in essentially the same manner as for remanufactured system 
certification.
    For example, cylinder liners differing only in color and part 
number from the OEM liners would be identical in all material respects. 
Those having different bore groove patterns would not be considered 
identical, but an analysis of the difference this makes in the oil's 
interaction with the cylinder wall and rings (which could have an 
impact on PM emissions) could suffice to make the demonstration. 
Chrome-plated cylinder liners in combination with a specified piston 
ring set used in place of original rings and non-plated liners could be 
expected to affect the emission-critical parameter of oil consumption, 
especially later in the locomotive useful life due to differences in 
wear rates. Bench or field testing over time demonstrating lower oil 
consumption trends than original equipment could provide a sufficient 
demonstration, provided no other emission-critical parameters are 
involved. We do not believe it is necessary or even possible to specify 
in the regulations the appropriate emission-critical parameters for all 
of the locomotive aftermarket components identified in this provision 
or to specify the test procedures and criteria by which these 
parameters are evaluated. Instead, we are establishing broad criteria 
and requiring the part suppliers to propose the appropriate emission-
critical parameters and corresponding test or analytical methods 
appropriate to the part they produce.
    We would allow railroads to use the non-OEM part during 
remanufacturing once we have approved the supplier's engineering 
analysis. Once the part has been installed in at least 250 locomotives, 
we would require one of them to be tested. One additional locomotive 
would need to be tested from the next additional 500 locomotives that 
use the part. If any locomotives fail to meet all standards, we 
generally require one additional locomotive to be tested for each 
locomotive that fails. We would generally allow the supplier to include 
testing performed by others. For example, if a railroad tests a 
locomotive with the part under Sec.  1033.810, the supplier could 
submit those test data as fulfillment of its test obligations.
    We are adopting these provisions to address the specific issue of 
parts that are typically replaced during remanufacturing and for which 
there is an active aftermarket. Therefore, we are only specifying 
cylinder liners, cylinder heads, pistons, rings, and fuel injectors as 
being covered by this program. We reserve the authority to expand the 
program to cover other parts.
(9) Use of Nonroad Engines Certified Under 40 CFR Parts 89 and 1039
    Section 92.907 currently allows the use of a limited number of 
nonroad engines in locomotive applications without certification under 
the locomotive program. We believe a similar allowance should also be 
included in the new regulations. However, we are making some changes to 
these procedures. In general, manufacturers have not taken advantage of 
these previously existing provisions. In some cases, this was because 
the manufacturer wanted to produce more locomotives than allowed under 
the exemption. However, in most cases, it was because the customer 
wanted a full locomotive certification with the longer useful life and 
additional compliance assurances. We are adopting new separate 
approaches for the long term (Sec.  1033.625) and the short term (Sec.  
1033.150), each of which addresses at least one of these issues.
    For the long term, we are replacing the existing allowance that 
relies on part 89 certificates with a design-certification program that 
makes the locomotives subject to the locomotive standards in use but 
does not require new testing to demonstrate compliance at 
certification. Specifically, this program allows switch locomotive 
manufacturers using nonroad engines to introduce up to 30 locomotives 
of a new model prior to completing the traditional certification 
requirements. While the manufacturer would be able to certify without 
new testing, the locomotives would have locomotive certificates. Thus, 
purchasers would have the compliance assurances they desire.
    As is described in section III B (1)(b), the short-term program is 
more flexible and does not require that the locomotives comply with the 
switch cycle standards; instead the engines would be subject to the 
part 1039 standards. The manufacturers would be required to use good 
engineering judgment to ensure that the engines' emission controls 
would function properly when installed in the locomotives. For example, 
the locomotive manufacturer would need to ensure that sufficient 
cooling capacity was available to cool the engine intake air. Given the 
relative levels of the part 1039 standards and those being

[[Page 37155]]

proposed in 1033, we do believe there is little environmental risk with 
this short-term allowance and thus are not including any limits of the 
sales of such locomotives. Nevertheless, we are limiting this allowance 
to model years through 2017. This provides sufficient time to develop 
these new switchers. These locomotives would not be exempt from the 
part 1033 locomotive standards when remanufactured, unless the 
remanufacturing of the locomotive took place prior to 2018 and involved 
replacement of the engines with certified new nonroad engines. 
Otherwise, the remanufactured locomotive will be required to be covered 
by a part 1033 remanufacturing certificate.
(10) Mexican and Canadian Locomotives
    Under the prior regulations, Mexican and Canadian locomotives are 
subject to the same requirements as U.S. locomotives if they operate 
extensively within the U.S. The regulation 40 CFR 92.804(e) states:
    Locomotives that are operated primarily outside of the United 
States, and that enter the United States temporarily from Canada or 
Mexico are exempt from the requirements and prohibitions of this part 
without application, provided that the operation within the United 
States is not extensive and is incidental to their primary operation.
    We are changing this exemption to make it subject to our prior 
approval, since we have found that the current language has caused some 
confusion. When we created this exemption, it was our understanding 
that Mexican and Canadian locomotives rarely operated in the U.S. and 
the operation that did occur was limited to within a short distance of 
the border. We are now aware that there are many Canadian locomotives 
that do operate extensively within the U.S. and relatively few that 
meet the conditions of the exemption. We have also learned that some 
Mexican locomotives may be operating more extensively in the United 
States. Thus, it is appropriate to make this exemption subject to our 
prior approval. To obtain this exemption, a railroad will be required 
to submit a detailed plan for our review prior to using uncertified 
locomotives in the U.S. We will grant an exemption for locomotives that 
we determine will not be used extensively in the U.S. and that such 
operation will be incidental to their primary operation. Mexican and 
Canadian locomotives that do not have such an exemption and do not 
otherwise meet EPA regulations may not enter the United States.
(11) Other Locomotive Issues
    The regulations in part 92 allow locomotive owners to voluntarily 
subject their pre-1973 locomotives to the Tier 0 standards or to 
include in the locomotive program low-horsepower locomotives that would 
otherwise be excluded based on their rated power. We are also including 
these options in the new part 1033. We will also provide two additional 
options. First, we will allow Tier 0 switch locomotives, which are 
normally not subject to line-haul cycle standards, to be voluntarily 
certified to the line-haul cycle standards. Second, we will allow any 
locomotives to be voluntarily certified to a more stringent tier of 
standards. An example of where these options may be desirable would be 
a case in which a customer wants to purchase a refurbished switch 
locomotive that meets the Tier 2 standards. While it may seem obvious 
that it would be allowed, the old regulations are unclear. The part 
1033 regulations eliminate this confusion.
    The existing and proposed regulations both specified that railroads 
are required to perform emission-related maintenance. In response to 
comments, we have added to the regulations a clarification that 
unscheduled maintenance has to be performed in a timely manner, no 
later than at the next ``92-day'' inspection required by the Federal 
Railroad Administration. Railroads expressed concern that the 
regulations, as previously written, would have required them to 
immediately remove a locomotive from service to make emission-related 
repairs. This was not our intent. Rather, the maintenance provision was 
intended to merely require that the maintenance be performed in a 
timely manner. For many repairs, it may be appropriate to wait until 
the next 92-day inspection. However, for many others it would be 
appropriate to make the repair sooner to the extent practical.
    In response to comments, we are adding an interim allowance to 
simplify certification testing of locomotive engines. Specifically, for 
model years before 2014, we will allow manufacturers to test locomotive 
engines for certification without replicating the transient behavior in 
the locomotive. This will make it easier for manufacturers to certify 
new cleaner remanufacturing systems for the full range of locomotive 
models.

