U.S. to Toughen Air Rules For Off-Road Diesel Engines

img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/printeditiontag_new.gif" width=120 align=right>A top Environmental Protection Agency official said last week the agency will issue in April a new diesel fuel standard for off-road construction, agricultural engines, locomotives and marine engines.

While the rule would probably not go into effect until 2007, EPA’s move is a major step toward having one diesel fuel available in 2010 for sophisticated emission controls that it wants on truck engines and will require in new farm tractor engines, the official said.

This amounts to a gain for trucking, which has long maintained that the same emission standards should apply to all diesel engines.