Clean Diesel Success Stories

Diesel engines are unparalleled for their efficiency, reliability, power and durability. However, diesel engines emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter and toxic air pollutants. There are a number of ways fleets can reduce their diesel exhaust (see Oregon Clean Diesel Initiative). The following provides examples of what many Oregon fleets are doing.

Burn Less Fuel	Reduced idling including auxiliary power units; vehicle efficiencies through improved aerodynamic, low-rolling resistance tires, automatic tire inflation; driver training; on-board tracking and parameter controls through set speed limit, automatic shut off reduce idling, stop 'jack rabbit starts'
Burn Cleaner Fuel	Biodiesel, propane, compressed natural gas, ultra-low sulfur diesel
Burn Fuel Cleaner/Retrofits	Install advanced exhaust controls (retrofit), replace engines (repower) and upgrade vehicles and equipment.

The Initiative has made significant strides to reduce Oregonians' exposure to diesel exhaust with financial and technical assistance, a fleet analysis and the Clean Diesel Recognition Program. Efforts to date have resulted in millions of dollars per year in avoided health care costs from reducing Oregonian's exposure to diesel exhaust.

Burn Less Fuel

• Anti-idling
  • The city of Ashland has adopted an anti-idling policy. View the Anti-idling policy PDF (Oregon policy on p. 81).
  • Most locomotives idle continuously, even when not in use. Nationally, this amounts to an enormous amount of fuel and pollution each year: over 1.1 billion gallons of fuel and 11 million metric tons of carbon dioxide—a major global warming contributor. DEQ collaborated with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, installing four anti idling devices on switch locomotives, saving approximately 15,000 gallons of fuel/year/locomotive, with a significant reduction in emissions.
• Engine replacement. DEQ worked with Tidewater Barge Lines and Shaver Transportation to replace three towboat engines, reducing pollution by 50-80%, saving approximately 150,000 gallons of fuel/year/towboat.

Burn Cleaner Fuel

Throughout Oregon, many fleets are using cleaner fuels such as biodiesel, propane and compressed natural gas. The Oregon Clean Diesel Initiative works with fleets to help them understand the benefits and considerations of using cleaner fuels.

• The Port of Portland was the first fleet in Oregon to use Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel (ULSD) in non-road cargo handling engines at Terminal 6. The Port uses compressed natural gas to power its parking lot shuttle buses.
• Catlin Gabel School was the first fleet to use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in school buses.
• Portland Public Schools have used propane to fuel many of its school buses since the 1980s.

Burn Fuel Cleaner/Retrofits

• Diesel School Buses
  The majority of school buses are diesel-powered, and children riding school buses over a number of years are at increased risk of cancer, according to the Children's School Bus Exposure Study sponsored by the California Air Resources Board. DEQ secured financing to retrofit hundreds of school buses throughout the state making it considerably healthier for children to ride to and from school. The Environmental Quality Commission adopted a target to install exhaust controls on all appropriate 1994-2006 school buses in the state by the year 2013.
• Garbage Truck Exhaust Controls
  Rogue Disposal and Recycling completed nine garbage truck retrofits and are working on their entire fleet.
• Construction Company Exhaust Controls
  Exhaust controls have been installed on construction equipment used in the Oregon Department of Transportation bridge replacement project.
• Clean Hospital Zone
  The Oregon Clean Diesel Initiative was instrumental in coalescing interest and providing financial assistance to hospitals to support a Hospital Clean Diesel Zone. Oregon Health and Science University, Legacy Health System, Providence Health System and Kaiser Permanente agreed to retrofit much of their equipment and urge vendors and suppliers who service the hospitals to do likewise.

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