C. Compliance Issues Specific to Marine Engines

(1) Remanufacturing
    As discussed in Section III, above, we are adopting a marine 
remanufacture program for marine diesel engines over 600 kW built from 
1973 through Tier 2 that requires the use of a certified remanufacture 
system when such an engine is remanufactured, if one is available. 
Certified remanufacture systems must achieve at least a 25 percent 
reduction in PM emissions. This section briefly describes several 
certification and compliance provisions for the marine remanufacture 
program; the full program is contained in the regulations for this 
rule.
    In general, the normal certification requirements for new marine 
diesel engines would apply, with minor variations as needed to 
accommodate the characteristics of remanufactured engines. For example, 
engine families are based on the same criteria as for freshly 
manufactured engines, and testing, reporting, the application for 
certification, and warranty requirements closely follow the provisions 
that apply for freshly manufactured engines.
    In general, remanufactured engines are considered to be ``new'' 
engines, and they remain new until sold or placed back into service 
after the replacement of the last cylinder liner. The standards do not 
apply for engines that are rebuilt without removing cylinder liners. 
For a new engine to be placed into service, it must be covered by a 
certificate of conformity.
    As is the case with our other emission control programs, 
certification testing for conformity demonstration will be performed on 
the most common configuration within an engine family. An engine family 
is a group of engines that have the same characteristics with respect 
to combustion cycle and fuel, cooling system, method of air aspiration, 
method of exhaust aftertreatment, combustion chamber design, bore and 
stroke, and mechanical or electronic controls. Other configurations may 
be included if it can be shown based on good engineering judgment that 
they are likely to provide a PM reduction similar to the configuration 
tested. Compliance for these other configurations is based on an 
engineering demonstration that the remanufacturing system reduces PM 
emissions by 25 percent without increasing NOX emissions. 
Engine families may also include remanufacturing systems corresponding 
to engines that were originally produced over multiple model years, as 
long as the configuration does not change in a

[[Page 37156]]

way that affects the validity of certification for the remanufacturing 
system.
    To certify a remanufacture system, a manufacturer must measure 
baseline emissions and emissions from an engine remanufactured using 
its system. A baseline emission rate would be established by 
remanufacturing an engine following normal procedures. That engine or a 
second engine of the same configuration is then tested for emissions 
after remanufacturing with the expected emission controls. The 
remanufacturing system meets the emission standards of the program by 
demonstrating a minimum 25 percent reduction in PM emissions and no 
increase in NOX emissions (within 5 percent). The 
remanufacturer must also demonstrate that the remanufacturing system 
does not adversely affect engine reliability or power.
    The remanufacturer must also demonstrate that the total marginal 
cost of the remanufacturing system is less than $45,000 per ton of PM 
reduction. For the purpose of this demonstration, marginal cost means 
the difference in costs between remanufacturing the engine using the 
remanufacture system and remanufacturing the engine conventionally. 
Total marginal costs over the period of one useful life are divided by 
the projected PM emissions over one useful life to obtain the cost of 
the remanufacture system per ton of PM reduced. Costs to be considered 
include hardware costs, labor costs, operating costs over one useful 
life period, and other costs (such as shipping).
    The useful life provisions established for freshly manufactured 
engines would apply equally to remanufactured engines. In general, 
remanufacturers would be responsible for meeting emission standards for 
10 years or 10,000 hours of operation for Category 1 engines, and 10 
years or 20,000 hours of operation for Category 2 engines.
    Certification will rely on a deterioration factor, similar to 
freshly manufactured engines. The certifying company may either use an 
assigned value of 0.015 g/kW-hr for PM or develop a new deterioration 
factor based on engine testing. For Tier 2 engines, the certifying 
company needs to add the deterioration factor to measured emission 
levels for certification. The deteriorated number must be less than the 
applicable PM standard. For Tier 1 and earlier engines, the 
deterioration factor is added to the emission level established for the 
certified configuration and that higher emission level serves as the 
emission standard for any in-use testing after certification.
    The regulations allow for simplified certification requirements for 
remanufacture systems that are already certified under the locomotive 
program. This would require only an engineering analysis demonstrating 
that the system would achieve emission reductions from marine engines 
similar to those from locomotives. Because the marine remanufacture 
program requires only a PM reduction, locomotive remanufacture system 
manufacturers may modify those locomotive systems with respect to 
NOX emissions. In that case, the system will have to be 
recertified as a marine remanufacture system based on measured values 
and subject to all of the other certification requirements of the 
marine remanufacture program.
     Remanufactured engines are not eligible for generating or using 
emission credits for averaging, banking, or trading. This is 
appropriate because the program we are finalizing is only mandatory if 
a system has been certified for the relevant engine. We will reconsider 
allowing systems to be based on emission credits when we consider 
whether to adopt a mandatory marine remanufacture program (Part 2 of 
the proposed program) at a later date.
    Not-to-exceed standards do not apply to remanufacturing. This is 
appropriate because the base engine in most cases is not subject to NTE 
requirements. In addition, NTE is most appropriately considered in the 
initial engine design phase; requiring remanufactured engines to meet 
the NTE requirements would likely require more intensive engine 
redesign than is anticipated by the simpler program we are finalizing.
    Finally, other provisions such as those governing maintenance 
intervals, warranties, duty cycles, test fuel, labeling, recordkeeping, 
etc. are the same as or similar to those for freshly manufactured 
engines.
(2) Replacement Engines
    We are revising certain aspects of our existing provisions with 
regard to replacement engines, as described below. These requirements 
apply to all marine diesel engines, propulsion or auxiliary, regardless 
of marine application. Section 1042.601(c) provisions apply instead of 
the provision of section 1068.240(b)(3) that applies for other nonroad 
engines.
    (a) Replacement With a Freshly Manufactured Engine
    Under the current marine diesel engine program, an engine 
manufacturer is generally prohibited from selling a marine engine that 
does not meet the standards that are in effect when that engine is 
produced. However, we recognize that there may be situations in which a 
vessel owner may require an engine certified to an earlier tier of 
standards. The two most likely situations are (1) when a vessel has 
been designed to use a particular engine such that it cannot physically 
accommodate a different engine due to size or weight constraints (e.g., 
a new engine model will not fit into the existing engine compartment); 
or (2) when the engine is matched to key vessel components such as the 
propeller, or when a vessel has a pair of engines that must be matched 
for the vessel to function properly.
    To address these extreme situations, we amended existing regulation 
40 CFR 94.1103(b)(3) to allow a manufacturer to produce a new engine 
which meets an earlier tier of standards if the Administrator 
determined that no new engine certified to the emission limits in 
effect at that time is produced by any manufacturer with the 
appropriate physical or performance characteristics needed to repower 
the vessel. An engine manufactured pursuant to this provision is 
subject to certain conditions: The replacement engine must meet 
standards at least as stringent as those of the original engine; the 
engine manufacturer must take possession of the original engine or 
confirm it is destroyed; and the replacement engine must be clearly 
labeled to show that it does not comply with the standards and that 
sale or installation of the engine for any purpose other than as a 
replacement engine is a violation of federal law and subject to civil 
penalty.
    We subsequently revised this provision to allow the engine 
manufacturer to make the determination of whether an engine compliant 
with the current standards would fit a vessel, but solely in cases of 
catastrophic failure (see 70 CFR 40419, July 13, 2005). This change was 
made to reflect industry concerns that obtaining prior EPA approval 
would take too long. The engine manufacturer may make the determination 
in catastrophic failure situations provided that the following 
conditions are met: The manufacturer must determine that no certified 
engine is available, either from its own product lineup or that of the 
manufacturer of the original engine (if different); and the engine 
manufacturer must document the reasons why an engine of a newer tier is 
not usable, and this report must be made available to us upon request. 
We also specified in Sec.  94.1103(a)(8) that no other significant 
modifications to the vessel can be made as part of the process of 
replacing the engine, or for a period of 6 months thereafter.
    In response to comments on the proposal for this rulemaking, we are

