Proposed diesel engine rules may cost billions
A statewide proposal to require older on-road diesel truck engines to be either upgraded and/or replaced to help reduce emissions, will have a major impact on California’s economy, especially farms and ranches and other transportation-related components of the agricultural sector.
All diesel trucks and fleets operating within the state with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 14,000 lbs would be affected.
The proposed rule would require that truck emissions be reduced to meet the following:
- Phase 1 – Trucks must be a 2007 or newer model, or meet the emissions level of a 2007 engine;
- Phase 2 – Trucks must be a 2010 or newer model, or meet the emissions level of a 2010 engine.
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Air districts offer details on registering ag engines
By Kate Campbell
March 5, 2008
Registration of in-use, stationary agricultural diesel engines larger than 50 horsepower—and payment of fees associated with local air district emissions control programs—continues throughout California.
And, because the state Air Resources Board (ARB) regulation is being implemented by 35 individual air districts, including districts that have already developed unique engine registration and emissions control programs, there’s variation in deadlines, procedures and fees.
That’s why the California Farm Bureau Federation is urging farmers and ranchers to contact the specific local air district where their engines are installed to determine program compliance requirements.
“If County Farm Bureaus have not already established a relationship with their local air pollution control office, now is the time,” said Cynthia Cory, CFBF environmental affairs director. “There’s the ability to have these new regulations fit, to the extent possible, the local agricultural mix of crops and engines, if folks meet with their local regulators before the rules and fees are set in stone.”
The statewide deadline for registration was March 1, but some local air districts have set alternate dates and are still establishing fees. Others have already sent letters to stationary agricultural engine owners advising them of registration procedures and costs.
Both the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District have programs that were developed ahead of the state’s other local air districts. They have different implementation time lines and procedures.
“Although local air districts should have already reached out to County Farm Bureaus and other agricultural associations in their districts to discuss the provisions and potential fees before the deadline was eminent, that was not always done,” Cory said.
“We want to be sure that the first time growers hear about this rule is not through a notice in the mail saying they need to register an engine in two weeks,” Cory said. “I know this has occurred in some cases and it’s really unfortunate.
CFBF has tried repeatedly to get the word out, but the dialogue has to occur between the parties in each air district,” Cory said.
An estimated 9,000 to 11,000 of these engines that are mostly used to power irrigation pumps currently are operated in California. This equipment is located at fixed site and used for growing crops or raising fowl or other animals.
Fees will cover the costs of inspectors going out to farms and ranches to look at each one. In addition to the registration and fees, the law requires many of the engines to be equipped with a non-resetting hour meter and meet emission standards in the compliance schedule.
The engine registration program will identify operating equipment and reduce or control air emissions coming from them, including diesel particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). The state Air Resources Board identified diesel PM as a toxic air contaminant in 1998.
Farm Bureau and many other agricultural associations have been working with the state Air Resources Board for the past several years to help them develop a workable program, Cory said.
“There has been some confusion regarding the local San Joaquin Valley agricultural diesel engine requirements and the recently adopted California State stationary diesel Air Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) requirements, said Samir Sheikh, technical services manager for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. “These are separate but related programs.
“Our district regulates both diesel agricultural engines greater than 50 horsepower—both stationary and portable—to contain emissions,” Sheikh explained. “The registration program and deadlines for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) are accepted as equivalent to the state ATCM program and are established by the District’s Rule 4702 and the Permit-Exempt Equipment Registration (PEER) Rule 2250.
“In other words, agricultural sources in our district are meeting the state ATCM requirements by complying with local SJVAPCD rules and deadlines, while achieving the same end goal of reduced emissions,” he said. “Generally, our local deadlines are later than the March 1, 2008 deadline included in the state ATCM requirements for diesel engines.
“But, that said, please note that the registration deadline for spark-ignited (natural gas or propane) agricultural engines is soon approaching in the eight county SJV air district. Engine owners will have to register by Oct. 1, 2008,” he said.
In the San Joaquin Valley, Sheikh said anyone who has a permit for an engine has already satisfied the “registration” requirement.
“The questions we’re getting in our offices have come from the San Joaquin Valley, probably because farmers there are already familiar with Rule 4702,” said Richard Boyd, ARB program manager. “But for other air districts, there may be slightly different deadlines and growers need to contact the specific district where the engine is located to find out the specific requirements that need to be met.
“The districts have some flexibility in how they handle registration,” he said.
“The key message is that folks need to contact their district to find out who they should submit information to. We have an ag specific locator on the ARB Web site that will help people determine which air district their engines are in.”
He said the locator allows stationary diesel engine owners to enter the U.S. Postal Service ZIP code where the engine is located and find the proper air district.
Download: Local Air Pollution Control District Locator .pdf
In addition, CFBF has developed the accompanying chart to provide contact information for each of the state’s 35 local air districts. California's 35 Local Air Districts .pdf
Information on specific programs that may help farmers obtain equipment in compliance with new emissions regulations is available from:
• Pacific Gas & Electric: (800) 468-4743.
• Southern California Edison: (800) 896-1245.
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program: (530) 792-5653.
• Carl Moyer Program or Agricultural Assistance Program
Additional information is available at: In-Use Diesel Agricultural Engines
ARB staff members who can assist include Richard Boyd at (916) 322-8285 and Jon Manji at (916) 327-1507.
(Kate Campbell is a reporter for Ag Alert.)