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Retrofit/Rebuild Requirements for 1993 and Earlier Model Year Urban Buses; Public Review of a Notification of Intent To Certify Equipment

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: April 17, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 75)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 16739-16740]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]




DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 85
[FRL-5458-3]
 
Retrofit/Rebuild Requirements for 1993 and Earlier Model Year 
Urban Buses; Public Review of a Notification of Intent To Certify 
Equipment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of agency receipt of a notification of intent to certify 
equipment and initiation of 45 day public review and comment period.




SUMMARY: Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) has submitted to the Agency a 
notification of intent to certify urban bus retrofit/rebuild equipment 
pursuant to 40 CFR Part 85, Subpart O. The notification describes 
equipment consisting of fuel injectors, cylinder kits, camshafts, 
blower, turbocharger, cylinder heads , and associated gaskets, which 
operators could use at the time of engine rebuild to upgrade certain 
1988-90 model year DDC 6V92TA DDEC II engines to a 1991 model year 
configuration. Pursuant to Sec. 85.1407(a)(7), today's Federal Register 
document summarizes the notification, announces that the notification 
is available for public review and comment, and initiates a 45-day 
period during which comments can be submitted. The Agency will review 
this notification of intent to certify, as well as any comments it 
receives, to determine whether the equipment described in the 
notification of intent to certify should be certified. If certified, 
the equipment can be used by urban bus operators to reduce the 
particulate matter of urban bus engines.
    The notification of intent to certify, as well as other materials 
specifically relevant to it, are contained in Category XII of Public 
Docket A-93-42, entitled ``Certification of Urban Bus Retrofit/Rebuild 
Equipment''. This docket is located at the address listed below.
    Today's document initiates a 45-day period during which the Agency 
will accept written comments relevant to whether or not the equipment 
included in this notification of intent to certify should be certified. 
Comments should be provided in writing to Public Docket A-93-42, 
Category XII, at the address below, and an identical copy should be 
submitted to Tom Stricker, also at the address below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 3, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Submit separate copies of comments to each of the two 
following addresses:

    

  1.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Public Docket A-93-42 
(Category XII), Room M-1500, 401 M Street SW., Washington, DC 20460.

  2.  Tom Stricker, Engine Programs and Compliance Division (6403J), 401 
``M'' Street SW., Washington, DC 20460.

    The DDC notification of intent to certify, as well as other 
materials specifically relevant to it, are contained in the public 
docket indicated above. Docket items may be inspected from 8:00 a.m. 
until 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. As provided in 40 CFR Part 2, a 
reasonable fee may be charged by the Agency for copying docket 
materials.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Stricker, Engine Programs and 
Compliance Division (6403J), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 
M Street S.W., Washington, DC 20460. Telephone: (202) 233-9322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On April 21, 1993, the Agency published final Retrofit/Rebuild 
Requirements for 1993 and Earlier Model Year Urban Buses (58 FR 21359). 
The retrofit/rebuild program is intended to reduce the ambient levels 
of particulate matter (PM) in urban areas and is limited to 1993 and 
earlier model year (MY) urban buses operating in metropolitan areas 
with 1980 populations of 750,000 or more, whose engines are rebuilt or 
replaced after January 1, 1995. Operators of the affected buses are 
required to choose between two compliance options: Program 1 sets 
particulate matter emissions requirements for each urban bus engine in 
an operator's fleet which is rebuilt or replaced; Program 2 is a fleet 
averaging program that establishes specific annual target levels for 
average PM emissions from urban buses in an operator's fleet.
    A key aspect of the program is the certification of retrofit/
rebuild equipment. To meet either of the two compliance options, 
operators of the affected buses must use equipment which has been 
certified by the Agency. Emissions requirements under either of the two 
compliance options depend on the availability of retrofit/rebuild 
equipment certified for each engine model. To be used for Program 1, 
equipment must be certified as meeting a 0.10 g/bhp-hr PM standard or 
as achieving at least a 25 percent reduction in PM. Equipment used for 
Program 2 must be certified as providing some level of PM reduction 
that would in turn be claimed by urban bus operators when calculating 
their average fleet PM levels attained under the program. For Program 
1, information on life cycle costs must be submitted in the 
notification of intent to certify in order for certification of the 
equipment to initiate (or trigger) program requirements. To trigger 
program requirements, the certifier must guarantee that the equipment 
will be available to all affected operators for a life cycle cost of 
$7,940 or less at the 0.10 g/bhp-hr PM level, or for a life cycle cost 
of $2,000 or less for 25 percent or greater reduction in PM. Both of 
these values are based on 1992 dollars.

II. Notification of Intent To Certify

    By a notification of intent to certify dated January 2, 1996, DDC 
has applied for certification of equipment applicable to it's 6V92TA 
model engines having electronically controlled fuel injection (Detroit 
Diesel Electronic Control II--DDEC II) that were originally 
manufactured between January 1, 1988 and December 31, 1990. The 
notification of intent to certify states that the candidate equipment 
will reduce PM emissions 25 percent or more, on petroleum-fueled diesel 
engines that have been rebuilt to DDC specifications. Further, transit 
pricing level has been

[[Page 16740]]

submitted with the notification, along with a guarantee that the 
equipment will be offered to all affected operators for less than the 
incremental life cycle cost ceiling. EPA notes that the program 
requirement, applicable to operators choosing to comply with program 1, 
to reduce PM levels by at least 25 percent when these engines are 
rebuilt or replaced, has already been triggered by Englehard 
Corporation with certification of their catalytic-converter muffler 
(CCM).<SUP>1 Nevertheless, EPA plans to review available information 
and comments related to the cost of the DDC upgrade kit and, if 
appropriate, to certify the DDC upgrade kit on the basis of being 
available to all affected operators for less than the life-cycle cost 
ceiling of $2,000 (1992 dollars). Any equipment certified as meeting 
both the emission and cost requirements can be considered by EPA when 
updating the post-rebuild PM levels used by transit operators choosing 
to comply with program 2.<SUP>2
    

    

    \1\ 60 FR 28402, May 31, 1995.
    