[[Page 37157]]

finalizing three additional revisions to the replacement engine 
provisions. First, engine manufacturers may now make the determination 
with respect to the feasibility of using a current tier engine in both 
noncatastrophic and catastrophic situations. This is a significant 
change to the program. Engine manufacturers and user groups were 
concerned about the amount of time that would be needed to obtain prior 
EPA approval, even in these noncatastrophic cases. Even though the 
noncatastrophic engine replacement is more typically planned in 
advance, it is still the case that the determination must be made in a 
timely manner to ensure the engine manufacturer has time to produce the 
engine before the vessel is taken out of service for the replacement. 
Therefore, we are revising the program to allow the engine manufacturer 
to make such determinations, provided certain additional conditions are 
met: The engine manufacturer must examine the suitability of 
replacement with any current tier engine, either produced by that 
manufacturer or any other manufacturer; the engine manufacturer must 
make a record of each determination, which must be kept for eight years 
and contain specific information; the record must be submitted to EPA 
within 30 days after shipping each engine along with a statement 
certifying that the information contained in that record is true. We 
may reduce the reporting and recordkeeping requirements in this section 
after a manufacturer has established a consistent level of compliance 
with the requirements of this section.
    These records will be used by EPA to evaluate whether engine 
manufacturers are properly making the feasibility determination and 
applying the replacement engine provisions. We may void any exemptions 
we determine do not conform to the applicable requirements. When 
assessing penalties under this provision we would consider whether the 
manufacturer acted in good faith. Thus manufacturers are encouraged to 
keep additional records to support their good faith attempt to comply 
with the regulations. For example, manufacturers could keep records of 
requests for replacement engines that are denied.
    In making the determination that a current tier engine is not a 
feasible replacement engine for a vessel, we expect the engine 
manufacturer will evaluate not just engine dimensions and weight but 
may also include other pertinent vessel characteristics. These 
pertinent characteristics would include downstream vessel components 
such as drive shafts, reduction gears, cooling systems, exhaust and 
ventilation systems, and propeller shafts; electrical systems for 
diesel generators (indirect drive engines); and such other ancillary 
systems and vessel equipment that would affect the choice of an engine. 
At the same time, there are differences between the new tier and 
original tier engines that should not affect this determination, such 
as the warranty period or life expectancy of a newer tier engine, or 
its cost or production lead time. These characteristics should not be 
part of the determination of whether or not a new tier engine can be 
used as a replacement engine. With regard to the warranty period or 
life expectancy for the new tier engine, an exception may be if these 
are significantly shorter for the new tier engine than for an older 
tier engine or the original engine and the shorter warranty period or 
life expectancy for the newer model is consistent with industry 
practices.
    In addition, in the case of a vessel with two or more paired 
engines, if the engine not in need of replacement has accumulated 
service in excess of 75 percent of its useful life we specify that the 
determination must consider replacement of both engines in the pair. 
This requirement is necessary to prevent circumvention of the freshly 
manufactured engine requirements by replacing one engine at a time and 
relying on the need to pair the engines as the sole justification for 
producing an engine to an earlier tier. We are also specifying that no 
additional modifications may be made to a vessel for six months after 
installing a new replacement engine made to a previous tier. This is to 
avoid circumvention of the requirement to use a freshly manufactured 
engine when a vessel is refurbished such that it becomes a new vessel.
    The second change to the replacement engine provision is necessary 
to accommodate the new tiers of standards we are adopting in this 
rulemaking. Specifically, in making the feasibility determination the 
engine manufacturer is now required to consider all previous tiers and 
use any of their own engine models from the most recent tier that meets 
the vessel's physical and performance requirements. If an engine 
manufacturer can produce an engine that meets a previous tier of 
standards representing better control of emissions than that of the 
engine being replaced, the manufacturer would need to supply the engine 
meeting the tier of standards with the lowest emission levels. For 
example, if a Tier 1 engine is being replaced after the Tier 3 
standards go into effect, the engine manufacturer would have to 
demonstrate why a Tier 2 as well as a Tier 3 engine cannot be used 
before a Tier 0 engine can be produced and installed. Similarly, for an 
engine built prior to 2004, the engine manufacturer would have to 
demonstrate why a Tier 1, Tier 2, or a Tier 3 engine cannot be used. It 
should be noted, in the case of Tier 0 engines, that MARPOL Annex VI 
prohibits replacing an existing engine at or above 130 kW with a 
freshly manufactured engine unless it meets the Tier 1 standards.
    The third change to the replacement engine provisions pertains to 
Tier 4 engines. We are making the advance determination that Tier 4 
engines equipped with aftertreatment technology to control either 
NOX or PM are not required for use as replacement engines 
for engines from previous tiers in accordance with this regulatory 
replacement engine provision. Note, however, that Tier 4 engines will 
be required to be used as replacement engines if the original engine 
being replaced is a Tier 4 engine. We are making this determination in 
advance because we expect that installing such a Tier 4 engine in a 
vessel that was originally designed and built with a previous tier 
engine could require extensive vessel modifications (e.g., addition of 
a urea tank and associated plumbing; extra room for a SCR or PM filter; 
additional control equipment) that may affect important vessel 
characteristics (e.g., vessel stability). It should be noted that by 
making this advance determination, EPA is not implying that Tier 4 
engines are never appropriate for use as replacement engines for 
engines from previous tiers; this determination is intended to simplify 
the search across engines and is based on the presumption that Tier 4 
engines may not fit in most cases. We are also not intending to prevent 
states or local entities from including Tier 4 engines in incentive 
programs that encourage vessel owners to replace previous tier existing 
engines with new Tier 4 engines or to retrofit control technologies on 
existing engines, since those incentive programs often are designed to 
offset some of the costs of installing and/or using advanced emission 
control technology solutions. This advance determination is being made 
solely for Tier 4 marine diesel replacement engines that comply with 
the Tier 4 standards through the use of catalytic aftertreatment 
systems. Should an engine manufacturer develop a Tier 4 compliant 
engine solution that does not require the use of such technology, then 
this automatic determination will

[[Page 37158]]

