Sierra Research | 1985 CVS News Headlines

CARB Executive Office Reorganized - Tom Cackette Now Has Line Responsibility Over Vehicle Program (page 1)
CARB Staff Proposes 50,000 Mile Maintenance Intervals for Oxygen Sensors - Onboard Malfunction Indicators Would Also Be Required for All Feedback Controlled Vehicles (page 2)
CARB/South Coast AQMD Study of Diesel Bus Smoke in Progress - Correlation Between Visible Emissions and Maintenance Practices to be Investigated (page 3)
South Coast AQMD Seeking Refueling Emission Controls at Marinas - Vacuum Assist Vapor Recovery Systems Proposed (page 5)

February 1985 – [Top Page]

CARB Staff Proposes Tightening of Requirements for Experimental Vehicle Permits - New Requirements Would Discourage Operation of Gray Market Cars in California (page 1)
Legislation Update - Smoke or Particulate Emission Tests Would be Required for Diesels Under State I/M Program - Other Proposed Legislation Would Require CARB Certification of Gray Market Cars (page 3)
South Coast AQMD Workshop Held on Refueling Emission Controls at Marinas - Little Opposition Expressed at Workshop But Current Version of Rule Has Several Serious Problems That Will Be Uncovered Later (page 5)
Second Annual Health Effects Institute Conference Held on Monterey Peninsula - HEI Says Decades Will Be Needed to Accurately Determine the Effect of Air Pollution on Human Health - More Than You Probably Ever Wanted to Read About the Status of HEI Projects Starts on Page 13

March 1985 – [Top Page]

CARB Rulemaking Calendar for 1985 Published - New Vehicle Regulations Proposals Will Include Benzene, Light Duty NOx Standards, Gray Market Cars, 49-State Vehicle Sales, and Recall Requirements - Ambient Air Quality Standard Revisions Will Be Considered for NO2 and High Altitude CO (page 1)
New Board Member Appointed by Governor Deukmejian - Orange County Supervisor, Harriet Wieder, Will Represent South Coast Air Quality Management District (page 13)
Board Hears Status Report on Vehicle Compliance - Dealership Surveillance Program Has Apparently Been Very Successful in Stopping the Sale of Used Cars With Defective Emission Controls - Recall Testing Program Is Identifying Problem Vehicles (page 14)
Board Hears Petitions From Motorcycle Manufacturers to Delay Exhaust and Evaporative Emission Standards - Board Agrees to Hold Hearing to Consider Relaxation of the 2 Gram Evaporative Standard for Class III Bikes (page 15)

April 1985 – [Top Page]

On-Board Diagnostic Systems Proposed for 1988 Model Cars and Light Trucks-Proposed Regulation Would Also Require "Malfunction Indicators" and 50,000-Mile Oxygen Sensors (page 1)
CARB Staff Again Warns Manufacturers Regarding Additive-Based Particulate Trap Systems - All Manufacturers Are Asked to Report Plans for Future Trap Use (page 6)
BMW Petition for Relaxation of 0.2 Gram Particulate Standard Denied - CARB Unlikely to Consider Any Further Requests for Delay (page 7)
Hearing Scheduled to Consider Further Limitations on Diesel Fuel Sulphur - Partial or Total Elimination of "Small Refiner" Exemption from 0.05% Standard to Be Considered (page 8)
Hearing Scheduled in Response to International Harvester Request for Relaxation of Warranty Requirements for Light-heavy-duty Diesels - Staff Recommends Board Reverse Earlier Position and Reject IH Request (page 11)
CARB Staff Seeking Information Regarding Prevention of Catalyst-Caused Grass Fires - Manufacturers Asked Whether Insulation Systems Can Be Made Available (page 13)
Automation of Assembly-Line Test Reports Is Pursued by CARB Staff - Electronic Communication Links with Manufacturers Suggested (page 15)

May 1985 – [Top Page]

