February 1997 Dear Addressee: Recent data that have become available to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate that many, if not most, alternative fuel conversion kits may be causing the vehicles upon which they have been installed to exceed applicable federal emission standards. On February 21, 1997, EPA is holding a public meeting with interested parties to discuss these data, the status of current environmental laws pertaining to alternative fuel conversions, and the possible need to modify EPA's policies and take other actions to address this problem. Section 203(a) of the Clean Air Act (Act) prohibits the removal or rendering inoperative of any emission control device or element of design installed on any motor vehicle or engine under Title II of the Act, or the causing thereof. EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance is responsible for enforcing this provision of the Act. EPA's Mobile Source Enforcement Memorandum 1A (Memo 1A) provides guidance to persons who perform normal repair and maintenance or undertake other modifications or alterations from the certified configuration, as well as manufacturers who produce aftermarket parts on how they can avoid liability under the tampering prohibition of the Act. Under Memo 1A and subsequent policy interpretations issued by EPA, manufacturers of alternative fuel conversion equipment may certify their equipment using California's alternative fuel retrofit system certification procedures. Once certified by California, manufacturers may sell and install their equipment in California without incurring liability under the federal tampering and defeat device laws. To date, California certification using the states "old" (pre-1994) procedures has been the predominant means used by conversion equipment manufacturers to comply with the Act. Additionally, to date EPA has accepted California certification as a basis for selling and installing such equipment in 50 states without incurring liability. In the Spring of 1996, the U.S. Department of Energy made data available to the general public from a testing program conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The purpose of this test program was to determine the emission levels of several federal fleet vehicles that had been recently converted to alternative fuel operation, either CNG or propane, using California-certified equipment. The results of the test program indicated that the majority of the vehicles tested showed a substantial increase in emissions of at least one of the criteria pollutants after conversion. Additional data reviewed by EPA from the California Air Resources Board and other sources confirmed substantial increases in emissions from vehicles converted to run on alternative fuels. As a result, EPA has significant concerns regarding the effectiveness of the testing and the basis upon which many conversion equipment manufacturers, installers and others have relied to demonstrate the emissions performance of such equipments. We are, therefore, currently reconsidering whether the old California-certified conversion procedures are sufficient to ensure that vehicles with such equipment will meet applicable emission standards for their useful life and what other steps are necessary to address this problem both prospectively, and for previously converted vehicles. We have scheduled a public meeting on February 21, 1997, in Washington, D.C. at Waterside Mall, 401 M St. SW, Washington Information Center, North Conference Room 3, to discuss this matter more fully with all interested parties. The meeting starts at 10:00 and is expected to take up most of the day. We invite your participation and request that any interested parties bring whatever data that may be available on this subject which would enhance understanding of this and related issues. We ask that all materials that you would like to be considered by EPA be submitted prior to the meeting. Enclosed is a draft agenda for the meeting. Please contact either Richard Ackerman or Bruce Fergusson of my staff at (202) 564-2255 if you plan to attend and/or wish to submit materials for consideration. We look forward to your participation in this dialogue. Sincerely, Bruce C. Buckheit, Director Air Enforcement Division Enclosure cc: Bob VanHeuvelen, OECA Margo Oge, OAR AGENDA Alternative Fuels Meeting February 21, 1997 1 Introduction: Rich Ackerman-EPA 2 Memo 1A/EPA Certification Program: Bruce Fergussson/Cliff Tyree-EPA 3 States Programs: Rose Castro-CARB, Colorado,Texas ? 