View all text of Subpart I [§ 1039.801 - § 1039.825]

§ 1039.801 - What definitions apply to this part?

The following definitions apply to this part. The definitions apply to all subparts unless we note otherwise. All undefined terms have the meaning the Act gives to them. The definitions follow:

Act means the Clean Air Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 7401–7671q.

Adjustable parameter has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1068.50.

Aftertreatment means relating to a catalytic converter, particulate filter, or any other system, component, or technology mounted downstream of the exhaust valve (or exhaust port) whose design function is to decrease emissions in the engine exhaust before it is exhausted to the environment. Exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) and turbochargers are not aftertreatment.

Aircraft means any vehicle capable of sustained air travel more than 100 feet above the ground.

Alcohol-fueled engine means an engine that is designed to run using an alcohol fuel. For purposes of this definition, alcohol fuels do not include fuels with a nominal alcohol content below 25 percent by volume.

Amphibious vehicle means a vehicle with wheels or tracks that is designed primarily for operation on land and secondarily for operation in water.

Auxiliary emission-control device means any element of design that senses temperature, motive speed, engine RPM, transmission gear, or any other parameter for the purpose of activating, modulating, delaying, or deactivating the operation of any part of the emission-control system.

Brake power means the usable power output of the engine, not including power required to fuel, lubricate, or heat the engine, circulate coolant to the engine, or to operate aftertreatment devices.

Calibration means the set of specifications and tolerances specific to a particular design, version, or application of a component or assembly capable of functionally describing its operation over its working range.

Carryover means relating to certification based on emission data generated from an earlier model year as described in § 1039.235(d).

Certification means relating to the process of obtaining a certificate of conformity for an engine family that complies with the emission standards and requirements in this part.

Certified emission level means the highest deteriorated emission level in an engine family for a given pollutant from either transient or steady-state testing.

Compression-ignition means relating to a type of reciprocating, internal-combustion engine that is not a spark-ignition engine.

Constant-speed engine means an engine whose certification is limited to constant-speed operation. Engines whose constant-speed governor function is removed or disabled are no longer constant-speed engines.

Constant-speed operation has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1065.1001.

Crankcase emissions means airborne substances emitted to the atmosphere from any part of the engine crankcase's ventilation or lubrication systems. The crankcase is the housing for the crankshaft and other related internal parts.

Critical emission-related component has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1068.30.

Date of manufacture has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1068.30.

Designated Compliance Officer means the Director, Diesel Engine Compliance Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; [email protected]; www.epa.gov/ve-certification

Deteriorated emission level means the emission level that results from applying the appropriate deterioration factor to the official emission result of the emission-data engine.

Deterioration factor means the relationship between emissions at the end of useful life and emissions at the low-hour test point, expressed in one of the following ways:

(1) For multiplicative deterioration factors, the ratio of emissions at the end of useful life to emissions at the low-hour test point.

(2) For additive deterioration factors, the difference between emissions at the end of useful life and emissions at the low-hour test point.

Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) means a liquid reducing agent (other than the engine fuel) used in conjunction with selective catalytic reduction to reduce NOX emissions. Diesel exhaust fluid is generally understood to be an aqueous solution of urea conforming to the specifications of ISO 22241.

Discrete-mode means relating to the discrete-mode type of steady-state test described in § 1039.505.

Dual-fuel means relating to an engine designed for operation on two different fuels but not on a continuous mixture of those fuels (see § 1039.601(b)). For purposes of this part, such an engine remains a dual-fuel engine even if it is designed for operation on three or more different fuels.

Emergency equipment means any of the following types of equipment that is not a motor vehicle:

(1) Specialized vehicles used to perform aircraft rescue and/or fire-fighting functions at airports, with particular emphasis on saving lives and reducing injuries coincident with aircraft fires following impact, or aircraft ground fires.

(2) Wildland firefighting equipment designed primarily to support wildland fire suppression operations. For example, a bulldozer designed with special features for fighting wildfires would be a piece of emergency equipment.

(3) Any other equipment that we have determined will likely be used in emergency situations where emission control function or malfunction may cause a significant risk to human life. For example, we would consider nonroad equipment that is certain to be retrofitted with a slip-on firefighting module to be emergency equipment, irrespective of the equipment manufacturer's original design. In making this determination, we may consider any factor that has an effect on the totality of the actual risk to human life. For example, we may consider how frequently the equipment will be used in emergency situations or how likely it is that the emission controls will cause a significant risk to human life when the equipment is used in emergency situations. We will consider to what extent the flexibility provisions of § 1039.665 already address the risk. In the example above, we would not consider equipment to be emergency equipment if there is merely a possibility (rather than a certainty) that the equipment will be retrofitted with a slip-on firefighting module.

