The Dirt on Diesels

Oregon Environmental Council

written by Sarah DollOregon Environmental Council

A report by theOregon Environmental Council

The Dirt on

Diesels

A serious danger to Oregon’s health

The Dirt on Diesels: A serious danger to Oregon’s health

© Copyright February 2003Oregon Environmental Council

For copies of this report, contactOregon Environmental Council

520 SW 6th Ave., Suite 940, Portland Oregon 97204503-222-1963

[email protected]

Or order a copy on the Internetat www.orcouncil.org

Program staff:Sarah Doll

OREGON ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

Clean AirClean Water

Clear Thinking


The Dirt on

Diesels

A serious danger to Oregon’s health


Executive Summary

Diesel trucks and buses move goods,services and people, while dieselengines in tractors, bulldozers and

forklifts power the construction trades,agriculture and other industries. Dieselengines are popular because they are morepowerful, durable and efficient than gasolineengines. Yet they also have a dark side: dieselengine emissions pose serious dangers tohuman health.

Emissions from diesel-fueled engines arecomposed of thousands of substancesincluding more than 40 air toxics that areknown or suspected carcinogens. Increasingevidence links exposures to these substanceswith lung cancer, upper respiratory illness,allergies, asthma attacks, and death fromheart and respiratory disorders. In fact,recent EPA data indicate that diesel exhaust islikely the main air pollutant contributing tocancer risk in Oregon. Diesel is not just anurban problem — people in every county inOregon are exposed to ambientconcentrations of diesel particulates abovesafe levels.1 People with existing heart andlung disease, asthma or other respiratoryproblems suffer the most.

Diesel trucks pollute when they are travelingdown the road and when they idle. Forexample, the average heavy-duty diesel longdistance truck idles on roadsides or at truckstops, emitting tens of pounds of dangeroustoxics into the air. Exposures are oftengreatest for passengers inside diesel vehiclessuch as school buses, and in the vehiclestraveling directly behind.

Few rules and regulations protect Oregoniansfrom diesel pollution. Current federalemission limits for diesel engines are notsufficiently protective. And with more andmore diesel engines in use today, they emit

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more pollution now than in 1970. Oregonnever enforces its own standards for highwaydiesel emissions. In fact, once a heavy-dutydiesel vehicle is on the road, its emissions arenever tested. This is in contrast to numerousother states, which have successful heavy-dutydiesel testing programs, including California,Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Washington. Asfor diesel-powered engines used in off-roadvehicles, such as construction and farmequipment, they are dirtier and the need forimprovements is consequently greater.

Eventually, new emissions standards and newtechnology will help ensure that engines of thefuture are cleaner. But older diesel engines willremain on the road for many years to come,and we must take steps to reduce their healthimpact.

The good news is that Oregon can take a fewsimple steps to reduce diesel engine emissionsand exposures.

Specifically, Oregon should:

1. Secure ultra-low sulfur diesel forOregon

Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel contains no morethan 15 parts per million (ppm) of sulfurcompared to the current highway fuel with 500ppm or off-road fuel with up to 5000 ppm.Studies show that the use of this cleaner fuelcan reduce emissions of particulate matter by20-25%. In addition, ultra-low sulfur diesel fuelmakes pollution control devices like emissionstraps work better. Local fleets should committo purchasing ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel sothat sufficient demand exists to bring it toOregon.


2. Encourage use of alternative fuel engines

Other fuels are significantly cleaner thandiesel. These include compressed natural gas,liquefied natural gas, bio-diesel and alcohol-based fuels. Other options include hybriddiesel-electric engines, fuel cells, and other lowor zero emissions technologies. Thesealternatives exist on the market today, andOregon should create an economic incentive toencourage their use.

3. Retrofit trucksand buses withpollution controldevices

Existing vehicles canbe cleaned up nowwithout having towait for newer,cleaner vehicles.Pollution controldevices can reduceemissions by up to95%. Retrofittingtrucks and buseswith these devicescosts about $6,000per vehicle. Forcommercial vehicles, Oregon provides a taxcredit to help cover this cost.

Diesel school buses should be the top priorityfor these retrofits. Retrofitting buses built from1993–2000 should be the highest priority, witholder buses phased out and replaced. To fundschool bus retrofits and the replacement ofolder buses, Oregon should institute a smallannual operations fee on diesel-fuel pumps.The fee should sunset once all eligible schoolbuses are retrofit or retired.

4. Ensure that the current diesel fleetmeets emission standards on the road

Oregon should establish a diesel-testingprogram to promote a reasonable level ofmaintenance. Identifying and cleaning upexcess emissions will yield significant pollution

5

reductions. The state could fund this programthrough fines on excess emitters.

5. Reduce unnecessary idling

Oregon should pass legislation limitingunnecessary idling to five minutes (withcertain exceptions). This would reduceexposures to diesel exhaust and lower drivercosts, including fuel consumption and enginewear and tear. Numerous other states and

jurisdictions havealready adoped lawsand ordinances toreduce uncessaryidling.

