State to Ban Diesel idling - Another one :/

The roar of diesel trucks idling in a rest stop is a sound familiar to many travelers. Drivers of trucks and buses, motorcycles routine at the time of the interruption of the supply of heat or air conditioning in the cabin and electricity to the radio and refrigerator. Persistence engine also eliminates the need for a "cold start" that is very difficult to bearings, seals and other engine parts.

But growing concerns about air pollution - not to mention the cost of fuel - on the basis of the 21 states laws that the idle time their operators diesel platform. In stand-by oil can burn through half liters of fuel per hour, while spewing pound of soot, ozone and carbon dioxide.

Large platforms do not have much gas to the start of the course - eight miles per gallon on a good day.

"The price of fuel is only number one concern of all in the field now," said Patrick George, Account Manager of Transport Refrigeration Inc. in Madison.

A wealth of new technologies to minimize or IRTs hours truck drivers can turn off the engines, without great loss of heat, air conditioning or power in the cabin. Device, basically a small diesel engine and to prevent the main engine heat, while you are disabled.

Wisconsin does not have a diesel engine idle codes, but probably at the next meeting of the legislature.

A bottleneck was the development of the principles that everyone can try to bus companies and lorries pay for the addition of units to minimize their fleet. The devices may be the price of $ 1,000 to $ 10,000, while the producers claim that the units pay for themselves within a year.

"Any company can save on fuel, it can reinvest in the company, and not people," said Dawn Fenton, the political director of the Diesel Technology Forum Frederick, Md.

For the last two years, Wisconsin has a program that the Ministry of Commerce, which has matching grants to help truckers buy diesel equipment to a minimum. Nearly 1,100 units were installed by about 4 million dollars for grants.

The estimates are the new technologies have helped to save 2.7 million liters of diesel fuel, reducing air pollution, especially particulates, also known as soot.

But the program is not included in Gov. Jim Doyle, the new budget, this horse Flak interests and environmentalists. Spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce said Tony Hozeny minimize program is designed to expire after the call begins.

"We have tried to pump on the main new technologies can not pump," said Hozeny.

Hozeny possible, said a number of federal funds may be used in Wisconsin, it is possible for 1.7 million dollars, that would help truckers buy more equipment to minimize forward.

"It's not that they do not like the program, but the budget was already under the microscope," he said.

Last year, Dane County Supervisor Brett Hulsey called for a ban on diesel idling Dane County, says that the protection of air quality, while helping to save fuel.

But the regulation is not very dynamic. So Hulsey worked with the State Wide industry standards eliminates the problem of truck drivers to prevent petrol station stops in areas where the engine is prohibited.

Hulsey said at least to the rule of law should include the school, which usually line up the rear for loading and unloading of students.

"I saw that the investigation in line for three or four carriages, ending with the same quality of air in the bar and smoke," he said.

According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, diesel exhaust contains significant levels of small particles, known as fine particles.

The fine particles are a serious threat to health because they are through the nose and throat and lodge in the lungs, making lung damage and death. They can also aggravate conditions such as asthma and bronchitis.

Trucking big companies in Wisconsin, the transport of about 83 percent of all goods produced in the state last year. Green Bay-based Schneider National the largest haul road nation. A Chicago to Minneapolis corridor along Interstate 94 is regarded as one of the best driving roads in the country.

Wisconsin but also as a leader in the manufacture of equipment that helps to eliminate air pollution from diesel engines.

Last year, based on Universal Silencer Stoughton has sold about 300 systems, emission control systems for use on diesel generators as a permanent backup or extract. The company - which also muffler for large diesel engines - Cummins was taken by the former Nelson Industries Inc. of Stoughton, about a year ago.

"We are in green technology," says Brian Kahl, CEO of Universal Emission Technologies. "First, remove the noise (Diesel), and now part of the emissions."

Transport Refrigeration in Madison East in the area to install equipment to the minimum has helped the company by the economic downturn. Company trucks costumes "TriPac system built by Thermo King.

"This is about 80 percent of our business, but that is due to the fact that the shipment is dropped off so much," said George.

Indeed. Recent data from the American Trucking Association in the United States shows that the truck tonnage fell by nearly 15 percent in December - an indication of strong economic slowdown.

For its part, Wisconsin Hulsey believes has a future in the production of biodiesel from agricultural crops and production of trucks and buses cleaner technologies.

"Wisconsin is the Saudi Arabia of clean diesel engines," he said.