ARB Releases Draft of Proposed Amendments to Small-Off-Road Engines Regulation

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The ARB is planning on proposing modifications to the California SORE regulations in order to harmonization its test procedures with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) rules. The proposal will sunset the current test procedures with the 2012 model year, and adopt portions of U.S. EPA’s Parts 1054 and 1065, of Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (published on November 8, 2010).  Because California has different air quality goals than the rest of the country, some portions of Parts 1054 and 1065 have been either modified as necessary for California’s purposes or excluded entirely. For example, U.S. EPA and ARB have different emission credit programs.  Accordingly, ARB has excluded portions of U.S. EPA’s provisions that refer to its credit program. The ARB proposal is scheduled to be considered for adoption at the December 2011 Board Hearing.

The draft proposal can be found on the following webpage, http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/mailouts/mouts_11.htm.

In addition to proposing adoption of these harmonizing modifications, ARB is proposing to change the SORE certification exhaust test fuel to a ten percent ethanol blend (E10). This change is being considered so that the certification test fuel used for California’s off-road, gasoline-fueled engine and equipment categories remains consistent with the planned E10 changes to the on-road motor vehicle certification test fuel requirements. Please note that because the ARB is in only the early stages of considering this modification, the attached documents do not specifically reflect this proposed change. Nevertheless, we are seeking comments from interested parties on this important issue.

In order to satisfy the required deadlines that are involved in this process, comments related to the draft proposed amendments should be received by the close of business on Monday, August 8, 2011. Please email comments to Ms. Yun Hui Park, Lead Staff, at ypark@arb.ca.gov, with a copy to Mr. Ronald Haste, Manager, Off-Road Control Section, at rhaste@arb.ca.gov.