6. Establish a con-tract preference forlow-emission fleetsand constructionequipment

Contractors who useengines that polluteless should qualify forpreferences inreceiving stategovernmentcontracts. This willcreate an incentive

for contractors to choose low-emissionengines.

7. Encourage the federal government tostep up and regulate off-road dieselengines

Given the limited authority that states andlocalities have to regulate off-road, heavy-dutydiesel engines and diesel fuel, new federalstandards equivalent to the new rules for on-road engines and fuel are necessary. TheOregon Legislature should let the federalovernment know that Oregonians want strongfederal rules.

Emissions from diesel-fueled

engines are linked to lung

cancer, upper respiratory

illness, allergies, asthma

attacks and death from heart

and respiratory disorders.


Diesel Background

Diesel engines are more powerful and efficientthan many other types of engines. Accordingto the US Department of Energy (DOE) Officeof Transportation Technologies, the fuelefficiency of diesel is 45%, versus 30% forgasoline. With future improvements, diesel’sefficiency could climb to 55-63%.

Unfortunately, diesel is a dirty fuel. It is heavierand oilier than gasoline. Diesel exhaust is acomplex mixture of carbon, ash, and sulfateparticles, and hydrocarbons (see chart below).In addition, the engine produces nitrous oxide(NOx), a precursor of smog. One heavy-dutydiesel truck can produce as much air pollutionas 150 passenger cars.2

Diesel engines are used “on-road” in trucksand buses, and “off-road” in construction,industrial and agricultural equipment.

Sources ofDiesel Exhaust in Oregon

In 1996, diesels emitted more than 7,700 tonsof diesel particulate matter into Oregon’s air,according to the EPA’s National Air ToxicsAssessment. On-road sources contributed

2,450 tons in 1996, and off-road sources 5,260tons4 . DEQ’s emissions inventory confirmedthese numbers though showing slightly feweremissions for that year, with on-road sourcescontributing 2,094 tons and off-road 4,714tons.

Diesel fuel usage is increasing at a faster rasterrate than gasoline. Diesel fuel sales in Oregonhave steadily increased, going from 378 milliongallons in 1985 to 462 million gallons in 1990 to504 million gallons in 1999.5

On-road sources of diesel exhaust:

On-road sources of diesel exhaust include light,mid- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. Totaldiesel truck and bus emissions have beengetting worse, not better. With an increasedreliance on diesel trucks, heavy-duty dieselvehicles emitted 11% more toxic particulatesand 37% more smog-forming nitrogen oxidesin 1998 than they did in 1970. In contrast,particulate matter from automobile emissionsdecreased by 75% while NOx emissionsdecreased 32% over the same period.6 Inaddition, the high sulfur content of diesel fuelused in heavy-duty diesel engines leads to evengreater particulate pollution.7

Overall, we do not know how dirty Oregon’sfleet is and have no process to test it once it’son the road.

Trucks

In Oregon,heavy-duty dieselengines used inlarge trucks andbuses contributedisproportionatelyto particulatepollution. Forexample,although heavy-duty diesel trucksand busescomprise only 6%of the totalnumber of

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Chart 1: Composition of Diesel Particulate Matter3

Hydrocarbons (Fuel)7%

Sulfite Particles14%

Hydrocarbons(Lube)

25%

Carbon41%

Ash13%

Oregon Environmental Council 7

vehicles on the road, they account for about70% of the particulate matter from all on-roadvehicles (see Table 1). Unlike cars, light trucksand SUVs in metropolitan areas of Oregon, theDEQ never tests heavy-duty trucks forexcessive pollution.

Most trucks emit more pollution than allowedby law. In 1998, the U.S. Justice Departmentcaught seven major heavy-duty diesel enginemanufacturers rigging their trucks to pass thefederal government’s pre-sale emissions test.The same vehicles polluted much more oncethey were actually on the highway. Yet thegovernment ordered no recall of these trucks,allowing them to remain on the road.9 Thishighlights the need for some in-use complianceprogram to ensure that trucks are as clean inuse as when they passed the pre-sale emissionstest.

According to 1998 registrations, some 355,000trucks are licensed to operate in Oregon.10

Approximately 15% are Oregon-licensed, 10%are partially commercial vehicles based inOregon but operate in interstate commerce,and 75% are based in another state butsometimes operate in Oregon. In 1998, about75% of the Oregon-licensed fleet was between1 and 10 years old.

