Int. No. 415-A

By the Speaker (Council Member Miller) and Council Members Gennaro, Yassky, Quinn, McMahon, Avella, Boyland, Brewer, Clarke, Comrie, Fidler, Gentile, Gerson, Gioia, Gonzalez, James, Jennings, Koppell, Liu, Martinez, Monserrate, Nelson, Palma, Recchia Jr., Reed, Rivera, Sanders Jr., Stewart, Vallone Jr., Weprin, DeBlasio, Lopez, Foster, Baez, Moskowitz, Katz, Jackson, Barron, Perkins, Addabbo Jr., Reyna and The Public Advocate (Ms. Gotbaum)

Title
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to reducing the emission of pollutants from the city’s diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles.
Body

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter one of Title 24 of the administrative code of the city of New York shall be amended by adding thereto a new section 24-163.4 to read as follows:
§24-163.4 Use of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel and best available retrofit technology by the city’s diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles. a. Definitions. When used in this section:
(1) “Best available retrofit technology” means technology, verified by the United States environmental protection agency or the California air resources board, for reducing the emission of pollutants that achieves reductions in particulate matter emissions at the highest classification level for diesel emission control strategies, as set forth in subdivision d of this section, that is applicable to the particular engine and application. Such technology shall also, at a reasonable cost, achieve the greatest reduction in emissions of nitrogen oxides at such particulate matter reduction level and shall in no event result in a net increase in the emissions of either particulate matter or nitrogen oxides.
“City agency” means a city, county, borough, administration, department, division,
bureau, board or commission, or a corporation, institution or agency of government, the expenses of which are paid in whole or in part from the city treasury.
(3) “Gross vehicle weight rating” means the value specified by the manufacturer of a motor vehicle model as the maximum design loaded weight of a single vehicle of that model.
(4) “Motor vehicle” means a vehicle operated or driven upon a public highway which is propelled by any power other than muscular power, except electrically-driven mobility assistance devices operated or driven by a person with a disability, provided, however, that this term shall not include vehicles that are specially equipped for emergency response by the department, office of emergency management, sheriff’s office of the department of finance, police department or fire department.
(5) “Person” means any natural person, co-partnership, firm, company, association,
joint stock association, corporation or other like organization.
(6) “Reasonable cost” means that such technology does not cost greater than thirty percent more than other technology applicable to the particular engine and application that falls within the same classification level for diesel emission control strategies, as set forth in subdivision d of this section, when considering the cost of the strategies, themselves, and the cost of installation.
(7) “Ultra low sulfur diesel fuel” means diesel fuel that has a sulfur content of no
more than fifteen parts per million.
b. (1) Each diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle owned or operated by a city agency shall be powered by ultra low sulfur diesel fuel.
(2) Diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 8,500 pounds that are owned or operated by city agencies shall utilize the best available retrofit technology or be equipped with an engine certified to the applicable 2007 United States environmental protection agency standard for particulate matter as set forth in section 86.007-11 of title 40 of the code of federal regulations or to any subsequent United States environmental protection agency standard for such pollutant that is at least as stringent, pursuant to the following schedule:
7% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2007;
14% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2008;
30% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2009;
50% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2010;
70% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2011;
90% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2012;
100% of all such motor vehicles by July 1, 2012.
c. (1) The commissioner shall make determinations, and shall publish a list containing such determinations, as to the best available retrofit technology to be used for each type of diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle to which this section applies. Each such determination shall be reviewed and revised, as needed, on a regular basis, but in no event less often than once every six months.
(2) The commissioner may determine that a technology, whether or not it has been verified by the United States environmental protection agency or the California air resources board, may be appropriate to test, on an experimental basis, on a particular type of diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle owned or operated by a city agency. The commissioner may authorize such technology to be installed on up to five percent or twenty-five of such type of motor vehicle, whichever is less. Any motor vehicle on which such technology is installed may be counted for the purpose of meeting the requirements of paragraph two of subdivision b of this section. Such technology shall not be required to be installed on other motor vehicles of the same type and shall be subject to the provisions of paragraph three of this subdivision.
(3) No city agency shall be required to replace best available retrofit technology or experimental technology utilized for a diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle in accordance with the provisions of this section within three years of having first utilized such technology for such vehicle, except that technology that falls within Level 4, as set forth in subdivision d of this section, shall not be required to be replaced until it has reached the end of its useful life.
d. The classification levels for diesel emission control strategies are as follows, with