Emission-control system means any device, system, or element of design that controls or reduces the emissions of regulated pollutants from an engine.

Emission-data engine means an engine that is tested for certification. This includes engines tested to establish deterioration factors.

Emission-related maintenance means maintenance that substantially affects emissions or is likely to substantially affect emission deterioration.

Engine configuration means a unique combination of engine hardware and calibration within an engine family. Engines within a single engine configuration differ only with respect to normal production variability or factors unrelated to emissions.

Engine family has the meaning given in § 1039.230.

Engine manufacturer means the manufacturer of the engine. See the definition of “manufacturer” in this section.

Engine used in a locomotive means either an engine placed in the locomotive to move other equipment, freight, or passenger traffic; or an engine mounted on the locomotive to provide auxiliary power.

Equipment manufacturer means a manufacturer of nonroad equipment. All nonroad equipment manufacturing entities under the control of the same person are considered to be a single nonroad equipment manufacturer. (Note: In § 1039.626, the term “equipment manufacturer” has a narrower meaning, which applies only to that section.)

Excluded means relating to an engine that either:

(1) Has been determined not to be a nonroad engine, as specified in 40 CFR 1068.30; or

(2) Is a nonroad engine that, according to § 1039.5, is not subject to this part 1039.

Exempted has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 1068.30.

Exhaust-gas recirculation means a technology that reduces emissions by routing exhaust gases that had been exhausted from the combustion chamber(s) back into the engine to be mixed with incoming air before or during combustion. The use of valve timing to increase the amount of residual exhaust gas in the combustion chamber(s) that is mixed with incoming air before or during combustion is not considered exhaust-gas recirculation for the purposes of this part.

Family emission limit (FEL) means an emission level declared by the manufacturer to serve in place of an otherwise applicable emission standard under the ABT program in subpart H of this part. The family emission limit must be expressed to the same number of decimal places as the emission standard it replaces. The family emission limit serves as the emission standard for the engine family with respect to all required testing.

Flexible-fuel means relating to an engine designed for operation on any mixture of two or more different fuels (see § 1039.601(b)).

Fuel system means all components involved in transporting, metering, and mixing the fuel from the fuel tank to the combustion chamber(s), including the fuel tank, fuel tank cap, fuel pump, fuel filters, fuel lines, carburetor or fuel-injection components, and all fuel-system vents.

Fuel type means a general category of fuels such as diesel fuel or natural gas. There can be multiple grades within a single fuel type, such as high-sulfur or low-sulfur diesel fuel.

Generator-set engine means an engine used primarily to operate an electrical generator or alternator to produce electric power for other applications.

Good engineering judgment has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 1068.30. See 40 CFR 1068.5 for the administrative process we use to evaluate good engineering judgment.

High-sulfur diesel fuel means one of the following:

(1) For in-use fuels, high-sulfur diesel fuel means a diesel fuel with a maximum sulfur concentration greater than 500 parts per million.

(2) For testing, high-sulfur diesel fuel has the meaning we give in 40 CFR part 1065.

Hydrocarbon (HC) means the hydrocarbon group on which the emission standards are based for each fuel type. For alcohol-fueled engines, HC means total hydrocarbon equivalent (THCE). For all other engines, HC means nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC).

Identification number means a unique specification (for example, a model number/serial number combination) that allows someone to distinguish a particular engine from other similar engines.

Intermediate test speed has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1065.1001.

Low-hour means relating to an engine with stabilized emissions and represents the undeteriorated emission level. This would generally involve less than 300 hours of operation for engines with NOX aftertreatment and 125 hours of operation for other engines.

Low-sulfur diesel fuel means one of the following:

(1) For in-use fuels, low-sulfur diesel fuel means a diesel fuel with a maximum sulfur concentration of 500 parts per million.

(2) For testing, low-sulfur diesel fuel has the meaning we give in 40 CFR part 1065.

Manufacture means the physical and engineering process of designing, constructing, and assembling a nonroad engine or a piece of nonroad equipment.

Manufacturer has the meaning given in section 216(1) of the Act. In general, this term includes any person who manufactures an engine, vehicle, or piece of equipment for sale in the United States or otherwise introduces a new nonroad engine into commerce in the United States. This includes importers who import engines, equipment, or vehicles for resale. (Note: In § 1039.626, the term “equipment manufacturer” has a narrower meaning, which applies only to that section.)

