Measure 17 of the State Implementation Plan - Testing

This page last reviewed March 11, 2009

MEASURE 17 (M17) - DEVELOPMENT OF A NOx SCREENING TEST

Emissions from on-road heavy-duty vehicles are major contributors to poor air quality in California. In particular, diesel vehicles produce emissions in amounts highly disproportionate to the total population of these vehicles. The problem is complicated by the large number of heavy-duty vehicles, like line haul trucks, registered in other states that travel on California's highways and roads, while bringing goods and commerce into and out of our state. State Implementation Plan, Measure 17 (M17) requires additional reductions from heavy-duty vehicles. The testing program is designed to detect excess NOx emissions from on-road heavy-duty diesels that are caused by lack of maintenance. Also recent attention has been focused on diesel engines due to the identification of diesel PM as a known carcinogen.

The Stockton Laboratory

The ARB recently established an emissions Inspection and Maintenance Laboratory for research and development of testing and repair criteria of on-road heavy-duty trucks. The Laboratory uses a chassis base dynamometer and a 139 channel data acquisition system. The dynamometer is capable of accepting class 8 HD vehicles with axle weights up to 25,000 pounds and wheel horsepower up to 1100 hp.

Once developed, the M17 field screening tests will be added to ARB's existing anti-smoke programs for on-road trucks and busses.

For directions to the lab, click this maptolab.

To see pictures of the lab, click this labpics.

Current Standards, Test Procedures and Regulatory Documents

Below is a link to the online version of the California Code of Regulations (CCR). The CCR, Title 13, Division 3, Chapter 1, Article 2, contains all of California's emission standards for heavy-duty engines and vehicles.

The Standards and Test Procedures documents referenced in the California Code of Regulations for heavy-duty engines.

"California Exhaust Emission Standards and Test Procedures for 1985 and Subsequent Model Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines and Vehicles" (PDF - 139K), as amended on February 26, 1999.

Recent Presentations

Board Update February 2003, M17 Project	Status of efforts to reduce in-use NOx emissions from on-road, heavy-duty diesel vehicles.
13th CRC Vehicle Emissions Workshop April 2003, M17 Presentation	A presentation on the status of testing at the ARB Stockton Lab by Don Chernich.
Ce-Cert Poster of Reflash Repairs
Semtech-D Portable Analyzer at the Stockton Lab

Hearing Notices / Proposed Regulations / Related Programs

Reduced Emission Standards for 2007 Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines	Find out about the reduced emission standards for 2007 and subsequent model year heavy-duty diesel engines expected to go to the Board in 2001.
2005 Not-to-Exceed (NTE) and Euro III European Stationary Cycle (ESC) Supplemental Test Procedures	Find out about the 2005 NTE and ESC Supplemental Test Procedures that went to the Board on December 8, 2000.
2004 Heavy-Duty Vehicles Regulations	2004 Heavy-Duty Vehicle Regulations: 2004 Emission Standards; Averaging, Banking, and Trading; Optional Reduced-Emission Standards; Certification Test Fuel; Labeling; Maintenance Requirements and Warranties. This regulation went to the Board on April 23, 1998.
California's Diesel Risk Reduction Plan	Find out about how California plans to reduce the risk from existing heavy-duty diesel vehicles by reducing diesel PM.

Contact Us

For questions or comments, please e-mail or call any of the following staff in the M17 Implementation Program.

Don Chernich at (916) 322-7620

Tullie Flower at (916) 322-5848

You will also find additional information by visiting a list of diesel informational links.