GAO Studies Effects Of 2002 Engine Rule

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img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/printeditiontag_new.gif" width=120 align=right>WASHINGTON — The General Accounting Office is examining the economic impact of last year’s emissions deadline that forced manufacturers to develop cleaner-running diesel engines on a fast schedule, and the agency could recommend ways to avoid such situations in the future, congressional sources said.

They said the conclusions from the GAO — the investigative arm of Congress — could help guide implementation of tougher regulations that the Environmental Protection Agency has set for heavy-duty truck engines in 2007.

The Oct. 1 deadline roiled the truck-supply market as fleets wary of new technology first rushed to buy up older models ahead of the deadline, and then sharply reduced truck purchases afterward to avoid the new engines.

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