Marine engine means a nonroad engine that is installed or intended to be installed on a marine vessel. This includes a portable auxiliary marine engine only if its fueling, cooling, or exhaust system is an integral part of the vessel. There are two kinds of marine engines:

(1) Propulsion marine engine means a marine engine that moves a vessel through the water or directs the vessel's movement.

(2) Auxiliary marine engine means a marine engine not used for propulsion.

Marine vessel has the meaning given in 1 U.S.C. 3, except that it does not include amphibious vehicles. The definition in 1 U.S.C. 3 very broadly includes every craft capable of being used as a means of transportation on water.

Maximum engine power has the meaning given in § 1039.140. Note that § 1039.230 generally disallows grouping engines from different power categories in the same engine family.

Maximum test speed has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 1065.1001.

Maximum test torque has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 1065.1001.

Model year means one of the following things:

(1) For freshly manufactured equipment and engines (see definition of “new nonroad engine,” paragraph (1)), model year means one of the following:

(i) Calendar year of production.

(ii) Your annual new model production period if it is different than the calendar year. This must include January 1 of the calendar year for which the model year is named. It may not begin before January 2 of the previous calendar year and it must end by December 31 of the named calendar year.

(2) For an engine that is converted to a nonroad engine after being placed into service as a stationary engine, or being certified and placed into service as a motor vehicle engine, model year means the calendar year in which the engine was originally produced. For a motor vehicle engine that is converted to be a nonroad engine without having been certified, model year means the calendar year in which the engine becomes a new nonroad engine. (See definition of “new nonroad engine,” paragraph (2).)

(3) For a nonroad engine excluded under § 1039.5 that is later converted to operate in an application that is not excluded, model year means the calendar year in which the engine was originally produced (see definition of “new nonroad engine,” paragraph (3)).

(4) For engines that are not freshly manufactured but are installed in new nonroad equipment, model year means the calendar year in which the engine is installed in the new nonroad equipment (see definition of “new nonroad engine,” paragraph (4)).

(5) For imported engines:

(i) For imported engines described in paragraph (5)(i) of the definition of “new nonroad engine,” model year has the meaning given in paragraphs (1) through (4) of this definition.

(ii) For imported engines described in paragraph (5)(ii) of the definition of “new nonroad engine” in this section, model year means the calendar year in which the engine is modified.

(iii) For imported engines described in paragraph (5)(iii) of the definition of “new nonroad engine,” model year means the calendar year in which the engine is first assembled in its imported configuration, unless specified otherwise in this part or in 40 CFR part 1068.

Motor vehicle has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 85.1703(a).

New nonroad engine means any of the following things:

(1) A freshly manufactured nonroad engine for which the ultimate purchaser has never received the equitable or legal title. This kind of engine might commonly be thought of as “brand new.” In the case of this paragraph (1), the engine is new from the time it is produced until the ultimate purchaser receives the title or the product is placed into service, whichever comes first.

(2) An engine originally manufactured as a motor vehicle engine or a stationary engine that is later used or intended to be used in a piece of nonroad equipment. In this case, the engine is no longer a motor vehicle or stationary engine and becomes a “new nonroad engine.” The engine is no longer new when it is placed into nonroad service. This paragraph (2) applies if a motor vehicle engine or a stationary engine is installed in nonroad equipment, or if a motor vehicle or a piece of stationary equipment is modified (or moved) to become nonroad equipment.

(3) A nonroad engine that has been previously placed into service in an application we exclude under § 1039.5, when that engine is installed in a piece of equipment that is covered by this part 1039. The engine is no longer new when it is placed into nonroad service covered by this part 1039. For example, this would apply to marine diesel engine that is no longer used in a marine vessel but is instead installed in a piece of nonroad equipment subject to the provisions of this part.

(4) An engine not covered by paragraphs (1) through (3) of this definition that is intended to be installed in new nonroad equipment. This generally includes installation of used engines in new equipment. The engine is no longer new when the ultimate purchaser receives a title for the equipment or the product is placed into service, whichever comes first.

(5) An imported nonroad engine, subject to the following provisions:

(i) An imported nonroad engine covered by a certificate of conformity issued under this part that meets the criteria of one or more of paragraphs (1) through (4) of this definition, where the original engine manufacturer holds the certificate, is new as defined by those applicable paragraphs.