Idling of trucks adds to diesel particulatepollution. Trucks and buses idle their enginesto power their heating and cooling systems.For long haul truckers (Class 8A & 8B), idlingalso powers entertainment systems and otherappliances. In addition, past practices such asthe need to warm up an engine, which is nolonger true, add to the problem. Unfortunately,in just one year, the average idling truck canemit 496 pounds of volatile organic chemicals(VOCs); 1,087 pounds of Carbon Monoxide(CO); 13 pounds of particulate matter; 55,858pounds of Carbon Dioxide; and 1,290 poundsof nitrogen oxides (NOx).11

A typical truck burns approximately one gallonof diesel fuel each hour it idles. If a truck idlesfor six hours per day and operates 300 days peryear, it consumes 1,800 gallons of fuel peryear.12 If diesel costs $1.40 a gallon in Oregon,this cost exceeds $2,500. In addition, runningan engine at low speed (idling) causes twice thewear on internal parts compared to driving atregular speeds. According to the AmericanTrucking Association, such wear can increasemaintenance costs by almost $2,000 per yearand shorten the life of the engine.

Table 1: DEQ 1996 Emissions inventory data for on-road diesel sources

Type of engine Tons of particulate matter Percent of total emitted per year on-road

contributionLight Duty Diesel Vehicles 34.48 1.6%Light Duty Diesel Trucks 21.75 1.0%Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles Class 2B (8500-10000 lbs – parcel delivery, super pickups) 99.26 4.7%Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles Class 3,4, &5 (10,001-19,500 lbs – smaller freight trucks, parcel) 53.97 2.6%Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles Class 6&7 (19,501-33,000 – large delivery trucks) 284.95 13.6%Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles Class 8A&8B (33,001-60,001+ Long haul tractor trailers) 1,481.02 70.6%Heavy Duty Diesel Buses (School & Transit) 122.07 5.8%Total On-Road Particulate matter 2,097.50

The Dirt on Diesels: A serious danger to Oregon’s health8

Buses

Public transit buses receive some federal grantmonies and are required to meet morestringent federal standards than other heavy-duty on-road vehicles. As a result, public busesare a relatively small piece of the dieselproblem. Transit fleets are trying to get aheadof the problem. For example, TriMet recentlypurchased two hybrid diesel electric buses thathave lower emissions, and the City of Salem istransitioning to compressed natural gas busfleet.

However, school buses do not have to meetthese more stringent federal standards. Manyare aging diesels built to outdated safety andhealth standards. A recent Yale study cites theparticular risk to children from regularexposure to exhaust from these buses.13 Thestudy found exposures to be at levels far abovethose predicted by current governmentmonitoring efforts. Several other studies havealso documented greater exposures to childrenon school buses.14

Older school buses expose children to evengreater levels of pollution, whether waiting atthe bus stop or riding on board. Buses builtbefore 1990 and 1991 are allowed by federal

standards to emit at least six times more toxicsoot and nearly three times more smog formingchemicals than today’s models. As of 2001,approximately 24% of Oregon’s school buseswere built before 1990.

Oregon’s school bus fleet totals about 6,046vehicles. Of these, approximately 5,000 (or80%) are diesel.15 These buses transport over240,000 students to school daily. Oregonchildren spend approximately 30 million hoursriding them each year.16

School buses provide access to schools and cutdown on congestion. They are still the overallsafest way to transport kids to school but theycan be readily made to run cleaner. Childrenshould continue to ride the bus, but parentsshould demand that school buses get cleanedup.

Off-road sources of diesel exhaust

Off-road diesel engines are found inconstruction, industrial, and agriculturalequipment.

According to DEQ’s emissions inventory for1996, construction equipment produces almosthalf of the off-road diesel particulate matter in

Table 2: DEQ 1996 Emissions inventory data for off-road diesel sources8

Type of engine Tons per year of particulate Percent of total off-road matter emitted contribution

Construction Equipment 2,158 45.7%Logging Equipment (excluding trucks) 586 12.4%Farm Equipment 525 11.1%Railroad, Line-Haul Locomotives 458 9.7%Industrial Equipment 407 8.6%Light Commercial 201 4.3%Lawn & Garden Equipment 189 4.0%Marine Vessels 95 2.0%Railroad, Yard Locomotives 57 1.2%Recreational Vehicles 15 0.3%Recreational, Pleasure Craft 12 0.3%Airport Service Equipment 10 0.2%Total tons emitted per year 4,713


Health Effects of Exposureto Diesel Emissions

What’s in diesel emissions?

Emissions from diesel-fueled engines arecomposed of thousands of substancesincluding more than 40 air toxics that areknown or suspected carcinogens.19 These toxicsadhere to soot and other particles in dieselexhaust and are breathed deeply into the lungs,leading to a variety of ailments. Healthproblems linked to diesel exhaust includeasthma, upperrespiratory illness,cancer, and heart andlung disease.

On-road emissionsare particularlydangerous for thosewho share the road.California scientistsdiscovered that the airinside cars is evendirtier than the airoutside because ofexhaust from nearbyvehicles. When carsfollow diesel trucks orbuses, the levels ofsoot inside are six toeight times higher than the ambient air outsidethe car.20

Who’s at risk?Children are at greater risk because they aregenerally more active outdoors, their lungs arestill developing, and they consume more airthan adults per pound of body weight. Theelderly and people with heart or lung diseasesare also more sensitive to particulate airpollution.

