On January 24, 2007, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a NPRM (40 CFR Part 86, OAR-2005-0047; FRL-8256-9, RIN 2060-AL92) regarding control of air pollution from new motor vehicle and new motor vehicle engines. In 2001, the EPA finalized a new major program for highway heavy-duty engines. EPA says that this program (The Clean Diesel Trucks and Buses program) would result in the introduction of advanced emissions control systems such as catalyzed diesel particulate filters (DPF) and catalysts capable of reducing harmful nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions.
The EPA now believes that these emission control systems are technologically available and that together with on board diagnostic (OBD) monitoring systems, emissions from heavy trucks can be drastically reduced.
In summary, this proposal would require manufacturers to do the following for 2010 MY and later model year vehicles and engines:
- Install OBD systems for all engines used in highway vehicles over 14,000 pounds GVWR.
- Install revised OBD systems for diesel heavy-duty vehicles and engines used in vehicles under 14,000 pounds.
- This proposal would also require that manufacturers make available to the service and repair industry information necessary to perform repair and maintenance service on OBD systems and other emission related engine components.