[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 82 (Thursday, April 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23072-23074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10730]



[[Page 23072]]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-6332-9]


Retrofit/Rebuild Requirements for 1993 and Earlier Model Year 
Urban Buses; Public Review of a Notification of Intent To Certify 
Equipment

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of EPA receipt of a notification of intent to certify 
equipment and initiation of 45-day public review and comment period.

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SUMMARY: Engelhard Corporation (Engelhard) has submitted to EPA a 
notification of intent to certify urban bus retrofit/rebuild equipment 
pursuant to 40 CFR part 85, subpart O. EPA is making the notification 
(application) available for public review and comment for a 45-day 
period.
    Engelhard intends that this equipment, referred to as the ETX-Plus 
rebuild kit, be certified to the 0.10 grams per brake-horsepower-hour 
(g/bhp-hr) particulate matter standard for 1988--1993 model year 
Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) 6V92TA engines equipped with Detroit 
Diesel Electronic Control (DDEC).
    No life cycle cost information has been provided with the 
application. If certified to the 0.10 g/bhp-hr standard, then the 
candidate equipment would not ``trigger'' the 0.10 g/bhp-hr standard 
for the applicable engines. (The 0.10 g/bhp-hr PM standard is already 
in effect for these engines.) The application describes equipment that 
is based upon a 6V92TA DDEC II engine that is rebuilt to a standard 
1991 to 1993 DDC specification of either 253 or 277 horsepower (hp). 
However, when the engine is rebuilt it will utilize an improved 
turbocharger and a CMX'-6 catalytic muffler. As described in the 
application, Engelhard would provide the improved turbocharger, 
catalytic muffler, specific blower drive gear, and electronic 
programming upgrade (only for 1988 through 1990 model year engines). To 
complete an engine upgrade, an operator would have to acquire on its 
own, other required engine rebuild parts, such as cylinder heads, 
cylinder kits, fuel injectors, blower, and camshafts.
    Pursuant to section 85.1407(a)(7), today's Federal Register notice 
announces that the information is available for public review and 
comment, and initiates a 45-day period during which comments can be 
submitted. EPA will review the information submitted by Engelhard, as 
well as comments received during the public review period, to determine 
whether the candidate Engelhard equipment should be certified. If 
certified, then the equipment can be used by urban bus operators to 
reduce the particulate matter (PM) of urban bus engines.
    Comments should be provided in writing to Public Docket A-93-42, 
Category XXV, at the address below. An identical copy should be 
submitted to William Rutledge, also at the address below.
    Category XXV of Public Docket A-93-42, entitled ``Certification of 
Urban Bus Retrofit/Rebuild Equipment'' contains Engelhard's 
notification of intent to certify and other materials specifically 
relevant to it. This docket is located at the address below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 14, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit separate copies of comments to each of the two 
following addresses:
    1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Public Docket A-93-42 
(Category XXV-A), Room M-1500, 401 M Street S.W., Washington, DC 20460.
    2. William Rutledge, Engine Compliance Programs Group, Engine 
Programs and Compliance Division (6403J), U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, 401 ``M'' Street S.W., Washington, DC 20460.
    The Engelhard application and other materials specifically relevant 
to it are contained in the public docket indicated above. Docket items 
may be inspected from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. 
As provided in 40 CFR part 2, a reasonable fee may be charged by EPA 
for copying docket materials.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Rutledge, Engine Programs and 
Compliance Division (6403J), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 
M St. SW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Telephone: (202) 564-9297.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Program Background