People who live in communities that aredisproportionately impacted by a variety ofenvironmental hazards are also at greater risk.Often low-income and communities of colorreceive more pollution and environmentalhazards than other communities because theydon’t have the political power to turn pollutionaway.

Asthma and respiratory diseases

Asthma is a chronic disease that constricts andinflames the airways, resulting in reducedairflow to the small sacs deep within the lungswhere oxygen is transferred to the bloodstream and carbon dioxide is removed. Asthmais like breathing through a straw. In an asthmaattack, breathing passages tighten, making itdifficult to breathe.

Numerous studiesshow that dieselparticulate matter caninitiate an asthmaattack. For example,children admitted tohospitals with anasthma diagnosis aresignificantly morelikely to live in anarea with high trucktraffic.21 Newresearch indicatesthat other allergiesare actually broughton and aggravated bydiesel pollution. Itcan also exacerbateasthma attacks.22 Inother words, diesel

pollution can turn a minor asthma attack orallergic response into major problem.

Oregon (See Table 2). Other large sourcesinclude logging and farm equipment, andindustrial engines. Off-road diesel fuel hassignificantly higher sulfur content than on-road, leading to an even larger problem withemissions from these types of engines.

Off-road diesel engine emissions are increasingnationally. For example, 1999 emissions wereestimated at 253,000 short tons17 of particulatematter, a 60% increase from 154,000 short tonsin 1970.18

New research indicates that

other allergies are actually

brought on and aggravated by

diesel pollution. It can also

exacerbate asthma attacks.


Costs associated with asthma include hospitalbills, medications, doctor fees, missed days ofschool for children, missed days of work forparents, and diminished academicperformance due to school absence. Asthma-related illness is a leading cause for schoolabsenteeism in the US, according to theChildren’s Environmental Health Network.23

The Centers for Disease Control reports thatchildren with asthma incur 88% higher healthcare costs per year on average than asthma-freechildren ($1,060 vs. $563). In addition,asthmatic children required 2.7 times as manyprescription drugs as asthma-free children. They alsoexperienced twice as manyinpatient care days, and 65%more non-urgent medical carevisits.24

Asthma is prevalent amongchildren in Oregon: of themore than 282,000Oregonians who have asthma,63,000 are children.25 Basedon 1994 estimates, asthmaaccounted for over $125million in direct and indirectmedical costs in Oregon.26

Cancer

The EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) hasfound that exposure todiesel exhaust, even at lowlevels, is likely to increasethe risk of lung cancer, eventhough the EPA has yet tospecifically quantify thatrisk.29 However, in its 2000rules for heavy-duty dieselhighway engines, the EPAconcludes that the averagelifetime cancer risk mightfall into the one in onethousand range, far greater

than the one in a million standard that isconsidered protective of human health.

Drivers face a particularly high risk. Forexample, a study of truckers with 35 years onthe job found that they were 89% more likelythan the general public to contract lungcancer.30 According to the California AirResources Board, over 30 epidemiologicalstudies found that people who are routinelyexposed to diesel exhaust through their workon railroads, docks, trucks or buses have agreater risk of lung cancer.

A 2002 study estimated that the failure to regulate off-road diesels in Oregon annually leads to:

Estimated monetary benefit for avoiding these cases was $879million.28

♦ 111 premature deaths in adults 30 and over

♦ 74 cases of bronchitis (adults over 26)

♦ 63 hospital admissions for pneumonia and chronic pulmonarydisease (adults 64 and over)

♦ 12 hospital admissions for asthma (adults 65 and over)

♦ 2,335 asthma attacks (asthmatics, all ages)

♦ 235 cases of acute bronchitis (children 8-12)

♦ 2,581 cases of lower respiratory symptoms (children 7-14)

♦ 2,588 upper respiratory cases (asthmatic children 9-11)

♦ 20,569 work loss days (adults 18-65), and

♦ 106,906 minor restricted activity days.

♦ 8,300 premature deaths

♦ 5,500 cases of chronic bronchitis

♦ 17,600 cases of acute bronchitis in children

♦ Over 360,000 asthma attacks

♦ More than 386,000 cases of respiratory symptoms in asthmaticchildren annually

♦ 1.5 million lost work days

♦ 7,100 hospital admissions; and

♦ 2,400 emergency room visits for asthma every year.27

National estimates from the EPA indicate that if new on-road heavy-duty diesel standards are not implemented,continuing high levels of diesel exhaust will causeannually:


Rank County Added cancer riskfrom exposure to diesel (per 1,000,000)

1. MULTNOMAH 8302. WASHINGTON 5303. CLACKAMAS 4604. MARION 3305. YAMHILL 3206. COLUMBIA 2907. POLK 2508. WASCO 2509. BENTON 23010. LINN 22011. HOOD RIVER 22012 UMATILLA 18013. CLATSOP 16014. LANE 16015. JACKSON 15016. TILLAMOOK 140

