federal register - U.S. Government Printing Office

6368 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 28 / Tuesday, February 11, 1997 / Proposed RulesC. Locomotive UsageMovement of freight by Class Irailroads totaled approximately 910billion ton-miles in 1981, increasing toapproximately 1,201 billion ton-miles in1994; an increase of approximately 32percent. At present, more than 1 ⁄3 oftotal intercity revenue freight ton-milesmoved in the U.S. by all transportationmeans are moved by train. 3D. Locomotive Sales and RebuildPracticesFrom 1985 through 1994, annual salesof freshly manufactured locomotivesfluctuated somewhat, but averagedapproximately 450 units. Class Irailroads typically purchase all of thesefreshly manufactured locomotives.Older locomotives owned by Class Irailroads are either sold to smallerrailroads, scrapped, or purchased by anindependent entity for remanufactureand resale. The total life of a locomotiveis approximately 40 years, during whichperiod the engine and the locomotiveundergo several extensiveremanufacturing operations. Theseremanufacturing operations generallyconsist of, at a minimum, thereplacement of the power assemblies(i.e., pistons, piston rings, cylinderliners, cylinder heads, fuel injectors,valves, etc.) with new components (orcomponents that are in new condition)to bring the locomotive back to thecondition it was in when originallymanufactured with respect toperformance, durability and emissions.E. Locomotive and Locomotive EngineManufacturers and RemanufacturersLocomotives used in the United Statesare primarily produced by twomanufacturers: the ElectromotiveDivision of General Motors (EMD) andGeneral Electric Transportation Systems(GE). These manufacturers produce boththe locomotive chassis and thepropulsion engines, and alsoremanufacture engines. MotivePowerIndustries (formerly MK RailCorporation) recently entered themarket and has manufactured somelocomotives using enginesmanufactured by Caterpillar, Inc. DetroitDiesel Corporation and CumminsEngine Company, Inc. also produceengines which may be used inlocomotives. U.S. railroads do not tendto purchase locomotives or locomotiveengines from manufacturers outside ofthe U.S.The two primary manufacturers offreshly manufactured locomotives also3 Id. A revenue freight ton-mile is the commercialmovement (i.e., for revenue) of one ton of freightone mile.provide remanufacturing services totheir customers. Several additionalentities also remanufacture locomotives.Many Class I railroads remanufacturelocomotive engines for their own unitsand on a contract basis for otherrailroads. Additionally, there are a smallnumber of independentremanufacturing operations inexistence.F. Interstate CommerceCurrent railroad networks (rail lines)are geographically widespread acrossthe United States, serving every majorcity in the country. Today,approximately one-third of the freighthauled in the United States is hauled bytrain. There are very few industries orcitizens in the U.S. who are not ultimateconsumers of the services provided bythe American railroad companies.Efficient train transportation is a vitalfactor in the strength of the U.S.economy.Class I railroads operate regionally.This is why railroad companies and theFederal Railroad Administration (FRA),have stressed the importance ofunhindered rail access across all stateboundaries. If states regulatedlocomotives differently, a railroad couldconceivably be forced to changelocomotives at state boundaries, and/orhave state-specific locomotive fleets.Currently, facilities for such changes donot exist, and even if switching areaswere available at state boundaries, itwould be a costly and time consumingdisruption of interstate commerce. Anydisruption in the efficient interstatemovement of trains throughout the U.S.would have an impact on the health andwell-being of not only the rail industrybut the entire U.S. economy as well.G. Modal ShiftAnother important point requiringconsideration in the regulation oflocomotives is the potential for modalshift. A modal shift is a change from oneform of transportation, such as trains, toanother form, such as trucks. Modalshift can have negative or positiveeffects on national and local emissionsinventories. Negative modal shift occurswhen there is a shift to a more pollutingform of transportation.Information currently available toEPA shows that truck-based freightmovement generates more pollutantsper ton-mile of freight hauled thancurrent, unregulated rail-based forms offreight movement. Estimates quantifyingthe difference indicate that locomotivesare on the order of three times cleanerthan trucks on an emissions per tonmilebasis. 4 Thus, overly stringentregulation of the rail industry or adisruption in interstate rail movementcould cause rail prices to increase andthus cause a negative modal shift.Regulations that were overly stringentcould raise equipment and/or operatingcosts to the point that it might be a wisereconomic choice to move current railfreight by truck. Additionally, delayscaused by changing locomotives at stateboundaries due to separate statelocomotive regulations could be costlyto railroad companies. These increasedcosts would be reflected in the price ofhauling freight by rail and may eveneliminate some rail carriers from themarket. In both of these cases customerscould switch to trucks for the movementof their freight. Any freight normallycarried by rail that is hauled by trucksinstead of by rail would increase overallemissions, even at current emissionslevels.H. Health and Environmental Impacts ofAmbient NO X and PMOxides of nitrogen (NO X) are a familyof reactive gaseous compounds thatcontribute to air pollution in both urbanand rural environments. NO X emissionsare produced during the combustion offuels at high temperatures. The primarysources of atmospheric NO X includehighway sources (such as light-duty andheavy-duty vehicles), nonroad sources(such as construction and agriculturalequipment, and locomotives) andstationary sources (such as power plantsand industrial boilers). Ambient levelsof NO X can be directly harmful tohuman health and the environment.More importantly, from an overallhealth and welfare perspective, NO Xcontributes to the production ofsecondary chemical products that inturn cause additional health and welfareeffects. Prominent among these areozone and nitrate particulate.The component of NO X that is of mostconcern from a health standpoint isnitrogen dioxide, NO 2. EPA has set aprimary (health-related) NAAQS forNO 2 of 100 micrograms per cubic meter,or 0.053 parts per million. Directexposure to NO 2 can reduce breathingefficiency and increase lung and airwayirritation in healthy people, as well asin the elderly and in people with preexistingpulmonary conditions.Exposure to NO 2 at or near the level ofthe ambient standard appears toincrease symptoms of respiratoryillness, lung congestion, wheeze, and4 Note from F. Peter Hutchins to Joanne I.Goldhand, dated 2/14/94, and entitled ‘‘Estimate ofRelative NO X Emissions Resulting from Movementof Freight by Truck and by Train.’’