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AQMD Fleet Rules – Toxic Equivalency Formula
A De Facto Ban on Clean Diesel Fuel

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) is proposing a policy which would cost taxpayers, schools, cities, counties, transit agencies and others millions of dollars for a plan which bans the most cost-effective, practical clean-air technology currently available: Low Sulfur Diesel ("Clean Diesel").

The South Coast Clean Air Partnership urges the AQMD to adopt a flexible fuel-neutral policy – setting a strict emissions standard for all fuels, which would allow the use of the most cost-effective, practical clean fuel. Current policy is NOT fuel-neutral. Here’s why:

AQMD Has Set A Discriminatory Double Standard.

The AQMD has adopted five rules setting requirements on the new purchases of transit and other public fleets. AQMD’s policy gives the "appearance" of fuel-neutrality when in fact its "toxic emissions formula" sets one emissions standard for natural gas vehicles and another – more strict – for clean diesel vehicles. In fact, the AQMD’s diesel standard is more stringent than many natural gas vehicles can meet. The result is a de facto ban on clean diesel technology.

AQMD’s Formula Is Based on Outdated, Unsound Science

Low sulfur diesel in conjunction with advance catalyst technology substantially reduces toxic compounds in diesel exhaust. However, the AQMD continues to use a health risk factor for diesel that does not take this into account. The risk factor AQMD is using is based on emissions from high sulfur diesel used in 1950s era locomotives; a very different fuel and a very different technology from today’s clean diesel engines.

Emerging Research Shows Clean Diesel Emissions May be Safer than Natural Gas Emissions.

The health risks of natural gas engine emissions are undetermined. However, a recent Harvard study and new Swedish research suggest emissions from clean diesel engines may actually be safer than those from natural gas engines.

The South Coast Clean Air Partnership Supports A Fair "Fuel-Neutral" Policy.

The SCCAP is a coalition of school districts, transit agencies, public officials, petroleum manufacturers and other businesses supporting a fair, "fuel-neutral" policy.

Allowing public agencies the option to use clean diesel technology in addition to natural gas means we would achieve emission reductions sooner than if these agencies are forced into a natural gas-only policy.

New Clean Diesel Technology Delivers Comparable Emissions Reductions To Natural Gas Vehicles…

Clean diesel engines are about 90% cleaner than the diesel engines in use today. They achieve these air quality benefits by using new engine, fuel and catalytic exhaust treatment technologies to remove nitrogen oxide (Nox) and particulate matter (PM) from diesel exhaust. This new technology means that Clean Diesel can compete with natural gas when it comes to environmental benefits. And, Clean Diesel can begin delivering cleaner air much sooner than natural gas vehicles because the fuel delivery infrastructure already exists. More dirty diesel buses can be taken off the road sooner by retrofitting them with new technology as opposed to buying new natural gas vehicle.

…At A Fraction Of The Cost.

School districts support SCCAP because, not only can clean diesel compete effectively on emissions reductions, it out-performs natural gas on cost. A new CNG school bus costs $130,000; new clean diesel bus costs $90,000 - $100,000. Retrofitting an existing diesel bus costs only about $6,000. Because they cost less to buy and operate, school districts could afford to convert more of their dirty bus fleets to clean buses if they were allowed the option to use clean diesel. For example: A school district could better improve air quality for their students by converting approximately 20 late model diesel buses to clean diesel technology usage for the same cost as buying just one CNG bus.

Health and Safety is An Issue, Too.