Diesel drivers getting a break

Certain light vehicles granted exemptions on emission testing

Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News

Monday, December 4, 2006

Diesel drivers, take heart.

New breaks from emission testing in the works for gasoline-burning cars in the metro area have been extended to diesel vehicles as well, at least to a degree.

New rules approved by the legislature and recently affirmed by a Colorado air quality board mean owners of light-duty diesels - certain pickups and passenger cars model year 2004 or newer - are exempted from emission testing requirements for the vehicle's first four years.

The rule change, which takes effect July 1, also means that when the 2004-or-newer diesel cars are required to begin getting emission tests, they'll need to get one only every other year, instead of annually.

The changes mean that drivers of newer diesel vehicles, such as certain makes of Audi or Volkswagen, are treated similarly to owners of newer gasoline-burning cars. Those cars already have a four-year exemption from testing and a biennial testing requirement after that.

But owners of gasoline-burning cars could soon get an even bigger break, with the Colorado Air Quality Commission set this month to consider granting exemptions from emission testing for cars as old as eight years.

The rule changes for newer diesels were approved not only with the idea of keeping the rules similar to conventional gasoline-burning autos, but with leveling the playing field with heavy-duty diesels - such as large trucks, delivery vans and buses - that benefited from rule changes in 2003.

"It was driven mostly by equity," said Doug Decker, an air quality specialist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Decker noted that similar legislative efforts to aid light-duty diesel vehicles failed in 2004 and '05.

But 2006 was the year. There was "some political momentum - the diesel pickup market is huge and has a growing, unified voice out there," Decker said.

The rule change has no effect on model year 2003 and older light-duty diesels. Those cars still must get an emission inspection annually.

Regulators don't expect the changes to have a detrimental effect on air quality, in part because the number of 2004 and newer light-duty diesel vehicles in the metro area is around 12,000, out of 23,000 to 25,000 light-duty diesels overall in the region.

In addition, several ongoing efforts to clean up diesel pollution - both through regulations and other programs - are expected to make significant improvements in air quality.

• New regulations that took effect this year cut sulfur content in diesel fuel from 500 parts per million to 15 parts per million, a 97 percent reduction. Within the next four years, trains, marine vessels and farm equipment also will be required to use the cleaner diesel.

• New rules for diesel engines kicking in next year will require vehicles to meet emission standards similar to gasoline-powered cars. The changes will mean deep cuts in emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulates, which contribute to several forms of air pollution, including smog and Denver's brown cloud.

• In the metro area, and across the country, millions of dollars in federal grants are helping local agencies retrofit existing diesel vehicles with pollution-cutting equipment. Retrofitting helps cut air pollution because many diesel vehicles are used for two decades or more, meaning fleet turnover is slower, increasing the time before newer trucks with higher-tech emission controls hit the streets.

In the Denver region, the Regional Air Quality Council has retrofitted more than 800 school buses in the past couple years, and has plans to work with schools, cities and the Colorado Department of Transportation to retrofit another 1,500 heavy-duty diesel vehicles in the next two years.

• Changes in diesel emission testing in recent years requires more emission inspectors to use opacity meters. Such meters allow inspectors to ensure the thickness of smoke emitted by heavy-duty (more than 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight) diesel trucks is within state guidelines.

Emission revision

New rules approved by the state legislature and the state's Air Quality Control Commission will make life a bit easier for owners of newer diesel-fueled cars needing emissions tests. The new rules take effect July 1, 2007.

• Light-duty (up to 14,000 pounds) models 2004 or newer: Exempt from emission testing for first four years. After that, tests are needed only every other year.

• Light-duty 2003 and older: Must get an emissions test annually; not affected by new rules.

• Heavy-duty (14,001 pounds and up): Exempt from testing for first four years and must only get tested every other year until reaching 10 years of age. Then, vehicle must be tested every year.

• Note: Weight means gross vehicle weight. For example, a light-duty pickup might weigh 6,000 pounds, but can sustain a maximum 14,000-pound gross vehicle weight when fully loaded with cargo, fuel and passengers.

• For a list of emission testing facilities for light-duty diesels, visit www.cdphe.state.co.us/ap/down/dieselstationrates.pdf.Source: Colorado Department Of Public Health And Environment, Air Pollution Control Division

hartmant@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5048