Lower emissions through emerging technologies and alternative power.
Over the last few years, the construction industry has faced more than its share of financial challenges. And the industry’s widespread use of diesel-powered vehicles and equipment has attracted attention from both health and environmental advocates. Given the level of exhaust emissions from this kind of equipment, significant environmental regulations have been implemented, and more will come. Fortunately, viable alternatives for on- and off-highway construction vehicles will come to market, allowing industry professionals to comply with regulations while still saving significant time and money.
Emission standards began in the 1970s when highway vehicles became highly regulated. As the benefits of standardizing emissions became evident, government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started evaluating how other types of engines and fuels also affected the environment. Nonroad or off-road vehicles, widely popular in the construction industry, became the subject of debate and the focus of the government’s increasingly stringent regulations.
The Dangers of Emissions
In 1990, amendments to the Clean Air Act directed the EPA to study how off-road equipment contributed to urban air pollution. The findings have been a major catalyst for the restrictions imposed on the construction industry today. The research found that off-road vehicle engines emit as much nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) as highway vehicles.
In the case of diesel-powered equipment, these engines emit even more toxins and are also one of the largest sources of PM—known to pose public health problems including lung damage and aggravating existing respiratory disease.
Unfortunately, the health issues related to emissions do not stop there. According to the Clean Air Task Force, America’s 11 million diesel buses, trucks, trains, ships and construction equipment all emit pollutants that lead to 21,000 premature deaths. Additionally, research has shown these emissions increase the number of heart attacks and asthma cases each year and create a cancer risk seven times greater than the combined risk of all 181 other airborne toxins tracked by the EPA.
Despite the fact that air quality regulations have become increasingly stringent over the last 20 years, the American Lung Association says that 58 percent of Americans—three out of five people—live in areas with unhealthy air pollutant levels.
