State of California
AIR RESOURCES BOARD

State Office Building
455 Golden Gate Avenue
Room 1194
San Francisco, CA

March 31, 1976
9:00 a.m.

AGENDA

Page

76-6-1 Approval of Minutes of February 20 and 21, 1976
Board Meeting.

76-6-2 Public Hearing to Consider Proposed Changes in 1
Regulations Regarding Approval of 1978 and Subsequent
Model Year Light Duty Trucks and Heavy Duty Engines.

76-6-3 Public Hearing to Consider Amendments to California 54
Fuel Evaporative Emissions Test Procedures for 1978
Subsequent Model Gasoline Powered Vehicles.

76-6-4 Other Business -
a. Executive Session
b. Research Projects

76-6-5 Remarks from Audience

ITEM NO.: 76-6-2

Public Hearing to Consider Proposed Changes to Regulations
Regarding Approval of 1978 and Subsequent Model Year Light-Duty
Trucks and Heavy-Duty Engines.

RECOMMENDATION

Adopt Resolution 76-16.

SUMMARY

On February 11, 1976 the EPA proposed a redefinition of the
Light-duty truck class from its current range of trucks between
0-6,000 pounds GVW to a revised range of 0-8,500 pounds GVW. The
redefinition was proposed because surveys by the U.S. Department
of Transportation had indicated that trucks with GVW's between
6,000-8,500 pounds were more similar to light-duty vehicles than
to heavy-duty vehicles over 8,500 pounds GVW.

The staff agrees with the basic philosophy behind EPA's proposed
redefinition; however, California law constrains the definition
of light-duty trucks. Consequently, the staff recommends the
establishment of a new, medium-duty vehicle category to encompass
those vehicles in the 6,000-8,500 pound GVW range. Exhaust and
evaporative emission standards (except NOx) and test procedures,
and assembly-line requirements would be the same for medium-duty
vehicles as for light-duty trucks.

The staff recommends that standards for 1978 medium-duty vehicles
be set at 0.9 gm/mi hydrocarbons, 17 gm/mi carbon monoxide, and
2.3 gm/mi oxides of nitrogen; 1978 light-duty truck standards
would continue at their 1976/77 levels of 0.9/17/2.0. Both sets
of standards would be applicable to diesel-fueled vehicles as
well as gasoline-fueled vehicles.

Based on EPA estimates the staff believes that there will be a
$100/vehicle hardware cost in order to upgrade vehicles which
were formerly heavy-duty so they can meet the medium-duty vehicle
standards. Most of this cost is attributable to a catalyst and
improved exhaust system. The staff estimates that there will be
a slight fuel economy improvement which will offset the
additional cost of using unleaded fuel, and that there will be no
increased maintenance costs. The emission reductions resulting
from the reclassification are estimated to cost about $.11/lb of
(HC+NOx) reduced, which indicates that the reclassification is
one of the most cost/effective options currently available to the
Board for reducing motor vehicle emissions.

ATTACHMENTS: Resolution 76-16
Staff Report 76-6-2
Test Procedures for 1975 through 1978 Passenger
Cars, Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Trucks (Appendix I)
Test Procedures for 1975 and Subsequent
Gasoline-Powered Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles
(Appendix II)
Test Procedures for 1975 and Subsequent
Diesel-Powered Heavy-duty Engines and Vehicles
(Appendix III)
Proposed Amendments to the Administrative Code
(Appendix IV)
Public Hearing Notice (Appendix V)

ITEM NO.: 76-6-3

Public Hearing to Consider Amendments to California Fuel
Evaporative Emissions Test Procedures for 1978 Subsequent Model
Gasoline Powered Vehicles.

RECOMMENDATION

Adopt Resolution 76-15.

SUMMARY

The evaporative emission standard and test procedure adopted by
the ARB on April 16, 1975 has been revised to become effective
with the 1978 model year, and to include medium and heavy duty
vehicles. It has also been rearranged into a more chronological
sequence and simplified. Many changes were made to resolve
questions raised by manufacturers and to be as compatible as
possible with the test procedure proposed by the Environmental
Protection Agency in their January 1976 Notice of Proposed Rule
Making. The staff recommends that this revised Standard and Test
Procedure be adopted.

ATTACHMENTS: Resolution 76-15
Staff Report 76-6-3
Evaporative Test Procedure
Public Hearing Notice