not apply. Instead our existing provision will apply and it will be 
necessary to show that a non-catalytic Tier 4 engine would not meet the 
required physical or performance needs of the vessel.
(b) Replacement With an Existing Engine
    Our current marine diesel engine program does not contain 
provisions that address the case in which an engine is replaced with an 
existing used engine. This means that if a vessel owner replaces an 
existing engine with a used engine, then that replacement engine is not 
required to be certified to our marine standards. It should be noted, 
however, that engines greater than 600 kW that are built after 1973 
would still be subject to the remanufacture program described in 
Section III(C)(2)(b). This means if the existing engine that is the 
replacement engine has all of its cylinder liners replaced, it will be 
required to be remanufactured using a certified remanufacture system if 
one is available for that engine. It is our expectation that a vessel 
owner would not replace an existing engine above 600 kW with a 
partially-rebuilt engine, and therefore we do not expect to see 
replacement engines that are not remanufactured if there is a certified 
remanufacture system available.
    These remanufacture requirements would apply whether the owner is 
obtaining an identical existing (used) replacement engine due to an 
engine failure or through an engine exchange for a periodic engine 
rebuild. These requirements would also apply if a vessel owner is 
obtaining a different model existing (used) replacement engine, for 
whatever reason.
    It should be noted that pursuant to the definition of ``new marine 
engine,'' used engines brought into the marine market from other 
segments (e.g., locomotive, land-based nonroad, or highway sectors) are 
considered to be new marine diesel engines when they are marinized or 
modified for use on a vessel, and must meet the standards for newly 
manufactured engines in effect when such an engine is marinized or 
modified for installation on a vessel.
(c) Swing Engines
    A swing engine is an additional engine that is purchased at the 
time the vessel is constructed as part of a rebuild strategy. When an 
engine is due for rebuild, that engine is removed from the vessel and 
replaced with the swing engine. The removed engine is rebuilt and then 
becomes the swing engine. Note that a swing engine is not meant to be a 
replacement engine in case of engine failure. Rather, it is a 
maintenance practice.
    It is our expectation that the swing engine would undergo a 
complete rebuild, including cylinder liner replacement, before it is 
made available as the swing engine. That would constitute 
remanufacturing, and the engine would be required to comply with the 
engine remanufacture requirements. In general, this means that all 
engines that are part of a swing engine rebuild practice are expected 
to comply with the remanufacture requirements over time, providing a 
certified remanufacture system is available.
(d) Vessel Refurbishing
    Our current program specifies that in addition to newly 
manufactured vessels, a vessel is considered to be ``new'' if it is 
modified such that the value of the modifications exceeds 50 percent of 
the value of the modified vessel. Such a refurbished vessel would be 
required to have an engine that is compliant with the standards in 
place when the vessel is modified. We expect that most vessel 
modifications will not trigger this threshold, but the requirement is 
necessary to accommodate those cases where a major structural change is 
done to a vessel that make it like-new.
    We are revising this provision to specify how temporary 
modifications will be treated under this provision. In general, 
temporary modifications to a vessel would not be considered to be 
vessel refurbishing for the purpose of the ``new vessel'' definition. 
We are defining temporary modifications as modifications to a vessel 
that are made pursuant to a written contract between the vessel owners 
and the purchaser of the vessel's services and that are made for the 
purpose of fulfilling the purchaser's marine service requirements. To 
be considered to be temporary, the modifications must be removed from 
the vessel upon expiration of the contract or after a period of one 
year, whichever is shorter. While we will allow a vessel owner to 
petition EPA for a longer period of time, we will generally assume that 
changes that are necessary for longer than one year are quasi-
permanent. We do not expect there to be many petitions for longer 
periods of time because temporary modifications that exceed 50 percent 
of the vessel's value would be considerable and would likely involve 
the vessel's power plant.
(3) Personal Use Exemption
    The current marine diesel engine emission control program contains 
certain exemptions from the standards, including the following: test 
engines; manufacturer-owned engines; display engines; competition 
engines; export engines; and certain military engines. We also provide 
an engine dresser exemption that applies to marine diesel engines that 
are produced by marinizing a certified highway, nonroad, or locomotive 
engine without changing it in any way that may affect the emissions 
characteristics of the engine.
    In addition to these existing exemptions we are also adding a new 
provision that exempts an engine installed on a vessel manufactured by 
a person for his or her own use (see 40 CFR 1042.630). This is intended 
to address the hobbyists and fishermen who make their own vessel (from 
a personal design, for example, or to replicate a vintage vessel) and 
who would otherwise be considered to be a manufacturer subject to the 
full set of emission standards by introducing a vessel into commerce. 
The exemption is intended to allow such a person to install a rebuilt 
engine, an engine that was used in another vessel owned by the person 
building the new vessel, or a reconditioned vintage engine (to add 
greater authenticity to a vintage vessel). The exemption is not 
intended to allow such a person to order a new uncontrolled engine from 
an engine manufacturer. We expect this exemption to involve a very 
small number of vessels, so the environmental impact of this exemption 
will be negligible, while the cost would otherwise be high to install a 
certified compliant engine.
    Because the exemption is intended for hobbyists and fishermen, we 
are setting additional constraints. First, the vessel may not be used 
for general commercial purposes. The one exception to this is that the 
exemption allows a fisherman to use the vessel for his or her own 
commercial fishing. Second, the exemption is limited to one such vessel 
over a ten-year period and does not allow exempt engines to be sold for 
at least five years. We believe these restrictions are not unreasonable 
for a true hobby builder or comparable fisherman. Moreover, we require 
that the vessel generally be built from unassembled components, rather 
than simply completing assembly of a vessel that is otherwise similar 
to one that must use a freshly manufactured engine certified to meet 
the applicable emission standards. The person also must be building the 
vessel him- or herself, and not simply ordering parts for someone else 
to assemble. Finally, the vessel must be a vessel that is not classed 
or subject to Coast Guard inspections or surveys.

[[Page 37159]]

