[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 248 (Wednesday, December 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 79089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30681]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-8756-5]


Control of Emissions From New and In-use Highway Vehicles and 
Engines: Approval of New Scheduled Maintenance for Exhaust 
Recirculation Valves in Certain Applications

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that EPA has granted an engine 
manufacturer a new and limited variation in the emission-related 
scheduled maintenance interval for the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) 
valve for some heavy duty engine families for model years 2007-2009. 
Diesel EGR valve cleaning is considered critical emission-related 
maintenance.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Baker, Compliance and Innovative 
Strategies Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 
Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105. Telephone: (734) 214-4592. 
E-mail Address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Agency adopted new emission standards 
for complete heavy-duty vehicles fueled by gasoline, methanol gas, and 
liquefied petroleum gas fuels in 2001. (66 FR 5002: January 18, 2001; 
40 CFR 86.1816-08). The new standards have stimulated new emission 
control technologies, including new NOX absorption 
technology for heavy-duty vehicles which are still subject to the 
emission-related scheduled maintenance intervals.
    However, under Sec.  86.1834-01(b)(7)(ii) a manufacturer may 
request EPA approval for any new scheduled maintenance the manufacturer 
wishes to recommend. ``New scheduled maintenance'' is maintenance which 
did not exist prior to the 1980 model year. A manufacturer's request 
must include (1) Detailed evidence, supportive data, and other 
substantiation as well as (2) a subject maintenance category (i.e., 
emission-related or non-emission-related, critical or non-critical) 
recommendation and (3) the suggested emission maintenance interval.
    EPA received information from Cummins Power Generation Incorporated 
(Cummins), a heavy duty engine manufacturer, indicating that it was 
technologically necessary to perform cleaning and maintenance to the 
EGR valve more frequently than 100,000 miles, as is prescribed in 40 
CFR 86.1834-01(b)(3)(vi)(H), to meet the emission standards. In part, 
this minimum service interval is included in the regulations to ensure 
that the control of emissions is not compromised by a manufacturer's 
overly frequent scheduling of emission-related maintenance.
    The Agency received information from Cummins indicating that its 
NOX aftertreatment system, which utilizes cooled EGR and a 
NOX adsorber catalyst, a technology that did not exist prior 
to 1980, and thus ``new.'' The information received from Cummins 
indicates that the EGR valve requires cleaning to maintain the 
performance of NOX adsorption technology for emission 
compliance. Sulfur regeneration requires a net rich air/fuel mixture 
which can produce significant amounts of unburned hydrocarbon and 
carbon in the exhaust gas. These unburned hydrocarbons (soot) can 
adhere to engine components including the EGR valve which ultimately 
affects engine and emission performance. Therefore the EGR valve 
requires cleaning maintenance to remove the soot build-up prior to the 
100,000 mile maintenance interval prescribed in 40 CFR 86.1834-
01(b)(3)(vi)(H).
    An EGR valve is defined as a critical emission-related component 
under 40 CFR 86.1834(b)(6)(i)(D) and thus the scheduled maintenance 
must have a reasonable likelihood of being performed while in use, 
according to Sec.  86.1834(b)(6)(ii). To this effect, Cummins has 
equipped all vehicles covered by this approval with a messaging system 
alerting drivers to ``Perform Service'' as well as providing vehicles 
with on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems to detect when required 
maintenance has not been performed and illuminate an independent check 
engine light.
    Therefore, EPA has approved the 67,500 mile service emission 
maintenance interval as suggested by Cummins. However, the Agency has 
limited this approval to the 2007-2009 model years due to the 
expectation that EGR valve related technologies compatible to 
NOX adsorption technology will be developed by the 2010 
model year.

    Dated: December 16, 2008.
Robert J. Meyers,
Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. E8-30681 Filed 12-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P