    On April 21, 1993, EPA published final Retrofit/Rebuild 
Requirements for 1993 and Earlier Model Year Urban Buses (58 FR 21359). 
The retrofit/rebuild program is intended to reduce the ambient levels 
of PM in urban areas and is limited to 1993 and earlier model year (MY) 
urban buses operating in metropolitan areas with 1980 populations of 
750,000 or more, whose engines are rebuilt or replaced after January 1, 
1995. Operators of the affected buses are required to choose between 
two compliance options: Option 1 sets particulate matter emissions 
requirements for each urban bus engine in an operator's fleet which is 
rebuilt or replaced; Option 2 is a fleet averaging program that sets 
out a specific annual target level for average PM emissions from urban 
buses in an operator's fleet.
    A key aspect of the program is the certification of retrofit/
rebuild equipment. To meet either of the two compliance options, 
operators of the affected buses must use equipment which has been 
certified by EPA. Emissions requirements under either of the two 
options depend on the availability of retrofit/rebuild equipment 
certified for each engine model. To be used for Option 1, equipment 
must be certified as meeting a 0.10 g/bhp-hr PM standard or as 
achieving a 25 percent reduction in PM. Equipment used for Option 2 
must be certified as providing some level of PM reduction that would in 
turn be claimed by urban bus operators when calculating their average 
fleet PM levels attained under the program.
    Under Option 1, additional information regarding cost must be 
submitted in the application for certification, in order for 
certification of that equipment to initiate (or trigger) program 
requirements for a particular engine model. In order for the equipment 
to serve as a trigger, the certifier must guarantee that the equipment 
will be offered to affected operators for $7,940 or less at the 0.10 g/
bhp-hr PM level, or for $2,000 or less for the 25 percent or greater 
reduction in PM. Both of the above amounts are based on 1992 dollars 
and include life cycle costs incremental to the cost of a standard 
rebuild.

II. Application for Certification

    In an application of intent to certify signed November 17, 1998, 
and clarified in a letter dated December 14, 1998, Engelhard 
Corporation applied for certification of the ETX-Plus rebuild kit under 
the urban bus program. The equipment is applicable to 1988 through 1993 
model year Detroit Diesel Corporation 6V92TA diesel engines equipped 
with Detroit Diesel Electronic Control (DDEC). The application states 
that the candidate equipment achieves a PM level of 0.10 g/bhp-hr. No 
life cycle cost information is provided. The use of the equipment by 
transit operators to meet program requirements is discussed further 
below.
    The CMXTM-6 catalytic converter in the candidate kit is 
improved compared to the CMX-5 converter of the kit that EPA certified 
earlier to the 0.10 g/bhp-hr standard for Detroit Diesel Corporation 
(DDC) 6V92TA model

[[Page 23073]]

engines with DDEC II (see 63 FR 50225; September 21, 1998).
    The application states that the candidate rebuild kit is designed 
to update all electronically controlled DDC 6V92TA DDEC II engines to 
either a standard 253 or 277 Hp ETX configuration. The candidate kit 
incorporates an improved CMX-6 integrated catalytic converter muffler, 
a coated turbocharger, a specific blower drive gear, and an engine 
specified parts list. The specified parts of the list are not an 
integral part of the ETX Plus kit, but are standard components for a 
6V92TA DDEC II 1991 through 1993 engine that are normally replaced 
during an engine rebuild. The CMX-6 is intended to replace the standard 
muffler previously installed in the engine exhaust system. The 
turbocharger is a standard 6V92 unit modified for improved response and 
airflow. Engines of model years 1988 through 1990 would receive an 
upgraded control program for the electronic control module. Engelhard 
states that the candidate kit will require no additional maintenance 
compared to a standard engine.
    Engelhard indicates that the improved turbocharger operates like a 
typical turbocharger, but with improved efficiency and airflow. The 
improved airflow improves combustion efficiency which reduces engine-
out PM. The CMX-6 catalytic muffler incorporates Engelhard's oxidation 
catalyst technology to reduce PM emissions in the exhaust.
    The CMX-6 used in this equipment package is different from the 
catalytic converter that is part of the kit previously certified by EPA 
to the 0.10 g/bhp-hr PM standard for the applicable engines (63 FR 
50225; September 21, 1998). Therefore, the converter of the previously-
certified kit cannot be used in place of the new converter in the 
candidate kit.
    Engelhard presents emissions data from a certification test 
performed on an engine after being rebuilt with the ETX-Plus Rebuild 
Kit. Transient testing was performed in accordance with the federal 
test procedure of 40 CFR Part 86, subparts N and I. The data of the 
application are summarized below in Table 1, and document PM emissions 
of 0.10 g/bhp-hr and hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of 
nitrogen (NOx), and smoke emissions within the applicable standards. 
Based on this testing demonstration, it appears that all ETX Plus-
equipped engines would meet the 0.10 g/bhp-hr PM standard because 
installation of the kit results in the replacement of all emissions 
related parts with a specific set of parts, the combination of which 
results in a documented PM level of 0.10 g/bhp-hr. The PM emissions 
level of an original engine, prior to installation of the Engelhard 
kit, may be irrelevant since all emissions-related parts are required 
to be replaced upon installation of the kit. EPA requests comments on 
whether or not all engines for which certification is intended will 
meet the 0.10 g/bhp-hr PM standard.

