A diverse collection of federal, state and local officials will join environmental, health and diesel industry representatives October 19 and 20 in Washington D.C. as part of the “Clean Diesel 10 Conference.” The event is designed to highlight the enormous changes made in the U.S. over the last decade to improve air quality through clean diesel technology.
Part of the event will include a sampling of 2010-compliant heavy duty trucks and buses featuring super-clean emissions technology, said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, which is helping sponsor the two-day meeting.
“These are the cleanest and most modern commercial vehicles in the world,” Schaeffer stated. “The historic progress in clean diesel technology is remarkable. Consider that it would take 60 of these 2010 trucks to equal the same emissions from one pre-1988 truck. A 60-1 ratio is amazing.”
While continuously making commercial trucks more fuel efficient, diesel engine and truck manufacturers have also been making them dramatically cleaner, Scaheffer stressed. “Considering that increased fuel efficiency and lower emissions are near opposite and competing forces in diesel engine design, this is a considerable achievement,” he said.
Yet the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said reducing emissions from diesel engines remains one of the most important public health challenges facing the country. Despite stringent new heavy-duty highway and non-road engine emission standards, millions of diesel engines already in use will continue to emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter – both of which contribute to serious public health problems, according to the agency.
The conference will also examine future emission issues, especially how to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from vehicles. According to EPA, the transportation industry is one of the fastest growing sources of GHG emissions in the U.S.
