Court Rules in Favor of Diesel Regulations

Danielle Jackson

Washington, D.C. -- The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rule to make heavy duty trucks and buses run cleaner by reducing emissions and sulfur levels.

Beginning with model year 2007, emissions from heavy duty diesel trucks and buses will be reduced by 95 percent, and the program will require a 97 percent reduction in the sulfur content of highway diesel fuel from its current level of 500 parts per million to 15 parts per million. Additionally, the use of advanced after-treatment technology similar to a catalytic converter will be installed on new models to achieve the cleaner emission standards.

According to the EPA, 2.6 million tons of smog-causing nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced annually, and soot or particulate matter will be reduced by 110,000 tons annually. To view the court's opinion, visit http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/common/opinions/200205/01-1052a.txt.