(The following article by Felicity Barringer was posted on the New York Times website on March 2.)
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency, which for a decade has been ratcheting up its controls on off-road diesel equipment, diesel trucks and diesel fuel, proposed stringent new pollution standards Friday on diesel locomotives and marine vessels operating in the United States.
The new controls would gradually cut engine emissions of two air pollutants, with the cuts accelerating sharply by 2030. By then, the agency estimates, most existing engines would have been retooled or replaced.
An engine’s emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are a precursor to things like acid rain and ozone, would be reduced by 80 percent; the direct emission of lethal fine soot would be reduced by 90 percent in 2030, after the new controls were phased in, the agency said.
But because of the longevity of older, dirtier engines, and the expected growth of the fleet, the overall reduction in marine and railroad emissions of both pollutants would really be closer to 45 percent by 2030, according to the agency’s supporting documents.
The proposal was announced by Bush administration officials at the Port of Elizabeth in New Jersey, against a backdrop of ships and trains. The E.P.A. administrator, Stephen L. Johnson, called it “the last piece of the clean diesel puzzle,” following earlier curbs.
The agency’s analysis said that by 2030, if the rule was made final in its present form, it would cost the marine and railroad industries $600 million, prevent 1,500 premature deaths and achieve overall health benefits worth $12 billion annually.
While other sources are responsible for more fine soot, the most lethal air pollutant regulated by the agency, few do as much as locomotives to deposit the pollutant into the air and lungs of the people who ride trains or live or work near rail lines.
In a conference call after the announcement, Mr. Johnson said environmentalists, engine manufacturers like General Electric and railroads like CSX had widely differing opinions about the standard.
“Some were concerned about technology not being available in the time frames we were talking about,” Mr. Johnson said. “Others believed it would be.”
The new standards are designed to force the development of new control technologies. A decision on the new rules is expected by year’s end.
Environmental groups were enthusiastic about the new proposals; railroad industry officials were more subdued, indicating more lobbying would come from both sides.
Frank O’Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch, said the proposed rules were “the final frontier when it comes to the really big sources of pollution.” In a later e-mail message, he said that without the rules, “diesel trains collectively will emit almost double the pollution by 2030 than all the trucks on the road combined.”
Tom White, of the Association of American Railroads, said in an interview, “We’re very supportive of improving efficiency and reducing the pollution from our locomotives.” But, Mr. White said, “your biggest concerns always are that you have a timetable that you can meet and also that what is put out there is something doable; the technology to do this still does not exist.”
Patrick Jarvis, a spokesman for the transportation division at General Electric, echoed some of Mr. White’s concerns, adding, “We want to make sure the technology we bring to market is reliable and can sustain itself for the useful life of the locomotive.”
The controls on marine vessels, many of which use a heavy, pollution-rich oil that packs the most power per pound, address vessels like Great Lakes freighters, ferries, fishing boats and tugboats, as well as smaller recreational boat engines.
As with locomotives, the proposed rules would take effect in stages. The first phase would affect the smallest marine diesel engines beginning in 2009; most other engines would come under the new mandate in 2012. The proposal sets long-term standards for new large marine diesel engines beginning in 2014.
The E.P.A. does not have direct authority to regulate the oceangoing vessels that burn the dirtiest fuel.