(4) Lifeboat/Rescue Boat Exemption
    Our current marine diesel engine program does not exempt lifeboats 
or rescue boats, and we did not propose to revise that approach. This 
approach was developed for the Tier 2 marine diesel engine standards. 
As we explained in our 1999 FRM, the technologies that would meet Tier 
2 standards would not have inherent negative effect on the performance 
or power density of an engine, and we expected that manufacturers would 
be able to use the range of technologies available to maintain or even 
improve the performance capabilities and reliability of their engines. 
We also note that land-based emergency engines such as standby 
generators are not exempt from our emission control requirements in 
either highway or nonroad applications.
    We received several comments from manufacturers of lifeboats and 
rescue boats requesting that we reconsider this approach and exempt 
engines on lifeboats and rescue boats from the Tier 3 and Tier 4 
standards. They noted that engines on lifeboats and rescue boats are 
not regularly used as they are intended for use only during 
emergencies, and they are generally only operated for 3 minutes once a 
week and are water tested for a short period only a few times a year. 
Boat manufacturers were also concerned about the reliability of 
electronic controls and advanced technology aftertreatment systems in 
these situations, especially when the boats are stored on deck and 
exposed to the elements.
    We've also learned that at least some engine manufacturers that 
have certified engines in the past for use on Coast Guard approved 
lifeboats and rescue boats pursuant to Coast Guard and international 
(International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea--SOLAS) 
requirements have not yet done so for Tier 2 engines and may elect not 
to do so at all.\167\ The Coast Guard and SOLAS certification 
requirements are meant to ensure that an engine will perform after it 
is inverted, will operate when submerged up to the crankshaft, and will 
readily start at temperatures as low as -15 degrees C. This 
certification is expensive and time-consuming, and those costs may be 
difficult to recover over the limited U.S. market for lifeboats and 
rescue boats (100 to 150 boats per year). Manufacturers of those 
lifeboats that use those engines must either find an alternative engine 
for their product, and recertify the boats to the Coast Guard and SOLAS 
requirements, or exit the market.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \167\ See http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/mse4/boatlb.htm#LIFEBOAT_
FOR_MERCHANT_VESSELS for Coast Guard requirements for lifeboats 
and rescue boats.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    After considering these comments, we conclude that it is reasonable 
to modify our program for engines used on Coast Guard approved 
lifeboats and rescue boats. First, our final program exempts engines 
intended to be used on lifeboats and rescue boats from the Tier 4 
standards. This exemption is appropriate for technological reasons. We 
expect the Tier 4 standards to be met through the application of 
aftertreatment technology. While we believe these technologies will be 
durable and reliable, it is also the case the additional complexity 
could possibly affect engine performance in an emergency, which is the 
sole situation in which these engines would be used. For example, it 
would be necessary to ensure the engines on the lifeboat or rescue boat 
have onboard at all times an adequate supply of urea that meets the 
quality requirements of an SCR system. In addition, if the engine on 
the lifeboat or rescue boat is only run for very short periods of time 
for periodic onboard tests, the PM filter may not have time to 
regenerate. This could result in a small risk of plugging. Therefore, 
it is reasonable to exempt these engines from the Tier 4 requirements. 
It is worth noting that most lifeboat engines are less than 600 kW and 
thus would not be subject to Tier 4 standards.
    Second, to avoid a situation in which an engine certified to the 
Coast Guard and SOLAS requirements is not available for use in a 
lifeboat or rescue boat application, we are providing an exemption that 
would have the effect of delaying the date of the emission standards 
for engines used on those boats until SOLAS certified engines of the 
respective emissions tier become available. Specifically, we will grant 
exemptions for engines not complying with the Tier 3 requirements for 
use in a Coast Guard approved lifeboat or rescue boat until such time 
as a comparable Tier 3 engine that meets the weight, size, and 
performance requirements of the boat is certified under the Coast Guard 
and SOLAS requirements. Once such an engine becomes available, the non 
Tier 3 compliant engines may not be sold for use in these applications. 
This provision is necessary because the Coast Guard has observed a 
precipitous drop in available SOLAS certified engines with the 
emissions tier change from the Tier 1 emissions standards to the Tier 2 
emissions standards. Given the high cost of SOLAS certification and the 
low sales of SOLAS certified engines, engine manufacturers have delayed 
SOLAS certification of new emission tier engines. After considering the 
high cost of SOLAS certification, the need for additional lead time to 
complete the SOLAS certification process and the importance of 
lifeboats and rescue boats to safety, we have concluded it is 
appropriate to provide this exemption. We are not requiring engine 
manufacturers to certify these engines by a specified date. However, we 
anticipate that engine manufacturers will over time certify their Tier 
3 engines to the Coast Guard and SOLAS requirements, or modify their 
existing Coast Guard certified engines as necessary to comply with the 
Tier 3 requirements. Most of the marine diesel engines used on 
lifeboats and rescue boats are derived from land-based highway or 
nonroad engines. Once the Tier 3 requirements for those engines go into 
effect and the Tier 2 or Tier 1 counterparts are retired from the 
fleet, it will become more expensive to continue to provide parts and 
service for these older engines, and engine manufacturers will prefer 
to provide newer tier engines for lifeboats and rescue boats globally. 
Because it is not possible to determine when that change will take 
place, the final program specifies that when they do become available, 
they must be used.
    Finally, we are extending this exemption to Tier 2 engines as well. 
We have learned that some lifeboat and rescue boat manufacturers are 
having trouble obtaining engines that meet the Tier 2 standards. Note 
that because Tier 2 engines are not regulated under part 1042, this 
exemption is included in a new section in part 94 (94.914). As with the 
Tier 3 exemption, once a Tier 2 engine becomes available that meets the 
weight, size, and performance requirements of the boat and is certified 
under the Coast Guard and SOLAS requirements the exemption will no 
longer be available for freshly manufactured engines.
    Engines that are produced to an earlier tier pursuant to these 
provisions must be labeled to make clear that their use is limited to 
lifeboats or rescue boats approved by the U.S. Coast Guard under 
approval series 160.135 or 160.156. Using such a vessel as for a 
purpose other than a lifeboat or rescue boat is a violation of the 
regulations.
    The above provisions are applicable only to engines in lifeboats 
and rescue boats used solely for emergency purposes. This is an 
important distinction because there are cases in which a lifeboat may 
serve dual use on a vessel, both for general transportation (e.g., 
tenders) and for emergencies. Engines in lifeboats and rescue boats 
that are not used solely for emergency purposes are not exempt. These 
engines

[[Page 37160]]

are not expected to remain idle long enough for urea storage or PM trap 
regeneration to be a problem. For all these reasons, the Tier 2 and 3 
flexibility and Tier 4 exemption will apply only to engines intended 
for installation on lifeboats approved by the U.S. Coast Guard under 
approval series 160.135 (except those which are also approved for use 
as launches or tenders) and rescue boats approved by the U.S Coast 
Guard under series 160.156.
(5) Stand-By Emergency Auxiliary Engines
    We are exempting certain stand-by emergency auxiliary engines from 
the Tier 4 standards. This exemption is necessary due to the fact that 
these engines are rarely used, their operation being limited to 
periodic testing of several minutes duration. While the technologies 
that will be used to achieve the Tier 4 standards are expected to be 
durable, it is also the case that operation for such short periods of 
time may not be enough to engage the aftertreatment regeneration 
strategy. In addition, these auxiliary engines would need separate urea 
tanks, rendering them more complicated to maintain and use in an 
emergency situation.
    This exemption is limited to dedicated stand-by emergency auxiliary 
engines subject to United States Coast Guard requirements set out in 46 
CFR part 112. In general, these stand-by emergency auxiliary engines 
are supplemental to the ships' main auxiliary engines. They are located 
away from the main engine compartment, have separate fuel tanks, and 
are connected to the ships' power system in such a way as to provide 
for emergency power only to emergency equipment and not the ship's 
power grid generally. These engines must be labeled for use as marine 
stand-by emergency auxiliary engines only.
    Marine stand-by emergency engine means any marine auxiliary engine 
whose operation is limited to unexpected emergency situations on a 
vessel; these engines are subject to testing and maintenance required 
by the United States Coast Guard. They are generally used to produce 
power for critical networks or equipment (including power supplied to 
portions of a vessel) when electric power from the main auxiliary 
engine(s) is interrupted. Marine auxiliary engines used to supply power 
to the vessel's general electric grid or that are operated on a 
constant basis are not considered to be emergency marine auxiliary 
engines.
    Exempted engines are required to meet the applicable Tier 3 
standards (in part 89 or part 94, as applicable). See 40 CFR 1068.265 
for the provisions that apply for such exempt engines. The engines must 
also be labeled to make clear that they are exempt and their use is 
limited to emergency stand-by auxiliary power as specified in United 
States Coast Guard requirements set out in 46 CFR part 112.
(6) Gas Turbine Engines
    While gas turbine engines\168\ are used extensively in naval ships, 
they are not used very often in commercial ships. Because of this and 
because we do not currently have sufficient information, we are not 
including marine gas turbines in this rulemaking. Nevertheless, we 
believe that gas turbines could likely meet the new standards (or 
similar standards) since they generally have lower emissions than 
diesel engines and may reconsider gas turbines in a future rulemaking.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \168\ Gas turbine engines are internal combustion engines that 
can operate using diesel fuel, but do not operate on a compression-
ignition or other reciprocating engine cycle. Power is extracted 
from the combustion gas using a rotating turbine rather than 
reciprocating pistons.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(7) Natural Gas Engines
    The increasing deployment of tankers carrying liquefied natural gas 
has led to greater numbers of large marine engines running on natural 
gas instead of diesel fuel. Depending on the technological approach 
engine manufacturers take, these engines could fall under our 
definition for spark-ignition engines even though their design and 
development is more like compression-ignition engines. Without some 
clarifying provision, these engines would therefore be subject to the 
standards that we are developing for inboard spark-ignition engines, 
which are based on automotive technologies. Since this is clearly not 
appropriate, we are adopting a provision to specify that natural gas 
engines above 250 kW are subject to standards for marine compression-
ignition engines regardless of our regulatory definitions for spark-
ignition and compression-ignition engines. Since the analysis of 
control technology and the estimated costs and emission reductions are 
very similar to that for diesel-fueled engines, we have made no effort 
to separately analyze these engines relative to the new emission 
standards.
(8) Residual Fuel Engines
    The vast majority of Category 1 and 2 marine diesel engines subject 
to EPA's emission standards operate on distillate diesel fuel. There 
are cases, however, in which the owner of a vessel may prefer to 
operate a Category 2 engine on another type of diesel fuel. This is 
mainly the case for auxiliary engines on ocean-going vessels, to allow 
them to use the same fuel that is used in the propulsion engine 
(typically residual fuel). There are also a few vessels operated on the 
Great Lakes that use residual fuel or residual fuel blends.
    Our marine diesel engine program requires engine manufacturers to 
perform certification testing using the same type of fuel that will be 
used in actual engine operation. This requirement, which was also 
included in our 1999 Tier 2 rule, is intended to ensure that engines 
meet the emission limits in operation. In our proposal, we noted that 
engine manufacturers have not certified Category 1 or 2 engines that 
can be operated on residual fuel to the Tier 2 standards. Manufacturers 
explained that it is not profitable to do so due to the small size of 
the U.S. market for these engines. They also informed us that it would 
be difficult to meet EPA's PM standards on residual fuel.
    Some owners expressed concern to EPA about the unavailability of 
large auxiliary engines certified to the Tier 2 standards on residual 
fuel. These owners expressed a preference for auxiliary engines run on 
the same fuel as propulsion engines to simplify ship operations. To 
respond to this concern, we asked for comment on a compliance 
consisting of an alternative PM standard and a tighter NOX 
standard. The alternative standards would be available for auxiliary 
engines to be installed on vessels with Category 3 propulsion engines. 
Certification testing would still be required on residual fuel but we 
would allow alternative PM measurement procedures. To ensure that 
questions of test fuel and PM measurement are resolved before 
certification testing, manufacturers would have to apply to EPA to 
exercise this flexibility.
    The alternative of exempting residual fuel engines from the test 
fuel requirement and allowing them to be tested on distillate fuel is 
not appropriate. All of our mobile source emission control programs are 
predicated on an engine meeting the emission standards in use. The test 
fuel requirement is one of several provisions that help ensure in-use 
compliance, including useful life periods, emission deterioration 
factors, durability testing, and not-to-exceed zone. Amending the test 
fuel provisions to allow manufacturers to certify residual fuel engines 
using distillate fuel would introduce considerable uncertainty into the 
in-use performance of these engines,