Board Adopts Regulation Requiring On-board Diagnostic Systems and Malfunction Indicators for 1988 Models - Potential Emissions Benefits Make this the Most Significant Program Change since Adoption of I/M - CARB Says Regs Will Help Meet "New Goal" of Having Cars Meet Standards in Customer Service by 1994 Model Year (page 2)
Board Members Advised to Avoid "Ex Parte" Contacts - CARB Chairman Duffy Says Private Discussions Should Not Be Held After Regulator Hearings Have Been Noticed (page 10)
Board Reverses Earlier Decision to Relax Light-heavy-duty Warranty Coverage in Response to International Harvester Request - IH Told to Pursue Administrative Remedies for Denying Warranty Coverage for "Abused" Engines (page 11)
Modifications to "Small Refiner" Exemption from 0.05% Diesel Fuel Standard Delayed for Two Months - Board Seems Inclined to Reduce, but Not Eliminate, the Current Exemption (page 14)
CARB May Redesignate Portions of South Coast Air Basin as "Attainment" for Nitrogen Dioxide - Continued Control of NOx Emissions Would Still Be Required (page 18)
CARB Staff Proposes New Program for Gray Market Car Certification - Proposed Regulations to Be Considered at May Workshop (page 22)

June 1985 – [Top Page]

CARB Chairman resigns - Deputy Secretary for Environmental Affairs, Jan Sharpless, Is "Interim" Replacement for Gordon Duffy on June 1 (page 1)
Gray Market Regulation Proposal Discussed at CARB Workshop - Mercedes Hints at Legal Action If Vehicle Modifiers Are Allowed to Use Deterioration Factors Generated by Original Equipment Manufacturers (page 2)
Future CARB Research Plans Outlined During Joint Meeting of Research Screening Committee and Board - Board Also Hears Presentation on Status of Health Effects Research (page 11)
Board Denies Petitions from Truck Stop Operators for Relaxation of Diesel Fuel Sulphur Standard - Issue May Be Reconsidered after Regulation Changes for Smaller Refiner Exemption Are Resolved (page 12)
Modifications to Motorcycle Evaporative Emission Standards Approved - Two Gram Standard for Large Bikes Delayed Until 1989 (page 16)
Board Hears Presentations Regarding Effect of Warranty Regulations - Service Industry Says Emissions Warranty Increases Customer Cost and Adversely Affects Competition (page 19)

July 1985 – [Top Page]

Jan Sharpless Appointed "Interim" CARB Chairwoman by Governor Deukmejian - Decision on Permanent Replacement for Gordon Duffy Not Yet Made (page 2)
CARB Announces Settlement with GM on Emissions Violations - GM Will Spend $950,000 to Retrofit Three Transit Buses with Methanol Engines (page 2)
Diesel Emission Control Discussed at Symposium - CARB Says it Will Pursue I/M Program for Transit Buses, Additional Controls on Diesel Fuel, and Particulate Trap Retrofits for Buses - Manufacturers Say New Epa Standards Push Heavy-duty Diesel Control to the Limit, but Separate California Standards for 8,500 14,000 GVW Truck Engines May Be Considered (page 3)
Small Refiner's Exemption from 0.05% Diesel Fuel Sulfur Standard Abolished Effective January 1, 1989 - Further Restrictions Added to Maximum Volume of Exempt Fuel That Can Be Produced until Then (page 14)
Amended Gray Market Regulation Proposal Circulated for Comment by CARB Staff - 50,000 Durability Test Would Be Required Unless "Complete Emission Control System from a California-certified Vehicle Is Installed" - Zero Mile Tests Would Be Accepted as Demonstration of "Configuration Control" - Performance Bond of $1,000 per Vehicle or $1 Million per Engine Family Would Also Be Required (page 21)
CARB Announces Workshop on 0.4 NOx Standard - staff Proposes 50% of Cars and Light Trucks Should Meet Standard by 1989, 75% by 1990, and 100% by 1991 (page 23)
CARB Staff Proposes to List Ethylene Dibromide as Toxic Air Contaminant - Gasoline Lead Regulations May Be Only Control Pursued (page 30)
CARB to Consider Changes to Regulations Allowing Sale of 49-state Vehicles in California - Staff Proposes 12-month Ban on 49-state Vehicle Certification When Manufacturer Exceeds Allowable Sales Volume for Two Consecutive Years (page 30)

