US EPA rule publishes final rule for marine diesel emissions
By IBI Magazine
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week published a rule in the US Federal Register that has spared US yacht builders some potential pain, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). The final EPA rule, said an NMMA statement, is designed to reduce exhaust emissions from diesel-powered recreational boats while also allowing the industry to avoid a series of "detrimental" aftertreatment catalyst-based standards. The original proposal for the rule would have required U.S.-flagged recreational diesel-powered vessels with engines greater 2000 kW to install catalyst aftertreatment systems. "If passed with its original language, this rule had the potential to very severely impact recreational yacht builders," said John McKnight, NMMA director of Environmental Safety & Compliance, in the statement. "Apparently, many yacht builders believed the EPA rule only applied to U.S.-flagged vessels, which does not compose the lion's share of their market. However, once a rule like this gets on the books and the technology is required, it could spread to all vessels operated within U.S. waters, regardless of horsepower or where the vessel is flagged." Alternatively, said McKnight, the rule could have impacted only US yacht builders. "Imagine a requirement where only yachts built or sold in the U.S. would be required to install aftertreatment," he said. "It could legitimately happen, and the entire marine industry needs to be vigilant against this type of discriminatory regulation." McKnight said that when NMMA testified to EPA that there are only 90 U.S.-flagged vessels in operation today, he said, "we were able to convince the Agency that the rule, as proposed, would only encourage more yacht owners to flag their vessels outside the U.S." McKnight said that the EPA agreed to exempt recreational yachts from Tier IV catalyst based standards. McKnight said, however, that the International Marine Organization (IMO) Marine Protection Committee released a proposal on April 4 requiring aftertreatment on all recreational and commercial diesel marine engines greater than 750 hp. "NMMA is working closely with the ICOMIA Marine Engine Committee (IMEC) and the European Association of Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturers (EUROMOT) to oppose this proposal," said McKnight. McKnight said that IMO would only require a recreational yacht traveling to ports within countries that signed a treaty with the organization to be equipped with aftertreatment. However, he added, the significance of the proposal is that countries that have signed IMO treaties encompass a majority of the well-traveled world. The United States has not signed a treaty with IMO, said McKnight. If, however, the proposed IMO rule is finalized as-is, EPA will move quickly to adopt aftertreatment standards.
(12 May 2008)
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