Level 4 being the highest classification level:
Level 4 - strategy reduces diesel particulate matter emissions by 85 percent or greater or reduces engine emissions to less than or equal to 0.01 grams diesel particulate matter per brake horsepower-hour;
Level 3 - strategy reduces diesel particulate matter emissions by between 50 and 84 percent;
Level 2 - strategy reduces diesel particulate matter emissions by between 25 and 49 percent;
Level 1 - strategy reduces diesel particulate matter emissions by between 20 and 24 percent.
e. The commissioner shall issue a written determination that permits the use of diesel fuel that has a sulfur content of no more than thirty parts per million to fulfill the requirements of this section if ultra low sulfur diesel fuel is not available to meet the needs of city agencies to fulfill the requirements of this section. Such determination shall expire after six months and shall be renewed in writing every six months if such lack of availability persists, but in no event shall be in effect after September 1, 2006.
f. The commissioner may issue a waiver for the use of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel where a city agency makes a written finding, which is approved, in writing, by the commissioner, that a sufficient quantity of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, or diesel fuel that has a sulfur content of no more than thirty parts per million where a determination is in effect pursuant to subdivision e of this section, is not available to meet the requirements of this section, provided that such agency, to the extent practicable, shall use whatever quantity of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel or diesel fuel that has a sulfur content of no more than thirty parts per million is available for its diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles. Any waiver issued pursuant to this subdivision shall expire after two months, unless the city agency renews the finding, in writing, and the commissioner approves such renewal, in writing.
g. (1) Not later than January 1, 2007, and not later than January 1 of each year thereafter, the commissioner shall submit a report to the comptroller and the speaker of the council regarding, among other things, the use of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel and the use of the best available retrofit technology by diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles owned or operated by city agencies during the immediately preceding calendar year. The information contained in this report shall include, but not be limited to, for each city agency: (i) the total number of diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles owned or operated by such agency; (ii) the number of such motor vehicles that were powered by ultra low sulfur diesel fuel; (iii) the total number of diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles owned or operated by such agency having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 8,500 pounds; (iv) the number of such motor vehicles that utilized the best available retrofit technology, including a breakdown by motor vehicle model, engine year and the type of technology used for each vehicle; (v) the number of such motor vehicles that are equipped with an engine certified to the applicable 2007 United States environmental protection agency standard for particulate matter as set forth in section 86.007-11 of title 40 of the code of federal regulations or to any subsequent United States environmental protection agency standard for particulate matter that is at least as stringent; (vi) the number of such motor vehicles that utilized technology in accordance with paragraph two of subdivision c of this section and the results and analyses regarding the testing of such technology; and (vii) all waivers, findings, and renewals of such findings, issued pursuant to subdivision f of this section, which, for each waiver, shall include, but not be limited to, the quantity of diesel fuel needed to power diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles owned or operated by such agency; specific information concerning the availability of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel or diesel fuel that has a sulfur content of no more than thirty parts per million where a determination is in effect pursuant to subdivision e of this section; and detailed information concerning the agency’s efforts to obtain ultra low sulfur diesel fuel or diesel fuel that has a sulfur content of no more than thirty parts per million where a determination is in effect pursuant to subdivision e of this section.
(2) Where a determination is in effect pursuant to subdivision e of this section, information regarding diesel fuel that has a sulfur content of no more than thirty parts per million shall be reported wherever information is requested for ultra low sulfur diesel fuel pursuant to paragraph one of this subdivision.
(3) The report due January 1, 2007 in accordance with paragraph one of this subdivision shall only include the information required pursuant to subparagraphs (i), (ii) and (vii) of such paragraph.
h. This section shall not apply:
(1) where federal or state funding precludes the city from imposing the requirements of this section; or
(2) to purchases that are emergency procurements pursuant to section three hundred fifteen of the charter.
§2. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or other portion of this local law is, for any reason, declared unconstitutional or invalid, in whole or in part, by any court of competent jurisdiction such portion shall be deemed severable, and such unconstitutionality or invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this law, which remaining portions shall continue in full force and effect.
§3. This local law shall take effect six months after its enactment, except that the commissioner of environmental protection shall take all actions necessary, including the promulgation of rules, to implement this local law on or before the date upon which it shall take effect. The commissioner shall publish proposed rules no later than ninety days from the date of enactment of this section.

DD LS # 230
4/12/05 11:00 p.m.