[[Page 37161]]

would weaken the emission standards, and would be contrary to the goals 
of our program.
    We received no comments supporting the compliance flexibility 
described above, and therefore we are not revising our program with 
respect to test fuels or the standards that apply to engines with per 
cylinder displacement below 30 liters that use residual fuel. We expect 
to revisit this issue in the context of our upcoming rulemaking for 
Category 3 marine diesel engines.
(9) Duty Cycles for Marine Engines
    Manufacturers pointed out two inconsistencies between the proposal 
and existing requirements for marine engines related to the proposed 
duty cycles for marine propulsion engines less than 37 kW and the 
proposed duty cycle for propeller-law auxiliary engines. We agree that 
the existing 4-mode duty cycle (E3) should be used for these 
applications and have corrected this in the final rule.
    We received comment that the 8-mode (C1) duty cycle was not 
designed to represent variable-speed propulsion engines intended for 
use with variable-pitch or electrically-coupled propellers. Caterpillar 
provided an example of a power curve for a variable-speed engine 
designed to operate with a controllable pitch propeller where the 
operation is limited at low and mid-range speeds. In this case, we 
agree that the constant speed (E2) test duty cycle, combined with the 
NTE requirements, is more representative of the operation of this 
engine than the proposed C1 cycle. For this engine, the power and 
torque at the C1 intermediate speed is relatively low, leading to a 
heavy weighting of low power operation. In addition, the power limit 
curve, for overload protection, is at lower power than even the E3 duty 
cycle.
    Controllable pitch propellers are also used with variable speed 
engines that have power curves that are more similar to those seen for 
nonroad engines or marine engines used with fixed pitch propellers. We 
are concerned that the E2 duty cycle would not be representative of the 
operation of these engines. Therefore, we are finalizing the E3 duty 
cycle for variable-speed propulsion engines intended for use with 
variable-pitch or electrically-coupled propellers. In the case where 
the engine is not capable of operating over the E3 duty cycle in-use, 
the E2 duty cycle would be used. For the purposes of this requirement, 
we consider an engine capable of operating over the E3 duty cycle if 
the engine can safely achieve more than 1.15 times the power specified 
in the E3 duty cycle at 63, 80, and 91 percent of maximum test speed.
(10) Definition of Recreational Marine Diesel Vessel
    We are adopting a revised the definition of recreational marine 
diesel vessel in part 1042 that will essentially return to the 
definition we originally adopted in 1999. This revision will 
effectively rescind that change we made in our 2003 recreational engine 
rule (68 FR 9745, February 28, 2003). As is described later, in that 
rulemaking we revised the definition of recreational vessel by adding a 
reference to the Coast Guard definition in 46 U.S.C. 2101. However, 
since then, it has become clear that the revision resulted in 
significant confusion for industry.
    As described above, the Tier 3 standards that apply to recreational 
marine diesel engines are different than those that apply to standard 
power density commercial engines and recreational engines are not 
subject to the Tier 4 standards. Recreational engines are also subject 
to different compliance requirements, notably the duty cycle for 
certification testing and their useful life. These programmatic 
differences reflect the different way in which these engines are used, 
with recreational engines generally having a higher power/density 
ratio, operating at a higher load, and being used for fewer hours over 
their life than commercial engines.
    Recreational engines are defined based on whether or not they are 
intended by the engine manufacturer to be installed on a recreational 
vessel. In our 1999 Tier 2 marine diesel engine rule, we defined 
recreational vessel as a vessel intended by the vessel operator to be 
operated primarily for pleasure or leased to another for the latter's 
pleasure, with the exception of (i) vessels less than 100 gross tons 
that carry more than six passengers; and (ii) vessels more than 100 
gross tons that carry one or more passengers, where passenger means 
someone who pays to be on the vessel.
    The goal of this definition was to exclude so-called recreational 
vessels that are in fact operated like commercial vessels: Those that 
are operated many hours a year (for example, charter fishing vessels 
and smaller tour vessels that are rented on an individual basis, with 
or without a crew). A personal vessel owned by an individual for his 
personal use and not for hire was intended to be considered to be a 
recreational vessel. For smaller vessels, this is achieved by requiring 
that there be fewer than six paying passengers; this allows an 
individual to invite friends onboard his or her vessel in return for 
some pecuniary arrangement (e.g., paying for the gas). For larger 
vessels, above 100 gross tons, the presence of any paying passenger 
prevents the vessel from being characterized as recreational; this is 
intended to cover luxury yachts that recover costs by taking paying 
passengers onboard. The specified paying passenger thresholds are high 
enough to make them likely to be known at the time the vessel is 
purchased.
    In the 2003 rule, we revised the definition of recreational vessel, 
by adding a reference to the Coast Guard definition. However, the Coast 
Guard definition and EPA's definition have different intents. Coast 
Guard's requirements are safety related to ensure adequate lifesaving 
equipment is onboard a recreational vessel. For example, the Coast 
Guard definitions differentiate between charter and noncharter vessels 
based on whether vessels are operated with or without a crew. The 
intent of EPA's approach is to identify those vessels that are intended 
for pleasure as opposed to commercial applications. Thus our definition 
needs to rely on features that can be known at the time of manufacture. 
For example, by setting a six passenger threshold for small vessels our 
intent was to identify those vessels clearly identified by the 
manufacturer as being intended for charter use and not used as a 
charter either incidentally or unintentionally.
    Since the Coast Guard definitions do not reflect the intent of 
EPA's program and are inconsistent with EPA's definitions, we are 
revising the definitions to remove the references to the Coast Guard 
definitions and reverting back to the original definitions adopted in 
1999. While the new definition is being adopted in part 1042, Sec.  
94.12(i) of part 94 will allow manufacturers to use this new definition 
for certification under part 94. Commercial vessels that were 
categorized as recreational prior to that time due to confusion about 
the meaning of the definitions will not be affected by the revised 
definitions.
(11) Engine Stockpiling by Vessel Builders
    Our existing marine diesel engine program specifies in Sec.  
94.1103(a)(5) that it is a prohibited act to introduce into commerce a 
new vessel containing an engine not covered by a certificate of 
conformity applicable for an engine model year the same as or later 
than the calendar year in which the manufacture