17. DESCHUTES 12018. JOSEPHINE 11019. KLAMATH 11020. LINCOLN 11021. MORROW 11022. JEFFERSON 9823. COOS 9724. UNION 9525. DOUGLAS 9526. SHERMAN 8927. GILLIAM 8828. MALHEUR 8629. CROOK 7730. BAKER 6231. WHEELER 4632. WALLOWA 3833. CURRY 3734. GRANT 3035. LAKE 1836. HARNEY 17

A 2000 report by the State and Territorial AirPollution Program Administrators and theAssociation of Local Air Pollution ControlOfficials (STAPPA/ALAPCO) estimates thatwithout new federal rules more than 1,105people in the Portland metropolitan area willget cancer from diesel emissions over a lifetimeof exposure.31

Information from the EnvironmentalProtection Agency’s 1996 National Air ToxicsAssessment (NATA) data for Oregon indicatesthat the entire state has ambient concentrationsof diesel particulate matter above humanhealth benchmarks.32 A benchmark is aconcentration of a pollutant expected to harmhuman health and is based on a cancer riskabove a one in a million over a lifetimeexposure. This is the most recent data onambient air concentrations available at astatewide level.

Using the state of California’s benchmark, theNATA data predicts that an average of 380 permillion people will get cancer over a lifetime ofexposure to diesel in Oregon (the state ofOregon does not have a benchmark). Exposureto diesel exhaust is widespread in Oregon, butis particularly severe in urban areas.

Multnomah and Washington Counties are inthe worst 5% nationally for exposure to dieselemissions. The risk varies widely by geographyas demonstrated by the Table 3 at the top ofthis page and Map 1 on the next page.33

The levels shown are modeled ambientconcentrations at the county level. Actualmeasured concentrations have been found tobe higher. In addition, the risk is significantlyhigher when direct exposures occur.

Heart & lung disease

Diesel particulates can contribute to prematuredeath from heart and lung disease.Epidemiologists in about 70 cities around theworld have consistently found that morepeople are hospitalized or die when particulatepollution rises even a moderate amount. Arecent report found that fine particulates, suchas those produced by diesel engines, are linkedto a variety of cardiovascular and reproductiveproblems, as well as diabetes. 34 35

A 1996 Natural Resources Defense Councilreport estimates that about 300 Portlandresidents, 100 Eugene/Springfield residents,and 100 Medford residents die prematurely

Table 3: County by county listing of added cancer risk (per million) from exposure to dieselparticulate matter over a lifetime of exposure.


Existing regulations donot protect Oregoniansfrom diesel exhaust

Federal regulations

Under the Clean Air Act, the federalgovernment has the authority to regulate airpollution. It retains the right to regulate fuelsand engine specifications. All new diesel fueland on and off-road motor engines andvehicles in Oregon are required to meet federalemission certification requirements.

Beginning in 2006, the EPA will require ultra-low sulfur fuels for all on-road diesel engines,and new on-road diesel engines will berequired to meet lower emission levelsbeginning in 2007.39 These lower emissionsstandards will apply to new engines.40

However, because diesel engineslast over a million miles and arerebuilt multiple times, it willtake approximately 30-40 yearsto realize the full benefits of thenew EPA rules. The EPAestimates that not until 2020will on-road diesel vehicles thatmeet the new 2007 modelstandards travel 90% of vehiclemiles.41

Currently, engines are certifiedafter manufacture and testedprior to installation in vehicles.This emission certification is afederal standard. Once installed,no in-use testing is required. In-use testing can consist of anopacity test of emissions that canbe easily done on a roadside orshop environment. An opacitytest measures the darkness ofthe smoke being emitted from avehicle’s exhaust pipe. With thetruck in neutral, the opacity ofexhaust can be measured with asmoke meter (100% opacitymeans no light passes through).

Air concentrations of DieselState of Oregon -- 1996 Data

11-100 times over benchmark101-500 times over benchmark501-630 times over benchmark

12

Exposure to diesel exhaust is widespread in Oregon. Theseestimates are based on National Air Toxics Assessment data for1996 and utilize the California benchmark for cancer (Oregon doesnot have a benchmark). The benchmark is based on a lifetime ofexposure. Source: EPA National Air Toxics Assessment Data(www.scorecard.org) utilizing California cancer benchmark.11/7/2002.

Map 1: Ambient air concentrations of diesel.

from breathing particulate pollution everyyear.36 A 2002 groundbreaking study in theJournal of the American Medical Associationconcluded that air pollution (of which diesel isa significant contributor) is as potent as second-hand cigarette smoke in its ability to causeheart disease and lung cancer.37

Environmental damage from diesel

Diesel exhaust is a substantial source of oxidesof nitrogen or NOx, particulate matter andsulfites. NOx is a main ingredient in smogformation and contributes to acid rain andhaze. Particulate matter from dieselcontributes to visibility impairment.Particulates are known to impair visibility upto 70%. In Western cities, this has reducedvisibility to 33-90 miles, compared to naturalvisibility of 140 miles.38 In addition, sulfitesfrom diesel exhaust also contribute to acidrain.


