July 8, 2005—As part of a nationwide effort to control fine particle and ground-level ozone pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed emission standards for stationary diesel engines, which are used to generate electricity and operate compressors at facilities such as power and manufacturing plants. They are also used in emergencies to produce electricity and to pump water for flood and fire control.
The proposed standards, known as New Source Performance Standards, would reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from new, modified, and reconstructed stationary diesel internal combustion engines. The standards would subject stationary diesel engines to the same stringent levels required by EPA’s nonroad diesel engine rule.
As proposed, the rule would affect 81,500 new stationary diesel engines and result in total pollutant reductions of over 68,000 tons in 2015. Emissions reductions would occur gradually from 2005 to 2015, reaching reductions of 90 percent or more from baseline levels in some cases. EPA estimates the total nationwide annual costs for the rule to be $57 million in the year 2015.
EPA will accept comments on this proposed rule for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. For more information see the EPA Fact Sheet.
