California District Seeks EPA Ship Air Rules Amid Doubts Over Global Pact

摘要

California's South Coast air district is petitioning EPA to regulate nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from foreign-flagged vessels as a backstop regulatory measure to ensure air pollution cuts from ocean-going vessels, amid doubts over the fate of an international agreement by countries to impose NOx limits on ships operating by coastlines. Russia is seeking a five-year delay for implementation of the agreement by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to impose emissions control areas (ECAs) requiring "Tier Ⅲ" emissions controls on new ships within certain boundaries of countries' coastlines. An IMO committee will meet in March to vote on whether to adopt Russia's proposal that would postpone the implementation of the emissions controls by five years, from 2016 to 2021.