Potential Emission Reduction Effects of Alternative Construction Equipment Control Measures (0-4190-5)

Ensuring that national air quality standards in Texas' two largest metropolitan areas are met has proven a difficult task for the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) and other interested agencies. Tightening of emission budgets for these nonattainment areas results in consideration and adoption of inventive and controversial controls and restrictions. One such control recently adopted by TNRCC is that of postponing or shifting construction activities that require the use of heavy-duty diesel engines.|The purpose of this report is to review and assess the potential for emission reductions from nonroad diesel equipment using various control measures. This assessment compares the potential emission reduction benefits and cost of using emission control technologies to those of usage controls known as construction shifting. In general, the results of this study indicate that use of diesel engine emission control devices targeted to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions is more cost effective than the construction shift when measured in dollars per ton of NOx reduced. The cost of using diesel engine emission control technology is generally less than the cost of the construction shift and provides greater NOx emission reductions. The NOx reduction potential is greatest when diesel engine emission control devices are combined with the use of low-sulfur diesel fuel.