# Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards and Highway Diesel Fuel Sulfur Control Requirements
> **Rule** · Final rule. · Published 2001-01-18 · Effective 2001-03-19 · 66 FR 5002
## Document
- **Document number:** 01-2
- **Category:** air-emissions
- **Federal Register citation:** 66 FR 5002
- **CFR reference:** 40 CFR 69
- **Publication date:** 2001-01-18
- **Effective date:** 2001-03-19
- **EPA docket:** AMS-FRL-6923-7
## Abstract

The pollution emitted by diesel engines contributes greatly to our nation's continuing air quality problems. Even with more stringent heavy-duty highway engine standards set to take effect in 2004, these engines will continue to emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, both of which contribute to serious public health problems in the United States. These problems include premature mortality, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, aggravation of existing asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis, and decreased lung function. Numerous studies also link diesel exhaust to increased incidence of lung cancer. We believe that diesel exhaust is likely to be carcinogenic to humans by inhalation and that this cancer hazard exists for occupational and environmental levels of exposure. We are establishing a comprehensive national control program that will regulate the heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system. As part of this program, new emission standards will begin to take effect in model year 2007, and will apply to heavy-duty highway engines and vehicles. These standards are based on the use of high-efficiency catalytic exhaust emission control devices or comparably effective advanced technologies. Because these devices are damaged by sulfur, we are also reducing the level of sulfur in highway diesel fuel significantly by mid-2006. The program provides substantial flexibility for refiners, especially small refiners, and for manufacturers of engines and vehicles. These options will ensure that there is widespread availability and supply of the low sulfur diesel fuel from the very beginning of the program, and will provide engine manufacturers with the lead time needed to efficiently phase-in the exhaust emission control technology that will be used to achieve the emissions benefits of the new standards. We estimate that heavy-duty trucks and buses today account for about one-third of nitrogen oxides emissions and on

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2001/01/18/01-2/control-of-air-pollution-from-new-motor-vehicles-heavy-duty-engine-and-vehicle-standards-and-highway)
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