EMA to Work with EPA on Proposed Diesel NOx Rule for 2024

EPA said its new proposed rule to further reduce diesel NOx emissions by 2024 was spurred by several state and city petitions from around the country. Photo: Jim Park

If you thought the EPA 2010 diesel exhaust emissions rules were the last you'd ever hear about reducing the nitrous oxide levels coming out of your trucks' exhaust stacks, take a deep breath of clean air and think again.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that, in response to petitions filed by several states, including New York, Connecticut, Washington, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont, as well as cities with persistent smog problems such as Los Angeles and San Jose, Calif., it would begin work on a new proposed rule aimed at setting lower standards for NOx diesel emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines beginning in model year 2024.

EPA said the initiative is in keeping with its Clean Air Act mandates, which require it to revise standards occasionally to ensure it is doing everything possible to protect public health. The agency noted it has been 16 years since it last revised its NOx standards for heavy-duty diesel engines.

Industry response to the announcement centered on the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA), which announced it would cooperate with EPA and the California Air Resources Board to determine if new regulations are warranted and can be implemented in a fashion that keeps costs and exhaust complexity at a minimum for North American fleets and other end users.

“Currently, we don't know the answer to those questions and we need data to help us understand what improvements are possible,” said Jed Mandel, EMA president. “We are willing to cooperate and work in conjunction with anyone in the industry to address these issues.

"We do think there is some room for improvement on the current regulations," he continued. "And ...Read the rest of this story

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Ford Recalls Super Duty Trucks for Fire Risk

Photo courtesy of Ford.

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 7,103 2017-model year Ford Super Duty trucks in the U.S. so dealers can address a potential fire risk tied to fuel leaking, according to the automaker.

In these trucks, over time, a missing reinforcement could lead to a fuel tank strap separating from the frame, resulting in the fuel tank moving out of position and possibly contacting the ground, Ford said. This condition increases the risk of a fuel leak, which in turn elevates the potential for fire in the presence of an ignition source.

Ford noted, however, that it isn't aware of any related fires, accidents, or injuries.

Dealers will make an inspection and install a fuel tank strap reinforcement to resolve the issue. They will look for the presence of a reinforcement bracket on the No. 3 crossmember at the front fuel tank strap attachment location. If no reinforcement bracket is found, one will be installed at no cost to the customer, Ford said in a released statement.

The recall covers 2017 Ford Super Duty trucks built at the Kentucky Truck Plant from Aug. 10 to Sept. 17 of this year.

In addition to the trucks being recalled in the U.S., Ford is recalling 964 in Canada and two in federalized territories for the same problem. Ford's reference number for this recall is 16S45.

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