[[Page 37162]]

of the new vessel is initiated.\169\ However, as an exception, we allow 
vessel manufacturers to use up their normal inventory of engines not 
certified to new, more stringent emission standards if they were built 
before the date on which the new standards apply (subject to 
stockpiling prohibitions). With the adoption of the Tier 3 and 4 
emission standards, the location of this provision transfers to Sec.  
1068.101(a)(1), including the exception noted above, now being located 
in Sec.  1068.105(a).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \169\ The manufacture of a vessel is initiated when the keel is 
laid, or the vessel is at a similar stage of construction. ``A 
similar stage of construction'' means: (1) the stage at which 
construction identifiable with a specific vessel begins, and (2) 
assembly of that vessel has commenced comprising at least 50 tons or 
one percent of the estimated mass of all structural material, 
whichever is less.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The normal inventory approach above was developed in response to 
traditional business practice in automotive and other industries where 
vehicles and equipment are serially manufactured. Although this scheme 
works well for most manufacturers of small, serially-produced marine 
vessels, its application to manufacturers of large, commercial marine 
vessels may not be so straightforward. In this latter case there are 
typically long lead-time build schedules and low production volumes, 
which translate to vessel manufacturers maintaining lean inventory 
onsite at the shipyard. Vessel manufacturers usually order engines from 
dealers upon entering into a vessel construction agreement with an end 
customer. Due to lengthy build schedules, which for many projects can 
be counted in years, and the location of some shipyards in low-lying 
coastal areas subject to seasonal flooding, engines are often delivered 
and warehoused at the dealers' offsite location until such time as the 
vessels are ready to receive them for installation. Especially in 
projects where construction agreements involve multiple vessels, 
engines for all vessels may be ordered and delivered to the dealer 
during the same year in which construction of the first vessel is 
initiated. Due to this type of business practice, we will allow vessel 
manufacturers to consider as part of their normal inventory those 
engines that are warehoused at offsite dealerships and for which the 
vessel manufacturer entered into a purchase agreement prior to a change 
in applicable emission standards, provided this practice is consistent 
with the vessel manufacturers past engine ordering practices. We will 
allow this normal inventory of engines to be used up after new emission 
standards apply. It should be noted, however, that this clarification 
does not extend to engines that are not the subject of a prior purchase 
agreement, and would not allow a vessel manufacturer to search for a 
previous tier engine among engine dealers to evade the standards. Also, 
if a dealer has previous tier engines that are not the subject of a 
prior purchase agreement after a new tier of standards goes into 
effect, those engines may be used only as replacement engines, subject 
to Sec.  1042.615; those engines may not be sold for use in new 
vessels.
(12) Other Issues
    Several commenters, including the United States Coast Guard, raised 
questions regarding the possibility that advanced aftertreatment based 
emission control systems for marine diesel engines may need to be by-
passed or otherwise modified or disabled in order to guarantee safe 
operation under emergency conditions. In general terms, the commenters 
speculated that the catalyst systems could fail in such a manner as to 
restrict exhaust flow reducing engine power and potentially endangering 
vessel safety.
    Marine vessels that lose power to a main propulsion engine or 
generating engine providing essential power to main propulsion engine 
auxiliaries could go adrift with almost no control. Unlike trucks and 
locomotives, marine vessels have no brakes and can literally ``coast'' 
for miles and due to their enormous tonnage have an incredible amount 
of momentum and can cause catastrophic damage via collisions, 
allisions, and groundings. In the past, main propulsion failures on 
marine vessels have resulted in severe loss of life, property, and 
damage to the marine environment. Due to this precedent, a loss of main 
propulsion is defined as a ``marine casualty or accident'' in 46 CFR 
4.03-1(b)(2)(ix) and 46 CFR 4.05-1 requires the occurrence to be 
immediately reported to the Coast Guard. To avoid potential loss of 
propulsion 46 CFR 58.01-35 effectively requires that main propulsion 
auxiliary machinery be provided in duplicate to prevent single point of 
failure.
    Our discussions with the engine manufacturers regarding the 
technologies they expect to use to comply with the rules we are 
finalizing today, lead us to conclude that such failure mechanisms are 
extremely unlikely given the robust nature of the technologies.\170\ 
However, reflecting the high priority everyone places on safety and the 
reality that no one can say today with absolute certainty how emission 
control systems will be designed in the future, we are continuing 
several regulatory provisions that further ensure safe vessel operation 
under all circumstances. Consistent with Coast Guard's requirements for 
main propulsion auxiliary machinery, we feel these provisions address 
the single point of failure concern in the design of emission control 
systems.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \170\ We should note here that the standards in our rules are 
performance-based rather than a prescription for the application of 
a specific technology. Our rules do not prevent a manufacturer from 
developing and applying new or different technology at some future 
time as long as it meets the performance basis in the rules (e.g., a 
0.04 g/kW-hr standard PM).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    First, we are continuing our general regulatory requirement found 
in Sec.  1042.115(e) stating that a manufacturer may not design engines 
with emission-control devices, systems, or elements of design that 
cause or contribute to an unreasonable risk to public health, welfare, 
or safety while operating. Likewise, our regulations continue to make 
clear that actions taken by the operators of marine vessels in order to 
respond to a temporary emergency will not be considered tampering under 
Sec.  1068.101(b)(1) provided the system is returned to its proper 
function as soon as possible. Lastly, in evaluating auxiliary emission 
control devices (AECDs) for marine diesel engines we will continue to 
recognize that AECDs, such as those that eliminate a single point of 
failure, are not defeat devices as defined under Sec.  1042.115(f) if 
the AECDs are necessary to prevent engine (or vessel) damage or 
accidents. In the case of AECD approval, we will continue our current 
practice of reviewing manufacturer certification applications to ensure 
that these provisions are only used when necessary. Further, it is our 
general expectation that engine manufacturers will provide diagnostic 
systems to alert vessel operators when such AECDs are active and if the 
AECD requires the operator to take an action, the diagnostic system 
should give the vessel operator as much advance warning as reasonably 
possible.

