EPA SETS EMISSION STANDARDS FOR MARINE DIESEL ENGINES

EPA SETS EMISSION STANDARDS FOR MARINE DIESEL ENGINES    The U.S. Environmental Policy Agency said it is adopting emission standards for new marine diesel engines that will be installed on vessels flagged or registered in the U.S.
   “The near-term, Tier 1 standards in this rule are equivalent to the emission limits for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) adopted by the International Maritime Organization in MARPOL Annex VI. These standards will go into effect in 2004 and are based on readily available emission-control technology,” the EPA said in a statement.
   The new Tier 1 standards apply to diesel engines manufactured Jan. 1 2004 or later. They affect older engines only if such units are converted from land-based to marine use, or if older engines are installed in new vessels.
   The standards will primarily involve ‘Category 3’ marine diesels (from 3,000 to 100,000 horsepower) — large units used on deep-sea vessels — as well as ‘Category 1’ and ‘Category 2’ marine diesels. The latter, smaller units (from 700 to 11,000 horsepower) are used on tugboats, supply vessels, and as standalone generators for auxiliary electrical power on many types of ships.
   The EPA statement said, “we will also undertake another rulemaking in a few years to consider a second tier of more stringent standards.”