EPA Proposes Clean Air Rule to Reduce Emissions from Large Ships
July 20, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule under the Clean Air Act that sets engine and fuel standards for U.S. flagged ships to harmonize with international standards.
Last March, the U.S. and Canada proposed designating thousands of miles of the two countries' coasts as an Emission Control Area (ECA).
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a U.N. agency, began consideration of the ECA plan this month, which would result in stringent standards for large ships operating within 200 nautical miles of the coasts of Canada and the U.S., according to the EPA.
Air pollution from large ships, such as oil tankers and cargo ships, is expected to grow rapidly in line with increased port traffic.
By 2030, the domestic and international strategy is expected to reduce annual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from large marine diesel engines by about 1.2 million tons and particulate matter (PM) emissions by about 143,000 tons, according to the EPA.
When fully implemented, the coordinated effort would reduce NOx emissions by 80% and PM emissions by 85% compared to current emissions.
The emission reductions from the proposed strategy would yield health and welfare benefits that would span beyond U.S. ports and coastlines, reaching inland areas, noted the EPA.
The EPA estimated that in 2030, this effort would prevent between 13,000 and 33,000 premature deaths, 1.5 million lost work days and 10 million minor restricted-activity days.
The estimated annual health benefits in 2030 - as a result of reduced air pollution - were valued between $110 and $280 billion at an annual projected cost of approximately $3.1 billion - as high as a 90-to-1 benefit-to-cost ratio, according to the EPA.
The proposed rulemaking was designed to reflect the IMO's ECA standards and broader worldwide program.
Information on the components of the strategy, including the proposed Clean Air Act standards and the ECA designation, is available from the EPA.
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).