State of California
AIR RESOURCES BOARD
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
Room 212-B
Los Angeles, CA
March 17, 1975
9:00 a.m.
AGENDA
Page
75-5-1 Approval of Minutes of February 19, 1975 meeting.
75-5-2 Exhaust Emission Standards for 1877 Model-Year 1
Light-Duty Vehicles.
a. Public Hearing - Reconsideration of Exhaust
Emission Standards for 1977 Model-Year
Passenger Cars and Light-Duty Trucks.
b. Consideration of an Exhaust Emission Standard
for Sulfates.
75-5-3 Public Hearing to Confirm Emergency Board Action 46
Extending Exemption of Heavy-Duty Diesel-Powered
Vehicles from Certificate of Compliance
Requirements.
75-5-4 Public Hearing Regarding Proposed Amendments to 53
the Auxiliary Fuel Tank Standards and Test
Procedures.
75-5-5 Public Hearing to Consider Proposed Changes in 72
Air Resources Board Regulations Regarding New Car
Dealership Surveillance.
75-5-6 Supplement to Consideration of STP Corporation's 85
Application for Accreditation of its Air Computer
as an Exhaust Emission Control Device for 1955-65
Model-Year Class (b-f) Vehicles.
75-5-7 Summary of Manufacturers' Assembly-Line Reports 98
for the 1975 Model-Year Calendar Quarter: October 1,
1974-December 31, 1974.
75-5-8 Other Business -
a. Executive Session - Personnel & Litigation 132
b. Board Member Reports and Assignments
c. Research Proposals
75-5-9 Remarks from Audience.
ITEM NO.: 75-5-2
Exhaust Emission Standards for 1977 Model-Year Light-Duty
Vehicles.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt proposed standards for passenger cars (Resolution 75-16) if
the sulfate question is resolved.
SUMMARY
The Board adopted exhaust emission standards for 1977 model-year
light-duty vehicles at its December 1974 meeting. Since then a
considerable body of new information has developed relative to
feasibility and costs of attaining various levels of exhaust
emission control. The staff has summarized data presented by the
manufacturers to EPA for the recent suspension hearings and also
extracted data from a report entitled "Decision of the
Administrator" regarding the manufacturers' requests for
suspension of the 1977 statutory exhaust emission standards.
In addition, the staff has listed comparative costs of various
degrees of control and presented issues related to exhaust
emission standards.
The Environmental Protection Agency's findings concerning the
potential hazards of increased sulfate emissions associated with
the continued use of catalytic control systems in new motor
vehicles were presented to the Board at the public hearing on
March 6, 1975. In response to the testimony, a standard for
sulfate exhaust emissions is currently being evaluated. A report
(75-5-2B) on the staff's findings will be presented at the
meeting.
ATTACHMENTS: Summary of EPA suspension hearings.
Staff report 74-23-2A.
ITEM NO.: 75-5-3
Public Hearing to Confirm Emergency Board Action Extending
Exemption of Heavy-Duty Diesel-Powered Vehicles from Certificate
of Compliance Requirements.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution 75-12.
SUMMARY
Subsection 4000.1(b) of the Vehicle Code authorizes the Air
Resources Board to exempt designated classes of motor vehicles
from the requirement that certificates of compliance be obtained
to complete initial registration and transfer of ownership. For
the past two years, 1973 and 1974, the Board has exempted
heavy-duty diesel-powered vehicles from this requirement. Though
the staff has been working cooperatively with the Interagency
Committee to implement this program at the official motor vehicle
pollution control stations, lead time requirements will not
permit implementation until January 1976. The Air Resources
Board filed as an emergency regulation on January 10, 1975 and
amended Section 2160 in Title 13 of the California Administrative
Code extending the exemption from certificate of compliance
requirement for heavy-duty diesel vehicles through 1975. The
adoption of Resolution 75-12 will confirm the emergency action
taken.
ITEM NO.: 75-5-4
Public Hearing Regarding Proposed Changes to the Auxiliary
Gasoline Fuel Tank Standards and Test Procedures.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution No. 75-15.
SUMMARY
Sections 39106.5 and 39175 of the Health and Safety Code
authorize the Air Resources Board to adopt and establish
standards or criteria for accrediting auxiliary gasoline fuel
tanks. The Air Resources Board at its December 19, 1973 meeting
adopted the "California Criteria and Test Procedures for
Accrediting Auxiliary Gasoline Fuel Tanks".
