New idling restrictions aim to curb pollution

Transcription

1 Friday, October 5, 2007 New idling restrictions aim to curb pollution Dallas Business Journal - by Margaret Allen Staff Writer Dallas and other Texas cities are fighting back against pollution by restricting commercial diesel trucks and buses from idling. Such regulation is becoming increasingly popular nationwide. More than 30 cities, counties and states have each adopted idling restrictions, say industry experts. With a wide range of extensive requirements and exemptions, Virginia-based American Trucking Associations has a "pocket guide" on the varied restrictions for drivers of the 750,000 freight-carrying trucks on U.S. highways, said Glen Kedzie, environmental counsel for ATA. "It's difficult for a truck driver to know the rules from one jurisdiction to another," Kedzie said. For example, fines range from $50 to $1,000, and idling is restricted for anywhere from 3 minutes to 15 minutes. "There are lots of exclusions and exceptions," he said. States, cities and counties are eager to reduce pollution from diesel trucks and buses. Some want to meet federal clean air requirements to reduce smog, others want to cut either particulate pollution or the climate change gas carbon dioxide, Kedzie said. There is no federal standard, he said. Texas already has idling restrictions in a nine-county area around Austin. Dallas in May passed its ordinance and is now developing a required enforcement agreement with the state, which will go to the Dallas City Council in a month or so, said Nicole Cooper with the city's environmental quality department. Restrictions would start April 1, Arlington has begun to research restrictions, too. "We are looking at an ordinance," said Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, who is also a physician. "We know how dangerous diesel is to human health." Lancaster has had such an ordinance since Texas cities use a "model ordinance" from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which is encouraging the restrictions.

2 The ordinances generally outlaw idling for five minutes or longer, and apply to parked vehicles weighing more than 14,000 pounds, and is in effect during the warm "smog" months from April 1 through Oct. 31. Exceptions include emergency vehicles and airport ground support, as well as trucks doing needed work, maintenance, diagnostics, or windshield-defrosting. Dallas plans to target truck stops and warehouses for enforcement, said Linda Koop, 11th district city council representative. If ordinances passed in all nine Dallas-Fort Worth counties, smog-producing nitrogen oxides, or NOx, would be cut 0.62 tons daily, Koop said. Cluck would like to see idling reduced year-round, to reduce particulate or "soot." "I believe NOx is important," he said, "but I believe fine particulate is worse." The 16-county intergovernmental planning agency North Central Texas Council of Governments is developing a regional agreement with TCEQ to streamline adopting the ordinance, said Carrie Reese, a transportation planner. The Council of Governments may spend $6.4 million in federal and state clean air money to help cities with diesel idling reduction programs and to pay for dedicated environmental enforcement officers and environmental education. Trucking and bus firms in Dallas were largely unaware of the new ordinance. Greyhound Bus Lines, which has 32 daily departures from downtown Dallas, restricts its bus idling, but does idle sometimes to power up systems, said Kim Plaskett, spokeswoman. The bus line has sought and won idling exemptions in some other cities, Plaskett said. North Carolina-based freight carrier Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., which has a terminal in Dallas, said the ordinances are a "hot button" in cities. The company has a no-idling policy now, and would comply with new restrictions, said Ed Richardson, operations vice president. Toxic mix Diesel emissions are a toxic mix of gases and tiny particles that people easily breathe, contributing to premature death, cancer, heart attacks, cardiovascular disease, reproductive problems, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma attacks and birth defects, say health experts. Texas consumes more diesel fuel than any other state. About 31% of diesel exhaust in Texas is from diesel trucks on highways. Dallas and Tarrant counties rank in the state's Top 10 for unhealthy diesel pollution, says Boston-based Clean Air Task Force.

3 Opening of the U.S. border to Mexican trucks may worsen matters. Those trucks are older and emit 30% more NOx than most U.S. trucks, says Austin advocacy group Public Citizen. More than two-thirds of free-trade truck traffic from Mexico enters through Texas, says Public Citizen. Trucking's ATA supports solutions to reduce idling, which saves on fuel and maintenance. Many technologies are available, Kedzie said, but are unaffordable for many trucking companies, most of which have 20 trucks or less, he said. "A lot of our members want to buy these things, but they can't afford them," Kedzie said. ATA is lobbying for financial incentives to cover those costs All contents of this site American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved. Friday, October 5, 2007 New power unit saves fuel, cuts emissions Dallas Business Journal - by Margaret Allen Staff Writer Larry Blades POWER UP: Duane Thumudo, an employee at Sagebrush Logistics LLC, works on an auxiliary power unit for an 18-wheeler at the trucking company s terminal in Burleson. View Larger A federal pilot program to cut air-polluting diesel emissions is saving $75,000 a month on fuel costs for a Burleson trucking firm, says Larry Blades, president of Sagebrush Logistics LLC. Recently, Blades and his business partner, Ben Standridge, started installation of $246,000 worth of equipment to save fuel on 35 of their 18-wheelers. The results have been better than expected for long-haul freight hauler Sagebrush, which hauls dry goods nationwide. Called an "auxiliary power unit," the suitcase-sized generator allows truck drivers to enjoy some of the comforts of home while parked for government-mandated rest

