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Cleaning Up Today's Dirty Diesels
Retrofitting and Replacing Heavy-Duty Vehicles in the Coming Decade
Stringent new federal standards for diesel fuel and emissions will provide significant health benefits. But these benefits will not be fully realized for 20 years unless effective programs are put in place to replace and retrofit today's fleets of dirty diesel vehicles. The most effective such programs will concentrate on urban areas, where people are exposed to more vehicle pollution, and on cleaning up the oldest, dirtiest vehicles first. This November 2004 NRDC issue paper details compelling arguments for instituting retrofit and replacement policies today and provides a roadmap for getting started.
FULL ISSUE PAPER IN PDF
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OUTLINE
Why Retrofit and Replacement Programs Make Sense Now
- Public health threats from dirty, diesel engines should be addressed today.
- Retrofit and replacement programs are also cost-effective ways to meet Clean Air Act requirements in the United States.
How to Structure a Diesel Retrofit Program
- Step 1: Pick the right fleets and vehicles.
- Step 2: Pick the strategies most appropriate for the selected fleets and vehicles.
- Step 3: Evaluate the retrofit program options against a set of criteria.
- Step 4: Select the options that maximize health benefits and minimize costs.
Conclusion
last revised 2/10/2005
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