State of California
AIR RESOURCES BOARD
Sheraton Inn Hotel
2550 West Clinton Avenue
Las Vegas Room #2
Fresno, CA
October 5, 1976
9:00 a.m.
AGENDA
76-20-1 Public Hearing on Proposed Changes to Regulations
Regarding Evaporative Emission Standards and Test
Procedures.
76-20-2 Public Hearing on Proposed Changes to Regulations
Regarding Exhaust Emission Standards and Test
Procedures for 1979 and Subsequent Model Heavy-Duty
Engines.
76-20-3 Other Business -
(a) Executive Session - Personnel and Litigation
(b) Research Proposals
ITEM NO.: 76-20-1
Public Hearing to Consider Amendments to California Evaporative
Emissions Standard and Test Procedures for 1978 and Subsequent
Model Gasoline-Powered Motor Vehicles except Motorcycles.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution 76-37.
SUMMARY
The evaporative emissions standard and test procedures, as
amended by the ARB on March 31, 1976, has been revised to provide
for the incorporation of the September 22, 1976 EPA test
procedure. Parts of the procedure referring to medium-duty
trucks and heavy-duty vehicles have been modified to reflect ARB
policy with respect to such vehicles. The method for
determination of the evaporative system deterioration factor has
been revised. For the 1978 model year the option of either SHED
testing of durability vehicles at specified mileages or a bench
test is provided for. For the 1979 and subsequent model years
both the SHED durability testing and bench testing are required.
These changes were made to satisfy questions raised by the EPA
and manufacturers at the August 25-26, 1976 Waiver Hearing on
California's evaporative standard and test procedures. These
changes should provide the EPA with a clearer understanding of
the ARB's intentions in this matter, and facilitate the prompt
granting of a waiver.
ATTACHMENTS: Resolution 76-37
Staff report 76-20-1
Evaporative Test Procedure
September 10, 1976 Letter from W. Lewis to B.
Jackson, EPA
Public Hearing Notice
ITEM NO.: 76-20-2
Public Hearing on Proposed Changes to Regulations Regarding
Exhaust Emission Standards and Test Procedures for 1979 and
Subsequent Model Heavy-Duty Engines.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution 76-38.
SUMMARY
Subsequent to the Board's decision in 1975 to add an optional 1.0
gram HC/7.5 gram NOx standard to its 5 gram HC + NOx heavy-duty
engine standard for 1977, several engine manufacturers
substantially reduced their efforts to develop engines which can
achieve low NOx levels (in the 4-5 gram range). This situation
occurred despite the fact that the Board has clearly intended to
control heavy-duty engines to low NOx levels since 1970. It is
apparent that California can obtain more control of heavy-duty
engine HC and NOx emission levels by adopting standards that
control the combined total of HC + NOx rather than each pollutant
separately. For the diesel combustion systems in use today, the
engines with lowest NOx capability have difficulty with HC
emissions and vice versa.
Another factor which several manufacturers claim is contributing
to their pessimistic projections concerning lead time for more
stringent HD engine standards in 1979 is the new instrumentation,
test procedures and standards proposed by EPA. Lead time for
more stringent HD engine standards in 1979 is the new
instrumentation, test procedures and standards proposed by EPA.
Lead time problems were claimed to result from both the
recertification required for Federal engines and the installation
of the measurement system modifications. Ford Motor Company (a
gasoline engine manufacturer) and Caterpillar (a Diesel
manufacturer) were most adamant concerning the lead time problems
caused by the new Federal requirements while Chrysler (gasoline)
and Mack (Diesel) indicated no substantial problems.
Since EPA plans to adopt their new standards and test procedures
in 1979, the staff recommends that the Board also adopt the
revised test procedures for that year, but retain standards
equivalent to the 1978 levels.
The staff recommends that the Board adopt Resolution 76-38,
which, in addition to the above, establishes heavy-duty engine
standards for the 1980 model year of 6.0 grams per
brake-horsepower-hour HC+NOx and 25 gm/bhp-hr CO. The new EPA test
procedure, which the staff favors over the current procedure,
actually makes these standards of nearly equal stringency to the
1977 optional standards of 5 grams HC+NOx. Resolution 76-38 also
establishes for the 1983 model year standards of 0.5 grams HC,
4.5 HC+NOx combined, and 25 grams CO. The staff believes these
standards are technologically feasible with negligible fuel
penalty through the use of oxidation catalysts and EGR systems on
gasoline engines and variable geometry turbochargers and/or
variable timing fuel injection systems on Diesels. It is
important that the Board adopt these standards now since their
achievement requires long lead time development programs which
the staff believes, and many manufacturers confirm, will not be
aggressively pursued unless standards are adopted.