The Diesel Technology Forum has issued the following statement regarding the final report of the multi-year Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES) conducted by the Boston-based Health Effects Institute (HEI).
HEI conducted the independent study of new technology diesel engines to determine whether the engines achieved the expected emissions reductions, thereby improving air quality for public health, as well as whether the new technologies resulted in any unintended increases in emission components. The study concluded that exposure to new technology diesel exhaust does not cause any increase in the risk of lung cancer or other significant adverse health effects in study animals.
“The significance of this study and its conclusions cannot be overstated,” said Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum. “The results of this new study verify the environmental benefits of the new clean diesel technology, which have near-zero emissions for nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate matter (PM). And while this study focused on heavy duty truck emissions, the new clean diesel technology has the potential for impacting all sectors, including passenger cars, agriculture, construction, maritime and transportation.
“The comprehensive nature of this study by such an authoritative body as the Health Effects Institute is extremely significant. It’s also important to highlight that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Air Resources Board, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration are sponsors of this study in conjunction with the manufacturers of emissions control equipment.”
To read the HEI summary and study go to: http://pubs.healtheffects.org/view.php?id=430
Diesel Power Is Prominent & Vital throughout America’s Economic Sectors
“The findings of the ACES study are extremely important because diesel engines are the technology of choice that drives 15 sectors of the global economy―from agriculture to goods movement, from construction to warehousing,” Schaeffer said. “Clean diesel technology is virtually the power behind America’s domestic and global goods movement.
“In the U.S., clean diesel technology in highway truck engines is increasingly embraced by the commercial trucking sector. Today, more than one-third of all commercial trucks on the road are powered with 2007 generation or newer engines which have reduced particulate matter and NOx emissions by 98 percent compared to 1988 vehicles. In some states, the percentage of new technology diesel engine-equipped trucks exceeds 50 percent.
“This means that the clean air benefits from these clean diesel engines are being experienced in communities throughout the country.”
“Diesel technology has undergone a complete transformation in recent years, first, with a move to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in 2006 that reduced the fuel’s sulfur content by 97 percent,” Schaeffer said. “This cleaner fuel then enabled refinements in engine technology and the use of emission controls and reduction strategies that are now deployed throughout a wide range of industry, engines and technology.
“As other countries embrace cleaner diesel fuels, they will also be able to reap the benefits of cleaner air with new clean diesel technology engines manufactured in the United States. Today, advanced clean diesel technology manufactured in the U.S. is one of the highest value U.S. exports, with one of every four engines produced here being exported internationally.”
For information about the Diesel Technology Forum go to: http://www.dieselforum.org/
For information about the Health Effects Institute go to: http://www.healtheffects.org/