(ii) An imported engine covered by a certificate of conformity issued under this part, where someone other than the original engine manufacturer holds the certificate (such as when the engine is modified after its initial assembly), is a new nonroad engine when it is imported. It is no longer new when the ultimate purchaser receives a title for the engine or it is placed into service, whichever comes first.

(iii) An imported nonroad engine that is not covered by a certificate of conformity issued under this part at the time of importation is new, but only if it was produced on or after the dates shown in the following table. This addresses uncertified engines and equipment initially placed into service that someone seeks to import into the United States. Importation of this kind of engine (or equipment containing such an engine) is generally prohibited by 40 CFR part 1068. However, the importation of such an engine is not prohibited if the engine has an earlier model year than that identified in the following table:

Applicability of Emission Standards for Nonroad Diesel Engines

Maximum engine power Initial date of
emission standards
kW <19January 1, 2000. 19 ≤kW <37January 1, 1999. 37 ≤kW <75January 1, 1998. 75 ≤kW <130January 1, 1997. 130 ≤kW ≤560January 1, 1996. kW >560January 1, 2000.

New nonroad equipment means either of the following things:

(1) A nonroad piece of equipment for which the ultimate purchaser has never received the equitable or legal title. The product is no longer new when the ultimate purchaser receives this title or the product is placed into service, whichever comes first.

(2) An imported nonroad piece of equipment with an engine not covered by a certificate of conformity issued under this part at the time of importation and manufactured after the requirements of this part start to apply (see § 1039.1).

Noncommercial fuel means a combustible product that is not marketed as a commercial fuel, but is used as a fuel for nonroad engines. For example, this includes methane that is produced and released from landfills or oil wells, or similar unprocessed fuels that are not intended to meet any otherwise applicable fuel specifications. See § 1039.615 for provisions related to engines designed to burn noncommercial fuels.

Noncompliant engine means an engine that was originally covered by a certificate of conformity, but is not in the certified configuration or otherwise does not comply with the conditions of the certificate.

Nonconforming engine means an engine not covered by a certificate of conformity that would otherwise be subject to emission standards.

Nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC) means the sum of all hydrocarbon species except methane. Refer to 40 CFR 1065.660 for NMHC determination.

Nonroad means relating to nonroad engines or equipment that includes nonroad engines.

Nonroad engine has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 1068.30. In general this means all internal-combustion engines except motor vehicle engines, stationary engines, engines used solely for competition, or engines used in aircraft. This part does not apply to all nonroad engines (see § 1039.5).

Nonroad equipment means a piece of equipment that is powered by one or more nonroad engines.

Official emission result means the measured emission rate for an emission-data engine on a given duty cycle before the application of any deterioration factor, but after the applicability of regeneration adjustment factors.

Opacity means the fraction of a beam of light, expressed in percent, which fails to penetrate a plume of smoke, as measured by the procedure specified in § 1039.501.

Owners manual means a document or collection of documents prepared by the engine manufacturer for the owner or operator to describe appropriate engine maintenance, applicable warranties, and any other information related to operating or keeping the engine. The owners manual is typically provided to the ultimate purchaser at the time of sale. The owners manual may be in paper or electronic format.

Oxides of nitrogen has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1065.1001.

Particulate trap means a filtering device that is designed to physically trap all particulate matter above a certain size.

Piece of equipment means any vehicle, vessel, or other type of equipment using engines to which this part applies.

Placed into service means put into initial use for its intended purpose. Engines and equipment do not qualify as being “placed into service” based on incidental use by a manufacturer or dealer.

Power category means a specific range of maximum engine power that defines the applicability of standards. For example, references to the 56–130 kW power category and 56 ≤kW <130 include all engines with maximum engine power at or above 56 kW but below 130 kW. Also references to 56–560 kW power categories or 56 ≤kW ≤560 include all engines with maximum engine power at or above 56 kW but at or below 560 kW, even though these engines span multiple power categories. Note that in some cases, FEL caps are based on a subset of a power category. The power categories are defined as follows:

(1) Engines with maximum power below 19 kW.

(2) Engines with maximum power at or above 19 kW but below 56 kW.

(3) Engines with maximum power at or above 56 kW but below 130 kW.

(4) Engines with maximum power at or above 130 kW but at or below 560 kW.

(5) Engines with maximum power above 560 kW.

Ramped-modal means relating to the ramped-modal type of steady-state test described in § 1039.505.