4 Federal Fleet Requirements/Executive Order: David Rogers-DOE Marc McConahy-DFSC 5 Emission Data Summary: Cliff Tyree-EPA 6 Additional Data 7 EPA Policy Options 8 Retrofit Options 9 Comments/Discussion 10 Conclusions/Additional Actions EPA Homepage: "http://www.epa.gov/OMSWWW/" EPA Contacts: Rich Ackerman - OECA - (202) 564-2255 Bruce Fergusson - OECA - (202) 564-2255 Cliff Tyree - OMS- (313) 668-4310 EPA Alternative Fuels Meeting February 21, 1997 NAME ORGANIZATION PHONE # FAX # Richard Ackerman EPA - OECA (202) 564-1301 (202) 564-0069 Bruce Fergusson EPA-OECA (202) 564-1261 (202) 564-0069 Clifford Tyree EPA - OMS (313) 668-4310 (313) 741-7869 Rose Castro CARB (818) 575-6848 (818) 575-6685 David Rogers U.S. DOE/OTT (202) 586-7182 (202) 586-1610 Ron Cassell Pro Energy Corp. (908) 747-3795 (908) 219-0161 Clem Drummond Brooklyn Union (718) 403-2768 (718) 625-3569 Sandro Paterno San Marino Engineering (201) 279-7569 (201) 279-7846 Marc McConahy Defense Fuel Supply (703) 767-8500 (703) 767-8506 Center Gil Sperling NGVC (202) 662-3056 (202) 662-2739 Andrews & Kurth Sean Turner NGVC (703) 527-1702 (703) 527-3025 Karen Szabo IMPCO (562) 860-6666 (562) 860-5216 Tom Henderson Texas General Land (512) 463-9989 (512) 475-1558 Office NAME ORGANIZATION PHONE # FAX # Alex Lawson GFI Control Systems (519) 526-4270 (519) 576-6542 David A. Byerman Grtr. Phila. Clean (610) 408-8791 (610) 408-0131 Cities Ken Katz DOE/OTT (202) 586-6116 (202) 586-1610 Jill Hamilton IRI Representive (703) 528-3500 (703) 528-1953 Nat'l Alt Fuel Hotline Keith Koffler New Fuels Report (703) 416-8578 (703) 416-8543 Tommy Foltz Clean Fuels Strategies (703) 243-3292 (703) 243-2930 Ronald Dubois OC Incorporated (703) 813-4134 (703) 813-4160 Gregory Dana Assoc. of Int. Auto (703) 525-7788 (703) 525-8817 Mfrs. Robert B. Turan Metropane Inc./ (718) 720-5198 (703) 720-5238 Empire Associates Mauryce Johnson DOC/O/S, OAO (202) 482-6070 (202) 501-4697 Luis D. MacDonald Auto Flex, Inc. t/a (410) 467-8282 (410) 467-8288 Clean Cities Leasing Charles Hogg U.S. Navy (804) 445-4885 PWC Norfolk NAME ORGANIZATION PHONE # FAX # Eugene White U.S. Navy (804) 757-4886 PWC Norfolk E.C. Hoelzer PWC Norfolk (804) 445-4885 Philip Wheeler Delaware Air Quality (302) 139-3106 Tom Mendenhall Bachman NGV (502) 493-9867 (502) 495-9380 Bill Calvert Bachman NGV (502) 493-9866 (502) 495-9380 Rick Waters PWC Wash., Navy (202) 685-1735 (202) 433-9524 David Cook U.S. Navy/NFESC (805) 982-3477 (805) 982-4244 Rob Blackstone GSA Vehicle Policy. (202) 208-7654 Ron Keeling U.S. Navy Facilities. (703) 325-2215 (202) 325-5859 Engineering Command CDR Tom Grady U.S. Navy (703) 614-1313 (703) 695-2573 Jeff McCallister Naval Facilities (805) 982-3491 (805) 982-4244 Engineering Service Center Jerry Grover U.S. Postal Service (202) 268-5073 (202) 268-6016 Francis Elsen DOE (202) 426-1169 (202) 426-1308 Energy Info. Admin. NAME ORGANIZATION PHONE # FAX # Lee Slezak DOE - Office of (202) 586-2335 (202) 586-1610 Transportation Tech.. Mike Kalcheff G&M Svc. Ctr., Inc. (703) 550-1467 (703) 550-1467 Karl Weiss DOD - Environmental (703) 604-1846 (703) 607-3124 Security Denise Lenar GSA Fleet Mgt. (703) 308-1457 (703) 305-7158 Larry Frisbee GSA Fleet Mgt. (703) 305-6837 (703) 305-7158 Joe Marino Champagne Alt. Fuels (215) 361-1304 (215) 361-1308 Mark Schultz MSI-AFV (512) 388-1896 SAME Maurice Pinel CXA Fuel Systems (908) 271-9440 (908) 271-9442 Peter DiBernardi LPC of N.Y. Inc. Vehicle (516) 588-8288 (516) 588-9669 Emission & Cert. Dione Bowlding EPA (202) 260-2088 (202) 260-3676 Arthur Sweet Goromotive Industries (818) 757-7072 (818) 757-0988 Nat'l Small Business Dale McKinnon MECA (202) 296-4797 (202) 331-1388 Rich Bechtold EA Engineering (301) 565-4216 (301) 587-4752 NAME ORGANIZATION PHONE # FAX # Steve Albrink EPA, OMS, VPCD (202) 233-9003 (202) 233-9596 Peter Lissiuk Environmental (301) 607-4416 (301) 874-3730 R&D Corp. Bill Casey American EcoFuel (703) 802-6302 (703) 802-6303 Bryan Memmott Gaseous Fuels (304) 267-2649 (304) 267-0939 Consulting Chris Bruch Consulting Resource (319) 986-5944 SAME Group Marcel Halberstadt AAMA (313) 871-2303 (313) 872-5400 Detroit, MI Fred Maloney Chrysler (810) 576-5472 (810) 876-7928 Todd Fronckowiak Ford (313) 322-4586 (313) 390-0382 Jody Stirewalt Automotive Research (304) 291-2925 (304) 291-2955 Tech. Kurt Ettenger National Alt. Fuels (800) 423-1363 (703) 528-1953 Hotline Joe Colaneri Propane Vehicle (202) 530-0479 (202) 466-7205 Council Rajeana Gable Gas Research Institute (773) 399-8321 (773) 399-8146 Carl Perazzola WR-ALC/LVE (912) 926-0017 (912) 926-1999 AFVSPO NAME ORGANIZATION PHONE # FAX # Major Dean A. Smith HQUSAF/ILSR (703) 695-7047 (703) 697-3284 Rebecca O'Kelly Dept. of Justice (202) 616-3607 (202) 307-1784 Edmonds Charles R. Cornell Synchro-Start (630) 971-2442 (630) 971-2642 Products Frank Mallgrove DOE - OTT (202) 586-8077 (202) 586-1610 Ken Kelly NREL (303) 275-4465 (303) 275-4415 Tim Coburn NREL (303) 275-4425 (303) 275-4415 Kim Bruce Livo CO Dept. Of Public (303) 692-3134 (303) 782-5693 Health & Environment Jeff Clarke NGVC (703) 527-3082 (703) 527-3025