    \2\ See 40 CFR Sec. 85.1403 (c)(1).

    

    The candidate equipment upgrades older engines to a configuration 
virtually identical to a later model year configuration. All components 
of the candidate equipment are contained in two basic types of kits. 
One of each basic type of kit is required for the rebuild of an engine. 
Three combinations of the two basic types of kits are relevant to 
certification--the specific combination to be used with a particular 
engine depends upon engine rotation direction, orientation of the 
engine block and, cam gear mounting technique. One basic type of kit 
includes a gasket kit, cylinder kit, and fuel injectors. The other 
basic type of kit includes camshafts, blower assembly, turbocharger, 
and head assemblies. The components in the latter kit are 
remanufactured components.
    
    To determine particulate matter (PM) reduction of the candidate 
equipment under the urban bus retrofit/rebuild program, DDC presents 
exhaust emission data that were developed for the relevant engine 
configuration in EPA's new engine certification program. EPA believes 
use of existing new engine certification data is appropriate as 
discussed in the preamble to the final rule for the urban bus program 
at 58 FR 21378 (April 21, 1993). The data show a 31 percent reduction 
in PM emissions between the baseline engine configuration and the 
upgraded engine configuration. Consistent with the requirements 
associated with new engine certification, the test data indicate that 
the emissions of hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and oxides of 
nitrogen (NO<INF>X) for the candidate equipment are less than 
applicable standards. Fuel consumption is increased approximately 5 
percent with the candidate equipment installed. DDC presents smoke 
emission measurements for the engine which indicate compliance with 
applicable standards.
    
    DDC states that the candidate equipment will be offered to all 
affected operators for less than a life cycle cost of $2,000 (1992 
dollars), and has submitted life cycle cost information. DDC presents 
cost data indicating that the cost of a standard rebuild, if the parts 
were purchased separately, is $6,966.27. The cost of the candidate 
equipment is less than this amount, indicating that the candidate 
equipment has a negative incremental purchase price. DDC presents data 
showing that the fuel consumption increase results in a $1440 lifecycle 
fuel penalty. DDC states there is no incremental installation 
cost or maintenance cost compared to the currently available standard 
rebuild.
    
    Certification of the candidate DDC equipment would affect operators 
as follows. EPA has previously certified equipment which triggered the 
requirement to use equipment certified to reduce PM by at least 25 
percent if these engines are rebuilt or replaced after December 1, 
1995. Therefore, under Program 1, operators who rebuild or replace 
1988-90 model year DDC 6V92TA DDEC II engines are currently required to 
use equipment certified to provide at least a 25 percent reduction in 
PM.<SUP>3 If the candidate DDC kit is certified to reduce PM by at 
least 25 percent, then its use under program 1 will meet this 
requirement. This requirement will continue for the applicable engines 
until such time that equipment is certified to trigger the 0.10 g/bhphr 
emission standard for less than a life cycle cost of $7,940 (in 1992 
dollars). If the Agency certifies the candidate DDC equipment, then 
operators who choose to comply with Program 2 and install this 
equipment, will use the PM emission level(s) established during the 
certification review process, in their calculations for target or fleet 
level as specified in the program regulations. DDC projects a postrebuild 
PM level of 0.23 g/bhp-hr with the equipment installed on model 
year 1988 through 1990 6V92TA DDEC II engines. (This discussion 
concerns the use of certified equipment to meet program requirements; 
it does not apply to the use of components which are not part of a 
certified package.).
    

    

    \3\ The Englehard CCM certification triggered program 
requirements for, among others, the 1988-90 model year DDC 6V92TA 
DDEC II engine.
    

    

    At a minimum, EPA expects to evaluate this notification of intent 
to certify, and other materials submitted as applicable, to determine 
whether there is adequate demonstration of compliance with: (1) the 
certification requirements of Sec. 85.1406, including whether the 
testing accurately substantiates the claimed emission reduction or 
emission levels; and, (2) the requirements of Sec. 85.1407 for a 
notification of intent to certify, including whether the data provided 
by DDC complies with the life cycle cost requirements.
    The Agency requests that those commenting also consider these 
regulatory requirements, plus provide comments on any experience or 
knowledge concerning: (a) problems with installing, maintaining, and/or 
using the candidate equipment on applicable engines; and, (b) whether 
the equipment is compatible with affected vehicles.
    The date of this notice initiates a 45-day period during which the 
Agency will accept written comments relevant to whether or not the 
equipment described in the DDC notification of intent to certify should 
be certified pursuant to the urban bus retrofit/rebuild regulations. 
Interested parties are encouraged to review the notification of intent 
to certify and provide comment during the 45-day period. Please send 
separate copies of your comments to each of the above two addresses.
    The Agency will review this notification of intent to certify, 
along with comments received from interested parties, and attempt to 
resolve or clarify issues as necessary. During the review process, the 
Agency may add additional documents to the docket as a result of the 
review process. These documents will also be available for public 
review and comment within the 45 day period.

    Dated: April 3, 1996.
    
Mary D. Nichols,
    
Assistant Administrator.
    
[FR Doc. 96-9466 Filed 4-16-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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