Rated speed means the maximum full-load governed speed for governed engines and the speed of maximum power for ungoverned engines.

Revoke has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 1068.30.

Round has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1065.1001.

Scheduled maintenance means adjusting, repairing, removing, disassembling, cleaning, or replacing components or systems periodically to keep a part or system from failing, malfunctioning, or wearing prematurely. It also may mean actions you expect are necessary to correct an overt indication of failure or malfunction for which periodic maintenance is not appropriate.

Small-volume engine manufacturer means an engine manufacturer with 1,000 or fewer employees that has had annual U.S.-directed production volume of no more than 2,500 units. For manufacturers owned by a parent company, these limits apply to the total number of employees and production volume from the parent company and all its subsidiaries.

Spark-ignition means relating to a gasoline-fueled engine or any other type of engine with a spark plug (or other sparking device) and with operating characteristics significantly similar to the theoretical Otto combustion cycle. Spark-ignition engines usually use a throttle to regulate intake air flow to control power during normal operation.

Steady-state has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1065.1001.

Sulfur-sensitive technology means an emission control technology that experiences a significant drop in emission control performance or emission-system durability when an engine is operated on low-sulfur diesel fuel (i.e., fuel with a sulfur concentration of 300 to 500 ppm) as compared to when it is operated on ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (i.e., fuel with a sulfur concentration less than 15 ppm). Exhaust gas recirculation is not a sulfur-sensitive technology.

Suspend has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 1068.30.

Test engine means an engine in a test sample.

Test sample means the collection of engines selected from the population of an engine family for emission testing. This may include testing for certification, production-line testing, or in-use testing.

Tier 1 means relating to the Tier 1 emission standards identified in appendix I of this part.

Tier 2 means relating to the Tier 2 emission standards identified in appendix I of this part.

Tier 3 means relating to the Tier 3 emission standards identified in appendix I of this part.

Tier 4 means relating to the Tier 4 emission standards, as shown in § 1039.101 and § 1039.102. This includes the emission standards that are shown in § 1039.101 and § 1039.102 that are unchanged from Tier 2 or Tier 3 emission standards.

Total hydrocarbon has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1065.1001. This generally means the combined mass of organic compounds measured by the specified procedure for measuring total hydrocarbon, expressed as a hydrocarbon with an atomic hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of 1.85:1.

Total hydrocarbon equivalent has the meaning given in 40 CFR 1065.1001. This generally means the sum of the carbon mass contributions of non-oxygenated hydrocarbons, alcohols and aldehydes, or other organic compounds that are measured separately as contained in a gas sample, expressed as exhaust hydrocarbon from petroleum-fueled engines. The atomic hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of the equivalent hydrocarbon is 1.85:1.

Ultimate purchaser means, with respect to any new nonroad equipment or new nonroad engine, the first person who in good faith purchases such new nonroad equipment or new nonroad engine for purposes other than resale.

Ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel means one of the following:

(1) For in-use fuels, ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel means a diesel fuel with a maximum sulfur concentration of 15 parts per million.

(2) For testing, ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel has the meaning we give in 40 CFR part 1065.

United States has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 1068.30.

Upcoming model year means for an engine family the model year after the one currently in production.

U.S.-directed production volume means the number of engine units, subject to the requirements of this part, produced by a manufacturer for which the manufacturer has a reasonable assurance that sale was or will be made to ultimate purchasers in the United States.

Useful life means the period during which the engine is designed to properly function in terms of reliability and fuel consumption, without being remanufactured, specified as a number of hours of operation or calendar years, whichever comes first. It is the period during which a nonroad engine is required to comply with all applicable emission standards. See § 1039.101(g).

Variable-speed engine means an engine that is not a constant-speed engine.

Void has the meaning we give in 40 CFR 1068.30.

Volatile liquid fuel means any fuel other than diesel or biodiesel that is a liquid at atmospheric pressure and has a Reid Vapor Pressure higher than 2.0 pounds per square inch.

We (us, our) means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and any authorized representatives.

[69 FR 39213, June 29, 2004, as amended at 70 FR 40464, July 13, 2005; 72 FR 53133, Sept. 18, 2007; 73 FR 59192, Oct. 8, 2008; 75 FR 22993, Apr. 30, 2010; 77 FR 34147, June 8, 2012; 79 FR 46375, Aug. 8, 2014; 81 FR 74140, Oct. 25, 2016; 86 FR 34506, June 29, 2021; 88 FR 4660, Jan. 24, 2023]