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Public Workshop to Discuss Regulatory Concepts for the Heavy-Duty “Omnibus” Low NOx Rulemaking

The California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) invites you to participate in a public workshop to discuss regulatory concepts to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from new on-road heavy-duty vehicles greater than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating. Staff will discuss various concepts including potential revisions to the heavy-duty emission standards and certification test procedures, certification and warranty requirements, and the Not-to-Exceed heavy-duty in-use testing program. Staff will also provide an update regarding low-NOx demonstration projects currently in progress at Southwest Research Institute.

The workshop will be held at the following location and time:

DATE:                Thursday, September 26, 2019
TIME:                 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
LOCATION:       South Coast Air Quality Management District, Auditorium
                           21865 Copley Drive

                           Diamond Bar, California 91765

The workshop will be available via webcast for those unable to attend in person. During the workshop, participants may submit questions or comments by email at lownox@arb.ca.gov. Staff’s presentation and any associated documents will be posted prior to the workshop on CARB’s website.

Webcast

More Information

Contact

If you have questions regarding the workshop, please contact Mr. Daniel Hawelti, Staff Air Pollution Specialist, at (626) 450-6149.

For more information on this workshop, see the workshop notice at the CARB website.

Background

In March 2017, CARB approved the 2016 State Strategy for the State Implementation Plan (SIP). One of the key measures in the SIP is the establishment of on-road heavy-duty engine low-NOx emission requirements that would provide a 90 percent reduction in NOx emissions compared to today’s engines. To complement this measure, the SIP also included a “Lower In-Use Emission Performance Level” measure that would ensure that heavy-duty vehicles remain “clean” in-use, as they were originally certified when new. These two measures are critical for attaining federal health-based air quality standards for ozone in 2031 in the South Coast and San Joaquin Valley air basins, as well as PM2.5 standards in the next decade.

Because heavy-duty vehicles that are newly purchased outside of California contribute significantly to the total heavy-duty vehicle miles traveled in California (i.e., approximately 60 percent of total heavy-duty vehicle miles traveled in the South Coast Air Basin on any given day are by such vehicles), it is critical that the U.S. EPA take action to establish a new national low-NOx standard for heavy-duty vehicles. In response to petitions for a low-NOx rulemaking from over 20 organizations, including state and local air agencies from across the country, on November 13, 2018, U.S. EPA announced the “Cleaner Trucks Initiative” to develop regulations to further reduce NOx emissions from on-road heavy-duty vehicles and engines. U.S. EPA intends to publish a proposed rule in 2020.   Accordingly, CARB plans on coordinating its regulatory efforts with U.S. EPA.