Other states, such as California, have discov-ered that the value of in-use testing is toenforce a reasonable level of maintenance sothat vehicles can continue to perform to thelevels they were designed for, rather thandeteriorating in-use.

EPA guidance suggests that diesel trucks meeta 40% opacity standard (1991 models andnewer) or a 55% opacity standard (pre-1991). Awell-maintained diesel engine can easily metthese standards. An opacity standard is ineffect in some counties in Oregon but it is ill-defined and consequently never enforced. Thestandard was passed in the 1960s and onlyapplies to certain counties west of the Cas-cades.

The federal particulate standard can also applyto diesel exhaust. Under the Clean Air Act, allstates must meet federal standards for fineparticulate matter adopted in 1997 (known asthe PM

2.5 standard, the 2.5 refers to the

particulate’s diameter in microns). In Oregonseveral communities may have difficultymeeting the new fine particulate matterstandard. The Oregon DEQ is currentlymonitoring pollution levels for compliance.

Off-road equipment is required to meetemissions standards based on their horsepowerrating. Some standards for off-road dieselengines and equipment were passed in 1998 ina phased-in emissions reduction rulepackage.42 However, there is a delay, similar tothat found in on-road reduction attempts, inachieving similar off-road diesel reductions. Inaddition, while the EPA wants to reduce thesulfur content in off-road fuels, they have yetto determine the level. EPAis expected topropose new rules for this class of engines in2003. The new rules are expected to requireproduction of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (15ppm down from 3,000ppm currently) forthese engines in 2008 and emissions reductionsfrom new engines starting in 2009.

State and federal voluntary actions

Several state and federal agencies have takenactions to reduce diesel exhaust. For example:

♦ The Oregon Department of EnvironmentalQuality promotes the voluntary retrofit ofdiesel engines. Users of heavy-duty dieselengines who retrofit with emission controlscan qualify for a credit against business taxesof up to 35% of the retrofit costs.

♦ The Environmental Protection Agencysponsors a national voluntary retrofit pro-gram, educational materials and modesttechnical and financial assistance. They arealso promoting an “adopt a bus” programdesigned to have local businesses help sup-port the cost of school bus retrofits.

♦ The Oregon Department of Educationstrongly recommends that school districtsadopt guidelines to reduce student exposuresto diesel exhaust.43

♦ In September 2002, the EPA’s Region 10administrator urged all Oregon schooldistricts to reduce school bus idling.

Lack of Oregon regulations

Despite existing voluntary actions, Oregoniansare being exposed to unacceptable amounts ofdiesel emissions. In general there is littleincentive to clean up diesel withoutgovernment direction. The state does notregulate diesel or any air toxic beyond federalstandards, and the federal standards clearlyare not protective. Most of the off-road dieselsources that contribute to the problem haverelatively lax standards. In addition, Oregondoes not even enforce the statute that doesexist. While Oregon cannot regulate theengines themselves or set fuel standardsbecause of federal preemption, it can createincentives for drivers and fleets to use cleanerengines, buy cleaner fuel, and reduce theamount of time engines are idled or usedunnecessarily. Oregon can also providefinancial assistance for pollution control.


Recommendations

1. Secure ultra-low sulfur diesel forOregon

Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel contains no morethan 15 parts per million of sulfur. Studiesshow that the use of this fuel can reduceemissions of particulate matter by 20-25%. Inaddition, ultra-low diesel fuel enables pollutioncontrol devices like emissions traps to workbetter. A combination of a particulate trap andultra-low sulfur diesel can result in up to a 90%reduction in emissions of particulate matter.This fuel is refined in the Seattle area. If thereis enough of a demand for this fuel (whichcosts about two cents per gallon more thanconventional diesel fuel), it could be madeavailable in Oregon. However, we need ademand of 10 million gallons to make it aviable transaction. Local fleets should committo purchasing ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel sothat sufficient demand exists to bring it toOregon.

The Oregon Department of EnvironmentalQuality should investigate the feasibility ofoffering ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel for off-roadsources.

2. Encourage use of alternative fuelvehicles

Other fuels are significantly cleaner than diesel.These include compressed natural gas,liquefied natural gas, bio-diesel and alcohol-based fuels. Other options include hybriddiesel-electric engines, fuel cells, and other lowor zero emissions technologies. Thesealternatives exist on the market today, andOregon should create an economic incentive toencourage their use.

An immediate option is bio-diesel, producedfrom fat or oil, which can be blended in vary-ing amounts with regular diesel and used inexisting diesel engines with little or no enginemodification. A 20% bio-diesel blend (B20)costs about $.20 to $.25 more per gallon thanconventional diesel, and pure bio-diesel (B100)costs about $1 more per gallon. Bio-diesel is

available in Oregon. Encouraging bio-diesel inOregon has the added benefit of promotingeconomic development that supports localfarmers who grow oil based crops. Anotheroption is Compressed Natural Gas (CNG),which yields significantly fewer emissions.

