Engine manufacturer Cummins, Inc. said yesterday that it had received confirmation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) that the agencies would enforce the terms of the consent decrees Cummins and four other U.S. engine manufacturers negotiated with the government in 1998.

In a press release issued Wednesday, Cummins said "over the past few months, several of the other consent decree signers had urged the EPA and the DOJ to consider amending the decrees to provide for a delay in producing lower emissions engines." Cummins said it received a letter in which the EPA and the DOJ "unequivocally reaffirmed that the government would not consider any amendments to any of the decrees."
Engine makers who signed the consent decrees agreed to produce engines meeting the 2.5 g/bhp-hr standard for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) by October 2002. Cummins announced in April that it would meet the consent decree deadlines using cooled exhaust gas recirculation technology (EGR).
But Caterpillar implied in March that it would gain a 12-month extension from the October 2002 deadline by using emissions credits and planned to have cleaner engines ready by fourth quarter 2003.
Mack said in March that it would have its 12-liter engine ready for 2002 using EGR. In tests, the company said the engine was consistently meeting Mack engineering development targets for emissions that are 10 to 20 percent below the 2002 federal standards.
Other engine makers, including Detroit Diesel and Volvo are also using EGR to prepare engines to meet 2002 limits.