4 periods. With an APU, drivers can use air conditioning, heaters, refrigerators, televisions, microwaves and other appliances that require electricity in their truck cabs without running their truck motors. That not only saves fuel, which is averaging about $3 a gallon, but also reduces dirty, deadly diesel pollution. "The drivers are thrilled to death with it," said Blades, noting drivers say they sleep better because their truck isn't shaking and sputtering. The APUs are part of "SmartWay," a program of the Environmental Protection Agency. Locally it's administered by the Arlington-based North Central Texas Council of Governments, a 16-county intergovernmental planning agency. EPA estimates truckers idle away 1.2 billion gallons of fuel annually, spewing not only soot, but also smog-producing nitrogen oxides, or NOx, into the air. A truck burns about a gallon of fuel an hour while idling, says the Virginia-based American Trucking Associations. Fuel is up to 25% of a trucking company's costs, ATA says. Sagebrush and other trucking companies idle each of their trucks as much as 10 hours a day, Blades said. APUs, which can cost $8,000 to $10,000 each, reduce fuel burn to no more than two-tenths of a gallon an hour, Blades said. The Council of Governments in January announced it had $300,000 from EPA for buying equipment that reduces fuel consumption and pollution for Class 8 heavyduty vehicles. Fuel efficiency equipment is reimbursed 50% to the buyer, while emission-control technology is reimbursed 100%. The agency issued a call for trucking firms to apply. Only three replied, said Carrie Reese, of NCTCOG. Two were accepted. Sagebrush won $246,000 to outfit 35 of its trucks. Wisconsin-based Roehl Transport Inc. got the rest for six of its trucks, two of which are domiciled in North Texas. So far, Sagebrush has installed 28 of 35 APUs being funded by SmartWay. The companies have agreed to install an approved suite of equipment on a portion of their fleet in return for allowing the government to monitor any fuel savings and emissions reductions for 12 months. Besides APUs, other emissions and energy-saving technologies include low-rolling resistance tires, improved aerodynamics and exhaust after-treatment devices.

5 EPA said testing has shown the kits can reduce fuel consumption up to 15%, and can reduce the global warming gas carbon dioxide and NOx up to 15%. The EPA has targeted diesel emissions because they are a toxic mix of gases and tiny particles at ground-level. At Sagebrush, each of the company's 74 trucks racks up more than 100,000 miles annually, Blades said. Fuel is the single biggest expense for Sagebrush, which is projecting $11 million revenue for The massive savings from the new APUs has convinced Blades and Standridge to now spend $500,000 of the company's money on additional equipment to outfit all its trucks, which are typically three to five years old. Sagebrush will save more than $75,000 a month. APUs also reduce engine wear, and therefore maintenance costs, too. "The more I've gotten into it, the more I've decided this is the right thing to do for the company," Blades said. mallen@bizjournals.com Monday, October 8, :54 PM CDT UPS sending fuel-efficient trucks to Dallas Dallas Business Journal Dallas is one of six cities United Parcel Service Inc. has selected as part of its largest alternative fuel deployment in decades. Atlanta-based UPS (NYSE: UPS) has ordered 167 compressed natural gas-powered delivery vehicles to be delivered early next year to Dallas; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Ontario, Calif.; San Ramon, Calif.; and Fresno, Calif. UPS already has 800 CNG-powered vehicles in use throughout the United States. In addition, UPS is sending 139 propane-powered delivery vehicles to Canada, bringing the number of those type vehicles operating in Canada and Mexico to 600. The CNG-powered trucks are expected to yield a 20-percent emissions reduction and 10-percent improvement in fuel economy over the cleanest diesel engines available in the market currently.

6 "Adding this many propane and CNG vehicles is going to have a very positive impact," said Robert Hall, UPS' director of vehicle engineering, in a prepared statement Monday. Web site: All contents of this site American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.