                                     Table 1.--Summary of Engelhard Testing
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                             g/bhp-hr
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
          Gaseous and particulate test                            HDDE standards                  6V92TA DDEC II
                                                 ------------------------------------------------  with ETX-plus
                                                       1988            1990            1991             kit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HC..............................................            1.3             1.3             1.3             0.02
CO..............................................           15.5            15.5            15.5              0.4
NOX.............................................           10.7             6.0             5.0              5.0
PM..............................................            0.60            0.60            0.25            0.10
BSFC \1\........................................  ..............  ..............  ..............           0.488
Hp (R/O) \2\....................................  ..............  ..............  ..............         277/278
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                                             Standards
               Smoke test                    (percent)        Percent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACCEL...................................              20               3
LUG.....................................              15               1
PEAK....................................              50              6
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) is measured in units of lb/
  bhp-hr.
\2\ Horsepower (Rated/Observed during testing).

    Engelhard's application includes no life cycle cost information. 
Such information is required, pursuant to 40 CFR 85.1407, only to 
trigger the program standard of 0.10 g/bhp-hr for applicable engines. 
That 0.10 g/bhp-hr PM standard was triggered with the certification of 
the Engelhard ETX-2002 rebuild kit described in the Federal Register on 
September 21, 1998 (63 FR 50225).
    In accordance with program requirements, Engelhard's application 
includes emissions defect and emissions performance warranties.
    The candidate kit requires particular engine rebuild parts that are 
specified by Engelhard in order to upgrade applicable engines to a 1991 
to 1993 model year configuration of either 253 or 277 Hp. As proposed 
in the application, Engelhard would provide certain engine components 
(the improved turbocharger, a particular blower drive gear and the CMX-
6 catalytic converter muffler). The remaining required parts (cylinder 
heads, cylinder kits, fuel injectors, camshafts, and blower) would be 
purchased elsewhere or supplied separately by the transit operator, as 
long as such parts were the Engelhard-specified OEM components. 
Engelhard proposes that the candidate kit include a specified parts 
list, but not provide these ``standard'' parts. Additionally, EPA 
understands that Engelhard does not intend that the warranties provided 
by them would cover these parts, because these parts are normally 
replaced during a standard rebuild.
    EPA expects to evaluate this supply method and whether it is 
appropriate pursuant to program requirements [such as 40 CFR 
85.1403(a)(1)]. Also, EPA will evaluate whether this supply method 
would compromise the ability of the Engelhard kit to achieve 0.10 g/
bhp-hr PM standard in the field. EPA requests comment on this supply 
method.
    EPA also notes that the upgraded software programs for the 
electronic control module that controls the fuel injection timing, 
which is to be

[[Page 23074]]

provided with the candidate kit if necessary for 1988 through 1990 
model year engines, are the original programs developed by DDC for 1991 
through 1993 engines. As discussed in the Federal Register notice 
describing the certification of the Engelhard ETX 2002 rebuild kit (63 
FR 50225; September 21, 1998), EPA expressed concern with programs 
designed to decrease fuel consumption during driving modes not 
substantially included in the federal test procedure, that have the 
effect of substantially increasing NOx during these modes. Prior to 
certification of the candidate kit, EPA expects these concerns to be 
addressed.
    If EPA certifies the candidate application to the 0.10 g/bhp-hr PM 
standard, then urban bus operators who choose to comply with compliance 
Option 1 of this program may use this equipment, or other equipment 
certified to the 0.10 g/bhp-hr standard, when applicable engines are 
rebuilt or replaced. Further, operators who chose to comply under 
compliance Option 2 of this program may also use the Engelhard 
equipment. They would claim the PM certification level for the kit when 
calculating their fleet level attained.
    The date of today's notice initiates a 45-day period during which 
EPA will accept written comments relevant to whether or not the 
equipment described in the Engelhard application should be certified. 
Interested parties are encouraged to review this application, and 
provide comments related to whether or not the equipment described in 
it should be certified pursuant to the urban bus retrofit/rebuild 
program. Comments should be provided in writing to the address listed 
under the Addresses section of this document.
    EPA will review this application of intent to certify, along with 
comments received from the interested parties, and attempt to resolve 
or clarify issues as necessary. During the review process, EPA may add 
additional documents to the docket as a result of the review process. 
These documents will also be available for public review and comment.

    Dated: April 22, 1999.
Robert Perciasepe,
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 99-10730 Filed 4-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P