August 1985 – [Top Page]

Board Modifies Regulations Governing Sale of 49-state Vehicles in California - Carryover of Emissions "Deficits" Restricted to One Model Year. (page 1)
CARB Testing Identifies Large Evaporative Emission Increases During Hot Weather - More Extensive Study is Underway. (page 6)
CARB Deletes Requirement for Certification on 91 Octane Gasoline - However, Manufacturers must Prove Emission Control System Malfunctions Are the Direct Result of Fuel with Anti-knock Index Lower than Specified in Order to Deny Warranty Claims. (page 8)
CARB Announces "Public Forum" on "The Effects of Oxides of Nitrogen on California Air Quality" - Form Appears to Be next Step Toward 0.4 NOx Standard for Light-duty Vehicles. (page 9)

September 1985 – [Top Page]

Opposition Focused on In-use Compliance at Workshop on Light-duty Vehicle NOx Standard - Phase-in of In-use Compliance Requirement Is Expected as CARB Moves Toward Adoption of 0.4 Gram/Mile NOx Standard for '89 or '90 (page 1)
CARB and Industry Debate Effects of NOx Controls at "Public Forum" on NOx Emissions - General Motors Says CARB Should Abandon Short-term NO2 Standard and Postpone Further NOx Controls (page 13)

October 1985 – [Top Page]

CARB Staff Announces Plans to Adopt Federal Standards for Heavy-duty Engines - Current California NOx Standard Would Be Relaxed for 1988 1990 Models (page 1)
Latest Data Show California Air Is Getting Cleaner - But Many Areas Will Fail to Meet Air Quality Standards by 1987 (page 8)
Ethylene Dichloride "Identified" as Toxic Air Contaminant by CARB - Discussion Indicates Some Board Members Are Uncomfortable with Extrapolation of High Concentration Animal Test Results to Humans (page 19)

November 1985 – [Top Page]

Former CARB Chairs Tom Quinn and Mary Nichols to Head Gubernatorial Campaign for Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley - Performance of Governor Deukmejian's Air Resources Board Likely to Be Campaign Issue (Page 1)
Future Light-duty Vehicle Controls Proposed by CARB Staff to Demonstrate "Reasonable Extra Efforts" to Meet Ozone Standard in South Coast Air Basin - 0.25 Gram/Mile HC Standard, 1.0 Gram Evap Standard, and Expanded Recall Requirements to Be Considered (Page 2)
Proposed Gray Market Car Regulations Amended - Hearing Set for Later this Month (Page 9)
CARB Staff Proposes Extension of Relaxed HC Standard for "Small Volume" Motorcycles One More Year - Current Standard of 2.5 Grams/Kilometers for Large Bikes Would Drop to 1/4 Grams in 1988 (Page 12)
CARB Staff Proposes Re-Adoption of Hourly Average Ambient Air Quality Standard for Nitrogen Dioxide - Board Postpones Decision after Hearing Industry Opposition (Page 15)

December 1985 – [Top Page]

Decision on New Gray Market Car Regulations Postponed for One Month - Gray Marketers' Request for Longer Delay Denied after CARB Staff and Original Equipment Manufacturers Tell Board That Delay Will Result in 3,000 4,000 More Illegal Cars Every Month (Page 1)
Hydrocarbon Standard for "Small Volume" Motorcycles Above 700 cc's Delayed for One Year - Compliance with 1.4 Gram/Kilometer Standard Not Required Until 1988 (Page 11)
Wide Variation in Vehicle Performance Between Manufacturers Are Apparent in Latest Data from California I/M Program - Overall Failure Rate is 29?, but 34% of Failed Vehicles are Receiving Cost Exceedance Waiver (Page 14)