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New EPA Emission Regulations for Stationary Diesel Engines

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants for stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines that are not already covered by earlier EPAoxidation catalystregulations.

The newly announced regulation would set emission limits from certain stationary diesel engines. EPA expects the plan to be fully implemented by 2013. The EPA is required to complete the final rule by February 10, 2010.

EPA’s announcement said that in 2008, over 1 million of these engines generated electricity, powered equipment and operated during emergencies at industrial, agricultural and other facilities. Specifically, EPA said these engines are used at facilities such as power, chemical and manufacturing plants to generate electricity and power pumps and compressors. They are also used to produce electricity and pump water for flood and fire control in emergencies.

EPA said this rule would apply to engines that are smaller than or equal to 500 hp that were manufactured before June 12, 2006. It also covers engines larger than or equal to 500 hp that were manufactured before December 19, 2002.

Owners of operators of existing engines would be required to install emissions control equipment that would limit emissions by up to 90-percent, perform emissions tests to demonstrate engine performance and compliance with rule requirements and burn ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in non-emergency engines with a site rating greater than 300 hp. To meet the proposed emissions requirements, owners and operators would need to install aftertreatment controls on the exhaust system, such as filters or catalysts.

The proposed EPA rule focuses on two options for aftertreatment control of emissions. One is oxidation catalysts, a technology the EPA believes can achieve air toxics reductions up to 90-percent, but can only reduce fine particle emissions by about 30-percent. Catalyzed diesel particulate filters are also a listed technology to reduce air toxins and particle emissions, including black carbon soot at over 90-percent.

Phoenix Products specializes in the manufacture of generator set enclosures, fuel storage tanks, electrical control panels and insulation blankets for exhaust systems, as well as metal stairs and platforms. Their headquarters reside in Jacksonville, Florida with offices in Oakdale, California.

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