US EPA reaches its diesel retrofit target
26 January 2001
The EPA has announced it exceeded its targeted number of retrofit commitments under the Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program. EPA said it has received commitments to retrofit 13,500 diesel trucks and buses across the country by January 1, surpassing the original goal set last March of 10,000 vehicles.
Under the retrofit program, states can receive SIP emission credits for retrofitting heavy-duty diesel engines. The program adopts a wide definition of a retrofit, which includes retrofitting engines with a catalytic converter or a diesel particulate filter, engine upgrade, engine replacement, or use of clean fuels (e.g., low sulfur diesel) and/or fuel additives. Within the 13,500 commitments, 8540 are diesel particulate filter retrofits, with the balance being primarily the use of low sulfur fuel. Within the particulate filter retrofits, 7800 will take place under various California programs, 670 filters have been committed by the New York Transit Authority, and 70 filters have been committed by other cities (Boston, Seattle and Washington, DC).