Californians deserve better.

Fortunately, cost-effective solutions are available today to clean up construction equipment. Investing in newer engines, cleaner fuels, and retrofit technologies can dramatically reduce toxic pollution, saving thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health costs. 

Diesel’s Impact on Public Health
Lagging Engine Standards
State Cleanup Efforts on Slow Track
California: The Carl Moyer Program
National: The Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program
Stalled Regulatory Efforts
How to Reduce Diesel Emissions

• Particulate matter (PM): Also known as soot, these small particles can penetrate deeply into the lungs, causing or aggravating a variety of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses—and can even lead to premature death.
• Smog-forming pollutants: Smog can damage the respiratory tract, reduce lung function, exacerbate asthma, and aggravate chronic lung diseases. As much as 10 to 20 percent of all summertime respiratory hospital visits and admissions are associated with smog.
• Toxics: The state of California has classified diesel exhaust and more than 40 compounds in diesel exhaust as toxic air contaminants. Exposure to these chemicals can cause cancer, developmental harm to fetuses, and other serious health and reproductive problems. The California Air Resources Board has estimated that diesel exhaust is responsible for 70 percent of the state’s risk of cancer from airborne toxics.

Lagging Engine Standards
Highway truck and bus engine manufacturers have had to meet stricter emission regulations since the late 1980s. Construction and other off-road equipment, however, did not face new PM emission standards until 1996, with some engines unregulated as late as 2003. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally adopted more stringent standards for off-road engines in spring 2004, requiring 90 percent reductions in NOx and PM for most engine sizes. These standards will phase in over a seven-year period starting in 2008.

Although these standards will result in a drastic reduction in pollutants from new engines, full benefits will not be realized until sometime after 2030, when the long-lasting equipment currently in use today is finally retired. There are technology options available to clean up these machines, but neither the EPA nor the state of California currently requires them. As a result, the construction sector will continue emitting high levels of toxic and smog-forming pollution for the next two to three decades.

State Cleanup Efforts on Slow Track
Both California and the federal government realize the seriousness of diesel pollution and have begun to take action to reduce emissions. But once again, efforts to clean up the construction sector have lagged behind.

Underfunded Incentive Programs
California: The Carl Moyer Program
This innovative incentive program, which began in 1998, helps accelerate diesel emission reductions by providing funds to cover the incremental cost of purchasing a cleaner engine or retrofitting an existing engine. UCS analysis finds that the modest costs of pollution cleanup through the Carl Moyer Program are more than offset by the health benefits, with a benefits-to-cost ratio of at least 10-1.

Funding levels for the Carl Moyer Program have varied widely from year to year, and the program has been constantly oversubscribed. In 2004, the California legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved a dedicated annual budget of $140 million for the program. This is a big improvement, but the California Air Resources Board estimates that a $300 million annual investment is needed to adequately address California’s air pollution crisis.

While construction equipment accounts for 30 percent of diesel PM emissions in California, less than five percent of the Moyer funding was allocated to this sector over the first four years of the program (when it focused on NOx reductions only). Growing recognition of soot’s impact on public health led the legislature to expand the program in 2004 to include PM, providing further opportunity for emission reductions.

National: The Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program
This EPA program, which was launched in 2000, certifies diesel retrofit devices, provides educational outreach on pollution cleanup technology, and offers limited financial incentives for engine retrofits. This national program can help clean up today’s existing diesel vehicles and equipment, but needs many millions of dollars more in funding (its current budget is a paltry $800,000) to make a substantial impact.

Stalled Regulatory EffortsRegulations can be an extremely effective vehicle for cleaning up diesel equipment while maintaining an even playing field for businesses. California is in the process of adopting its Diesel Risk Reduction Plan, a series of regulations requiring a 75 percent reduction in sector-wide diesel PM emissions from 2000 levels by 2010 and an 85 percent reduction by 2020. Unfortunately, rule development for the plan, which began in 2000, has been delayed by industry opposition, regulatory gridlock, and other obstacles. Without emission reductions from construction equipment, it is highly unlikely California will be able to achieve its 2010 emission target.

How to Reduce Diesel EmissionsThe California Air Resources board should pass a statewide regulation requiring the clean-up of existing construction equipment. There are a number of ways to cost-effectively achieve these emissions reductions from construction and other diesel off-road equipment.

• Refuel. Switching to cleaner fuels such as alternative diesel fuels or ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel can achieve modest reductions in pollutants. These fuels can also facilitate the use of advanced retrofit technologies, resulting in even less pollution.
• Repower. The body or chassis of some equipment can last through many decades of use, beyond the life of the original engine. Installing a new low-emission engine in an older chassis can allow the machine to run for many more years.
• Replace. If equipment is old and near the end of its life, replacing it with a new lower-emission model ahead of schedule can result in substantial emission reductions.
• Rebuild or repair. Emissions gradually increase over the life of an engine. Performing routine maintenance and periodic engine rebuilds can keep emission rates at or near original levels.
• Reduce idling. Idling equipment is not only polluting, but also a waste of fuel. Limiting idle time can save money by reducing fuel usage and wear and tear on the engine.
• Retrofit. On equipment that still has some useful life left, engines can be retrofitted with an emission control device. Retrofit technologies are available for a variety of applications.