V. Costs and Economic Impacts

    In this section, we present the projected cost impacts and cost 
effectiveness of the standards, and our analysis of the expected 
economic impacts on affected markets. The projected benefits and 
benefit-cost analysis are presented in Section VI. The benefit-cost 
analysis explores the net yearly economic benefits to society of the 
reduction in mobile source emissions expected to be achieved by

[[Page 37163]]

this rulemaking. The economic impact analysis explores how the costs of 
the rule will likely be shared across the manufacturers and users of 
the engines and equipment that will be affected by the standards. 
Unless noted otherwise, all costs are in 2005 dollars.
    The annual monetized health benefits of this rule in 2030 will 
range from $9.2 and $11 billion, assuming a 3 percent discount rate, or 
between $8.4 billion to $10 billion, assuming a 7 percent discount 
rate. The social costs of the new standards are estimated to be 
approximately $738 million in 2030.\171\ The impact of these costs on 
society are estimated to be small, with the prices of rail and marine 
transportation services estimated to increase by about 1 percent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \171\ The estimated 2030 social welfare cost of $738 million is 
based on draft compliance costs for this final rule of $740 million 
for that year. The final compliance cost estimate for 2030 is 
somewhat higher, at $759 million; see section VI.C for an 
explanation. This difference is not expected to have an impact on 
the results of the market analysis or on the expected distribution 
of social costs among stakeholders.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Further information on these and other aspects of the economic 
impacts of our final rule are summarized in the following sections and 
are presented in more detail in the Final RIA for this rulemaking.

A. Engineering Costs

    The following sections briefly discuss the various engine and 
equipment cost elements considered for this cost analysis and present 
the total engineering costs we have estimated for this rulemaking; the 
reader is referred to Chapter 5 of the final RIA for a complete 
discussion of our engineering cost estimates. When referring to 
``equipment'' costs throughout this discussion, we mean the locomotive 
and/or marine vessel related costs as opposed to costs associated with 
the diesel engine being placed into the locomotive or vessel. Estimated 
freshly manufactured engine and equipment engineering costs depend 
largely on both the size of the piece of equipment and its engine, and 
on the technology package being added to the engine to ensure 
compliance with the standards. The wide size variation of engines 
covered by this program (e.g., small marine engines with less than 37 
kW (50 horsepower, or hp) through locomotive and marine C2 engines with 
over 3000 kW (4000 hp) and the broad application variation (e.g., small 
pleasure crafts through large line haul locomotives and cargo vessels) 
that exists in these industries makes it difficult to present an 
estimated cost for every possible engine and/or piece of equipment. 
Nonetheless, for illustrative purposes, we present some example per 
engine/equipment engineering cost impacts throughout this discussion. 
This engineering cost analysis is presented in detail in Chapter 5 of 
the final RIA.
    Note that the engineering costs here do not reflect changes to the 
fuel used to power locomotive and marine engines. Our Nonroad Tier 4 
rule (69 FR 38958) controlled the sulfur level in all nonroad fuel, 
including that used in locomotives and marine engines. The sulfur level 
in the fuel is a critical element of the locomotive and marine program. 
However, since the costs of controlling locomotive and marine fuel 
sulfur have been considered in our Nonroad Tier 4 rule, they are not 
considered here. This analysis considers only those costs associated 
with the locomotive and marine program being finalized today. Also, the 
engineering costs presented here do not reflect any savings that are 
expected to occur because of the engine ABT program and the various 
flexibilities included in the program which are discussed in section IV 
of this preamble. As discussed there, these program features have the 
potential to provide savings for both engine and locomotive/vessel 
manufacturers.
(1) Freshly Manufactured Engine and Equipment Variable Engineering 
Costs
    Engineering costs for exhaust emission control devices (i.e., 
catalyzed DPFs, SCR systems, and DOCs) were estimated using a 
methodology consistent with the one used in our 2007 heavy-duty highway 
rulemaking. In that rule, surveys were provided to nine engine 
manufacturers seeking information relevant to estimating the 
engineering costs for and types of emission-control technologies that 
might be enabled with ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel (15 ppm S). The 
survey responses were used as the first step in estimating the 
engineering costs of advanced emission control technologies anticipated 
for meeting the 2007 heavy-duty highway standards. We then built upon 
these engineering costs using input from members of the Manufacturers 
of Emission Controls Association (MECA). We also used this information 
in our recent nonroad Tier 4 (NRT4) rule. Because the anticipated 
emission control technologies expected to be used on locomotive and 
marine engines are the same as or similar to those expected for highway 
and nonroad engines, and because the expected suppliers of the 
technologies are the same for these engines, we have used that analysis 
as the starting point for estimating the engineering costs of these 
technologies in this rule.\172\ Importantly, the analysis summarized 
here and detailed in the final RIA takes into account specific 
differences between the locomotive and marine products when compared to 
on-highway trucks (e.g., engine size).
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    \172\ ``Economic Analysis of Diesel Aftertreatment System 
Changes Made Possible by Reduction of Diesel Fuel Sulfur Content,'' 
Engine, Fuel, and Emissions Engineering, Incorporated, December 15, 
1999, Public Docket No. A-2001-28, Docket Item II-A-76.
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    Engineering costs of control include variable costs (for new 
hardware, its assembly, and associated markups) and fixed costs (for 
tooling, research, redesign efforts, and certification). We are 
projecting that the Tier 3 standards will be met by optimizing the 
engine and emission controls that will exist on locomotive and marine 
engines in the Tier 3 timeframe. Therefore, we have estimated no 
hardware costs associated with the Tier 3 standards. For the Tier 4 
standards, we are projecting that SCR systems and DPFs will be the most 
likely technologies used to comply. Upon installation in a new 
locomotive or a new marine vessel, these devices would require some new 
equipment related hardware in the form of brackets, new sheet metal, 
and a reductant storage and delivery system. The annual variable costs 
for example years, the PM/NOX split of those engineering 
costs, and the net present values that would result are presented in 
Table V-1.\173\ As shown, we estimate the net present value for the 
years 2006 through 2040 of all variable costs at $1.5 billion using a 
three percent discount rate, with $1.3 billion of that being engine-
related variable costs.\174\ Using a seven percent discount rate, these 
costs are $674 million and $575 million, respectively.
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    \173\ The PM/NOX+NMHC cost allocations for variable 
costs used in this cost analysis are as follows: SCR systems 
including marinization costs on marine applications are 100% 
NOX+NMHC; DPF systems including marinization costs on 
marine applications are 100% PM; and, equipment hardware costs are 
split evenly.
    \174\ Throughout our cost and economic impact analyses, net 
present value (NPV) calculations are based on the period 2006-2040, 
reflecting the period when the NPRM analysis was completed. This has 
the consequence of discounting the current year costs, effectively 
2007, and all subsequent years are discounted by an additional year. 
The result is a slightly smaller NPV of engineering costs than by 
calculating the NPV over 2007-2040 (3% smaller for 3% NPV and 7% 
smaller for 7% NPV). The same convention applies for the emission 
inventories as shown in Table V-7. We have used 2006 because we 
intended to publish the proposal in 2006. For the final analysis, we 
have chosen to continue with 2006 to make comparisons between 
proposal and final analyses more clear.

[[Page 37164]]



                Table V-1.--Freshly Manufactured Engine and Equipment Variable Engineering Costs
                                           [Millions of 2005 dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Engine         Equipment
                                     variable        variable     Total variable                     Total for
              Year                  engineering     engineering     engineering    Total for PM      NOX+NMHC
                                       costs           costs           costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2008............................              $0              $0              $0              $0              $0
2009............................              $0              $0              $0              $0              $0
2010............................              $0              $0              $0              $0              $0
2011............................              $0              $0              $0              $0              $0
2012............................              $0              $0              $0              $0              $0
2015............................             $60             $11             $71             $37             $34
2020............................             $82             $14             $96             $50             $46
2030............................             $99             $18            $117             $61             $56
2040............................             $98             $17            $115             $60             $55
NPV at 3%.......................          $1,255            $220          $1,475            $772