The staff finds it necessary, at this time, to amend the test
procedures due to enforcement problems encountered and to conform
with recent federal regulations concerning most 1975 and
subsequent model-year vehicle gas tank filler neck design.
In addition, changes to the format are proposed to clarify and
correct the meaning of the test procedures. The changes proposed
are shown underlined in the attached copy of the test procedures.
ITEM NO.: 75-5-5
Public Hearing to Consider Proposed Changes in Air Resources
Board Regulations Regarding New Car Dealership Surveillance.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution 75-13.
SUMMARY
The Air Resources Board proposes to delete Section 2150 of Title
13 of the California Administrative Code. This section sets
forth inspection and surveillance procedures for new motor
vehicles at dealerships.
In its place a new Section 2151 is proposed to make more specific
the criteria that must be met by new vehicles and to clarify
responsibility for ensuring compliance.
Since the public hearing notice was published, the staff has made
some amendments to the original proposal. The checks required to
be made by dealers are clarified, the idle mixture adjustment
procedures are changed to ensure that manufacturers' adjustment
procedures and specifications are used, and other changes are
made to clarify the Section 2151 is intended to regulate dealer
vehicle adjustment and preparation activities.
ITEM NO.: 75-5-6
Supplement to Consideration of STP Corporation's Application for
Accreditation of its "Air Computer" as an Exhaust Emission
Control Device for 1955-65 Model-Year Class (b-f) Vehicles.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution 75-11.
SUMMARY
STP Corporation has submitted an application for accreditation of
its "Air Computer" system for 1955-65 model-year vehicles. STP
Corporation requested that the application be evaluated based on
similarity to certain accredited devices. At its February 19,
1975 meeting, the Board deferred consideration of the application
and directed the staff to provide additional information to
support the staff recommendation for accreditation.
The "Air Computer" system is designed to delay the full
application of engine vacuum to the distributor for two-to-three
minutes and provides two CFM maximum air bleed at moderate cruise
speeds. During the driving cycle of the accreditation emission
test procedures, cold-start 7-mode, the system operates similar
to vacuum spark advance disconnect (VSAD) with an air bleed
occurring during the 30 mph cruise mode. The applicant maintains
that the "Air Computer" system will produce emissions similar to
that of the accredited VSAD-type devices, AQP's "Kar Kit" and
General Motors' devices, and has submitted data to support its
claim.
The staff has used emission reductions measured using the
accreditation emission test procedures as one of the criteria for
demonstrating device similarity. It is the staff contention that
data submitted by the applicant and the ARB emission tests
indicate that the criteria has been satisfied. Discussion
concerning non-similarity of the STP system relate to the effects
of the air bleed on emissions. The staff maintains that the
magnitude of this effect when evaluated with respect to the 7-mode
test procedures is not sufficient for finding of non-similarity.
Based on the evaluation presented in this report, the staff
recommended accreditation of the STP system at the February 19
Board meeting. As directed by the Board at that meeting, the
staff acceptance of similarity has been discussed with a Board
member. This report is submitted to assist the Board in its
consideration of the STP application.
ITEM NO.: 75-5-7
Summary of Manufacturer's Assembly-Line Reports for the 1975
Model-Year Calendar Quarter: October 1, 1974-December 32, 1974.
RECOMMENDATION
None. Informational Item.
SUMMARY
The staff has reviewed the reports submitted by vehicle
manufacturers concerning their 1975 model year production for the
period October 1 through December 31, 1974. Table II shows those
engine families in which emission standards were exceeded by more
than 10% of the quality audit vehicles tested. These engine
families were produced by two manufacturers, Chrysler Corporation
and General Motors Corporation. Both manufacturers have
initiated corrective action regarding these engine families.
Steady-state inspection control limits of the passenger cars and
light-duty trucks are given in Tables IV and V for hydrocarbons
and carbon monoxide. The average exhaust emissions for the
quality audit tests (CVS-1975) are tabulated in Tables VI and VII
by engine family. Manufacturers whose reports were discrepant or
inadequate have been directly informed, and they are taking
action to amend their reports.