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If you are confused by the alphabet soup of acronyms automobile emissions, you are not only the regulation of automobile exhaust emissions is an extremely complex subject, full of legal definitions, warnings and jargon.
Level 2, CARB, EPA What this means, and how it works at all.
To better understand the acronyms we have provided background information on the main organizations overseeing the regulation of automobile emissions We will examine what the regulations are and do not allow in Part II.
Background passenger car and light truck SUV or truck sold in the US must comply with the emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency EPA This regulatory entity, established in 1970, implements federal laws to protect the environment.
The evolution over several years, have been approved by the Congress of regulations on auto emissions by EPA changes to the Clean Air Act The idea behind all these amended regulations, of course, is that control more tight emissions from the exhaust pipe leads to cleaner air.
It seems to work, as long-time residents of Southern California smog observed while a major problem is far from the level Searing eyeball, it was 20 years ago.
It's a big problem with the EPA standards They aren t like all the other standards of Japan, the European Union and the United States have always used different auto emissions regulations This disparity around the world regulations creates headaches for automakers trying to produce a vehicle based international sale and increases the cost of putting on the vehicle market.
Today, emission standards in the U S are stricter than anywhere else in the world, and will remain so in the foreseeable future.
Level 1 and Level 2 In 1990, the Clean Air Act was amended to define federal emission standards that took full effect in model year 1996, they were known as Level 1 standards The days of Level 1 are now behind us, we are going to focus on the present.
Today Level 2 defines the current set of regulations on federal Tier 2 emission oblique bar allowable emissions levels well below those of level 1, but more importantly, it is necessary for vans, pickup trucks and large SUV are subject to the same emission standards than passenger cars.
Level 2 of the phase-in period was the 2004- 07 model years for cars and trucks annually successive model in the time required a 25 percent additional fleet of a car manufacturer either level 2 according to this phase period gave automakers a breath of fresh air to meet the regulations Technologically speaking, it is easier to get into a warm shower and gradually transform heat compared to jump right into a jet scalding.
The rules and regulations surrounding the progressive period of level 2 are extremely convoluted Basically, all vehicles up to 8,500 pounds GVWR gross vehicle weight are now subject to Tier 2 standards, which are neutral fuel, which means the standards are the same whether a vehicle uses gasoline, diesel or other fuels.
The next step in regulating emissions will probably be called level 3, but no details have yet been announced by EPA From now until the foreseeable future, Level 2 are the standard emissions all cars must meet.
Individual states can apply the California standards as regards the federal authority, the EPA established the law literally any type of emission standards in the US The Clean Air Act contains provisions that allow California implement its own vehicle emission standards and other states to adopt California standards, at their discretion.
You've probably heard the expression California emissions It's just a shortcut to the state standards defined by the Air Resources Board CARB California.
Today, the level of CARB application, known as the vehicle LEV Low Emission 2, EPA makes the standard look like an easy Sunday drive.
Have you noticed that some vehicles are not available in all LEV 2 States is almost always the automakers reason must comply with LEV 2 if they wish to sell vehicles in states that have adopted LEV CARB 2 standards as their own Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont are among the states that did so in 2009, a total of 11 states including California have followed suit.
What emissions are regulated Whatever type of vehicle, Tier 2 regulates emissions of five pollutants in the exhaust.
Non-methane organic gases NMOG this category represents the alcohols and other pollutants that are not oil but can lead to the production of ozone, a compound related to main smog.
Carbon monoxide CO toxic to humans when inhaled.
Nitrogen oxides NOx can react and produce ozone, a toxin, and contributes to the formation of acid rain.
The particulate matter PM when inhaled, can cause lung problems and bronchus; as carcinogen; also contributes to smog.
HCHO Formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and mucous membranes; cause headaches, allergies and trigger or aggravate the symptoms of asthma.
Note that none of regulated pollutants are today greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide CO 2, methane CH 4, nitrous oxide N 2 O or water vapor H 2 O.
On April 2, 2007, the Congress decided that greenhouse gases are considered pollutants and as such the EPA the authority to regulate the decision is quite recent that the EPA has not yet issued any proposals concerning the regulation of greenhouse gases.
Summary At a minimum, all automakers must comply with the emission standards EPA Tier 2 if they want to sell new cars or SUVs in Some US states are taking a step further and request that cars meet to an even higher standard known as CARB LEV 2.
In the second part, we describe the nuts and bolts level 2 and LEV 2 in more detail.
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