According to a statement made by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on Friday, Volvo Powertrain’s new North American Operations Center in Hagerstown, MD will help make the environment cleaner and help accelerate the economy.
EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, Maryland officials and company representatives toured the $150 million facility that will design, test and produce cleaner, high-tech engines for trucks and other heavy duty vehicles.“For the past century, diesel engines have been America’s economic workhorse — reliable, fuel efficient and long lasting. Thanks to the innovations of Volvo and our industry partners, this economic workhorse is expanding into an environmental workhorse,” said EPA Administrator Johnson.
On October 15, retail stations will start carrying ultra low sulfur diesel. Lowering the sulfur enables pollution-control technology to be effective on 2007 trucks and buses. Cleaner fuels lead to cleaner engine technologies.
When fuel and engine regulations are implemented, 2.6 million tons of nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced annually, as well as a reduction of 110,000 tons of soot or particulate matter per year. Nearly 8,300 premature deaths, 5,500 cases of chronic bronchitis and 17,600 cases of acute bronchitis in children will be prevented each year, says the EPA.
The new plant will also create 1,800 jobs and will employ the latest in manufacturing and communication technology.