SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board (ARB) today approved five diesel air quality measures. The control measures, which limit toxic diesel particulate and ozone-forming nitrogen oxide emissions are parts of the ARB's 10-year program to cut exposure to diesel exhaust by 75 percent by 2010.

ARB Chairman Dr. Alan Lloyd said, "Seventy percent of airborne toxics to which Californians are exposed come from diesel exhaust. Controlling diesel emissions is the number one health protection effort currently being undertaken by the ARB."

The five air toxic control measures (ATCM), which combined will reduce diesel particulate emissions by more than 2,700 tons per year include:

• An ATCM for portable engines that requires all diesel-powered portable equipment engines over 50 horsepower to meet emission standards in 2010 and to meet increasingly tighter standards in 2013, 2017 and 2020;
• Modifications to the portable equipment rules to allow owners of unregistered portable engines larger than 50 horsepower to register with the ARB until 2006; increases fees for state registration to adequately fund the program; and other changes to complement the portable equipment ATCM;
• Rules to control emissions from stationary diesel engines that set limits on test hours for backup emergency engines and require prime use engines to meet stricter emission limits;
• A measure which sets emission performance standards for freight refrigeration units according to engine size and age beginning in 2009; and,
• Amendments to the Diesel Emission Control Strategy Verification regulation that enable retrofit control devices to be certified and placed on existing diesel engines.
• For more information about any of these ATCMs, please click here.