STAPPA/ALAPCO Leads Efforts by States to Adopt California Highway Diesel Regulations

STAPPA/ALAPCO (State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators and the Association of Local Air Pollution Control Officials) announced in late September the participation of at least 13 states in a cooperative effort to ensure the implementation of EPA's 2007-2010 highway heavy-duty diesel engine program. To date, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia have adopted, or are expecting to adopt shortly, California's (ARB) 2007 highway diesel program. These ARB regulations are equivalent to the EPA 2007-2010 highway diesel program. Adoption of the California program by these states and others provides a firm backstop to the EPA program, ensures that heavy-duty truck engines sold in these states have to meet the stringent 2007-2010 emission standards, and serves to counter efforts by representatives of the trucking industry and others aimed at delaying or weakening the EPA 2007 program. The twelve states mentioned above plus California represent nearly one-third of the U.S. market for on-road diesel trucks. To facilitate adoption of the California program by these states and others, STAPPA/ALAPCO have authored a model rule that provides regulatory language and extensive background information. The substantial emission reductions associated with the EPA 2007-2010 highway diesel program are a critical facet of current and future state air quality plans for complying with national air quality standards for ozone and particulate matter.