3. Retrofit trucks and buses withparticulate traps

Pollution control devices can reduce emissionsby up to 95%. Retrofitting trucks and buseswith these devices costs about $6,000 pervehicle. For commercial vehicles, Oregonprovides a tax credit to help cover this cost.

Diesel school buses should be the top priorityfor these retrofits. Retrofitting buses built from1993–2002 should be the highest priority, witholder buses phased out and replaced. To fundschool bus retrofits and replacement of olderbuses, Oregon should institute a small annualoperations fee on diesel fuel pumps. The feeshould sunset once all eligible school buses areretrofit or retired.

4. Ensure that the current on-road dieselfleet meets emission standards

Oregon should establish a diesel-testingprogram to enforce emissions standards thatare more protective. Identifying and cleaningup excess emissions will yield significantpollution reductions. Numerous other stateshave heavy-duty diesel testing programs,including California, Nevada, Utah, Coloradoand Washington. California has hadtremendous success with its heavy-duty diesel-testing program.44

The cost to establish a mobile diesel-testingprogram is approximately $700,000 perbiennium. This would cover two roving vansand hiring off-duty state police who have theauthority to stop vehicles. The state could fundthis program through fines on excess emitters.

An Oregon program should ensure that a largenumber of vehicles are checked, requiredrepairs are actually made, and the public canreport smoking vehicles.


5. Reduce unnecessary idling

Reducing unnecessary idling will reducepollution and cut the cost of running diesel busand truck fleets, while strengthening thefinancial viability of businesses. Reducingidling from even one truck will preventhundreds of pounds of pollutants from goinginto the air annually.

Numerous states and cities have idlingregulations.45 Oregon should likewise pass ananti-idling law. Numerous viable alternatives toidling exist and can pay off the initial costs invery short time. For example, thermal storageutilizing battery power can provide heat andcooling for a vehicle anywhere. If a vehicleoperates 1,000 hours a year, thermal storagewill pay for itself in under 2 years.46

In some states, anti-idling efforts and statuteshave specifically targeted school buses. Forexample, Minnesota just launched a CleanerSchool Bus outreach campaign. The campaignincludes such tools as “no idling” and “cleanair zone” signs, and model notices to busdrivers and parents. These tools helpimplement a new Minnesota law adopted in2002 to reduce children’s exposure to dieselpollution by requiring bus operators tominimize school bus idling.

Some progress can be achieved througheducation too. A school bus idling educationcampaign should be launched asking schoolbus drivers to be part of the solution andpledge not to idle their vehicles.

6. Establish a contract preference forlow-emission fleets and constructionequipment

Contractors who use engines that pollute lessshould qualify for preferences in receiving stategovernment contracts. DEQ should define thetechnical emissions level that must be met.7. Encourage the federal government to

step up and regulate off-road dieselengines

Given the limited authority for states andlocalities to regulate off-road heavy-duty dieselengines and diesel fuel, new federal standardsequivalent to the new rules for on-road enginesand fuel are necessary. The state should let thefederal government know that these standardsare important to Oregonians.

Diesel exhaust represents a real threat to thehealth of Oregonians. We have ampleopportunity to reduce exposures to dieselemissions utilizing means that are effective,affordable and doable.

Endnotes:

1 EPA.1996 National Air Toxics Assessment data.www.epa.gov/ttn.atw.nata/natsal.html.2 Northeast States for Coordinated Air UseManagement. www.nescaum.org/3 Monahan, Patricia. Pollution Report Card: GradingAmerica’s School Bus Fleets. Union of ConcernedScientists, February 2002. Represents diesel exhaustfrom a heavy-duty diesel vehicle manufactured after1994, using the federal test procedure transient cycle.4 EPA.1996 National Air Toxics Assessment data.www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata/xls/or_emis.xls.5 Phil Carver, Oregon Office of Energy. Personalcommunication.6 EPA. National Air Quality Trends 1999.7 The current standard for diesel fuel sulfur levels is 500parts per million (ppm).8 Oregon DEQ 1996 Emissions Inventory database.9 EPA factsheet. Diesel emissions 1998.10 Trucks weighing 8,500 pounds and over. ODOT data.11 Idleaire website www.idelaire.com.12 EPA. Study of Exhaust Emissions from Idling Heavy-dutyDiesel Trucks and Commercially Available Idle-ReducingDevices. EPA-420-R-02-025, October 2002. Exact numbers,hours and days are impossible to know; this number ismeant to demonstrate the problem.13 Wargo, John Ph.D. et. al., Children’s Exposure to DieselExhaust on School Buses, Environment & Human HealthInc. Yale University, February 2002.14 Solomon, Gina MD, MPH et. al., No Breathing in theAisles: Diesel Exhaust Inside School Buses, NaturalResources Defense Council, January 2001.15 Monahan, Patricia. Pollution Report Card: GradingAmerica’s School Bus Fleets. Union of Concerned Scientists,February 2002. Appendix B.16 Derived from Wargo report estimates of national data(nearly 600,000 school buses transport 24 millionstudents to school daily and, collectively, U.S. children


spend 3 billion hours on school buses each year).17 A short ton equals 2,000 pounds.18 STAPPA/ALAPCO. The Dangers of the Dirtiest Diesels:The Health and Welfare Impacts of Off-road Heavy-DutyDiesel Engines and Fuels. June 2002.19 EPA. Health Assessment Document for Diesel EngineExhaust, National Center for EnvironmentalAssessment, May 2002.20 Report to the California Environmental ProtectionAgency Air Resources Board and South Coast AirQuality Management District. Measuring Concentrationsof Selected Air Pollutants Inside California Vehicles.December 1998.21 Edwards, Walters, et. al., The Association between self-reported asthma and allergic-rhinitis and self-reported trafficdensity on street of residence in adolescents. Epidemiology:7:578-582, 1994.22 Presentation to 58th Annual Meeting of theAmerican Academy of Allergy, Asthma &Immunology. Diesel Exhaust: The exhaust emitted bytrucks with diesel engines appears to worsen asthmasymptoms in children, as shown in a study conducted inPasadena, California. www.chronic-disease.net/cdis-digest/Mar-2002.html.23 Children’s Environmental Health Network. The Stateof Children’s Health and the Environment 2002, Part 2.24 Lozano P. et. al. Health care utilization and cost amongchildren with asthma who were enrolled in a healthmaintenance organization. American Academy ofPediatrics 1997 June; 99:757-764.25 Oregon Asthma Network.26 Ibid.27 EPA Press release. EPA Dramatically reduced pollutionfrom heavy-duty trucks and buses; cuts sulfur levels in dieselfuel. Dec 21, 2000.28 STAPPA/ALAPCO. The Dangers of the Dirtiest Diesels:The Health and Welfare Impacts of Off-road Heavy-DutyDiesel Engines and Fuels. June 2002.29 EPA30 Warren, Jane. Health Effects of Diesel Exhaust: An HEIPerspective. Health Effects Institute31 STAPPA/ALAPCO. Cancer Risk from Diesel Particulate200032 1996 NATA data are based on models taking intoaccount population, weather patterns, airshed size,and average amount of agricultural burns, forest firesand point sources. In actual on-site tests, EPAmodeling proved to be accurate but somewhatconservative.33 The California Environmental Protection Agency(CalEPA) recommends using a cancer risk level fordiesel particulate of 300 in a million per microgram percubic meter (ug/m3) of diesel particulate (3.0 x 10 4 perug/m3). This represents the risk of developing cancerover a 70-year lifetime. In deriving this figure, CalEPAconsidered evidence suggesting that diesel risks arefrom 150 in a million to 1,500 in a million per ug/m3.This 300 in a million represents a conservativeestimate.34 Health Effects Institute Perspectives. Understandingthe Health Effects of Components of the Particulate MatterMix: Progress and Next Steps. April 2002.35 Robert D. Brook, MD. et. al., Inhalation of Fine

Particulate Air Pollution and Ozone Causes Acute ArterialVasoconstriction in Healthy Adults. American HeartAssociation, Circulation. 2002; 105:1534.36 Shprentz, Deborah. Breath-Taking – Premature MortalityDue to Particulate Air Pollution in 239 American Cities. NaturalResoruces Defense Council. May 199637 C. Arden Pope III, Ph.D., Lung Cancer, CardiopulmonaryMortality, and Long-term Exposure to Fine Particulate AirPollution. Journal of the American Medical Association2002; 287:1132-1141.38 EPA. Fact sheet: Final Regional Haze Regulations forProtection of Visibility in National Parks and Wilderness Areas.6-2-99.39 The current standard for diesel fuel sulfur levels is 500parts per million (ppm); the current average is 300-350ppm. The new standard will require 15 ppm beginningJune 1, 2006.40 The new standard for particulate matter emissions is .01grams per brake-horsepower-hour (g/bhp-hr), to take fulleffect in the 2007 model year. The current standard is .1 g/bhp-hr). The new standard for NOx is .2 g/ g/bhp-hr; thecurrent standard is 4 g/bhp-hr.41 EPA 420-R-00-026 Appendix B: VMT Distribution.42 This set of rules does not apply to locomotives, largemarine engines, underground mining equipment andengines with displacements under 50 cubic centimeters.43 Oregon Department of Education ExecutiveMemorandum 66-2002-03.44 California Environmental Protection Agency AirResources Board. Report to commission.45 Department of Energy. www.trucks.doe.gov/plain-talk/idling-regs.html46 Argonne National Laboratory.

The Dirt on Diesels

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