Use of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel and best available retrofit technology by the city's diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles.
NYC Admin. Code § 24-163.4
in effect§ 24-163.4 Use of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel and best available retrofit technology by the city's diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles.
a. Definitions. When used in this section:
"Best available retrofit technology" means technology, verified by the United States environmental protection agency or the California air resources board, for reducing the emission of pollutants that achieves reductions in particulate matter emissions at the highest classification level for diesel emission control strategies, as set forth in subdivision d of this section, that is applicable to the particular engine and application. Such technology shall also, at a reasonable cost, achieve the greatest reduction in emissions of nitrogen oxides at such particulate matter reduction level and shall in no event result in a net increase in the emissions of either particulate matter or nitrogen oxides.
"Gross vehicle weight rating" means the value specified by the manufacturer of a motor vehicle model as the maximum design loaded weight of a single vehicle of that model.
"Motor vehicle" means a vehicle operated or driven upon a public highway which is propelled by any power other than muscular power, except electrically-driven mobility assistance devices operated or driven by a person with a disability, provided, however, that this term shall not include vehicles that are specially equipped for emergency response by the department, office of emergency management, sheriff's office of the department of finance, police department or fire department or vehicles, other than buses, specially equipped for emergency response by the department of correction.
"Person" means any natural person, co-partnership, firm, company, association, joint stock association, corporation or other like organization.
"Reasonable cost" means that such technology does not cost greater than thirty percent more than other technology applicable to the particular engine and application that falls within the same classification level for diesel emission control strategies, as set forth in subdivision d of this section, when considering the cost of the strategies, themselves, and the cost of installation.
"Ultra low sulfur diesel fuel" means diesel fuel that has a sulfur content of no more than fifteen parts per million.
"Biodiesel" means a fuel, designated B100, that is composed exclusively of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from feedstock and that meets the specifications of ASTM designation D 6751-12.
b. (1) Each diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle owned or operated by a city agency shall be powered by an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel blend containing biodiesel as follows:
i. for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015, an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel blend containing at least five percent biodiesel (B5) by volume; and
ii. for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2016, and thereafter, between the months of April to November, inclusive, an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel blend containing at least twenty percent biodiesel (B20) by volume, and between the months of December to March, inclusive, an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel blend containing at least five percent biodiesel (B5) by volume.
(2) Diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 8,500 pounds that are owned or operated by city agencies shall utilize the best available retrofit technology or be equipped with an engine certified to the applicable 2007 United States environmental protection agency standard for particulate matter as set forth in 40 CFR § 86.007-11 or to any subsequent United States environmental protection agency standard for such pollutant that is at least as stringent, pursuant to the following schedule:
i. 7% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2007;
ii. 14% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2008;
iii. 30% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2009;
iv. 50% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2010;
v. 70% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2011;
vi. 90% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2012;
vii. 100% of all such motor vehicles by July 1, 2012.
(3) Notwithstanding any provision of subdivision c of this section, diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 8,500 pounds that are owned or operated by city agencies shall utilize the best available retrofit technology that meets the level 4 emission control strategy as defined in subdivision d of this section, or be equipped with an engine certified to the applicable 2007 United States environmental protection agency standard for particulate matter as set forth in 40 CFR § 86.007-11 or to any subsequent United States environmental protection agency standard for such pollutant that is at least as stringent, pursuant to the following schedule:
i. 50% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2014;
ii. 70% of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2015;
iii. 80 % of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2016; and
iv. 90 % of all such motor vehicles by January 1, 2017.
c. (1) The commissioner shall make determinations, and shall publish a list containing such determinations, as to the best available retrofit technology to be used for each type of diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle to which this section applies. Each such determination shall be reviewed and revised, as needed, on a regular basis, but in no event less often than once every six months.
(2) The commissioner may determine that a technology, whether or not it has been verified by the United States environmental protection agency or the California air resources board, may be appropriate to test, on an experimental basis, on a particular type of diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle owned or operated by a city agency. The commissioner may authorize such technology to be installed on up to five percent or twenty-five of such type of motor vehicle, whichever is less. Any motor vehicle on which such technology is installed may be counted for the purpose of meeting the requirements of paragraph two of subdivision b of this section. Such technology shall not be required to be installed on other motor vehicles of the same type and shall be subject to the provisions of paragraph three of this subdivision.
(3) No city agency shall be required to replace best available retrofit technology or experimental technology utilized for a diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle in accordance with the provisions of this section within three years of having first utilized such technology for such vehicle, except that technology that falls within Level 4, as set forth in subdivision d of this section, shall not be required to be replaced until it has reached the end of its useful life.
d. The classification levels for diesel emission control strategies are as follows, with Level 4 being the highest classification level:
i. Level 4 - strategy reduces diesel particulate matter emissions by 85 percent or greater or reduces engine emissions to less than or equal to 0.01 grams diesel particulate matter per brake horsepower-hour;
ii. Level 3 - strategy reduces diesel particulate matter emissions by between 50 and 84 percent;
iii. Level 2 - strategy reduces diesel particulate matter emissions by between 25 and 49 percent;
iv. Level 1 - strategy reduces diesel particulate matter emissions by between 20 and 24 percent.
e. (1) Paragraph one of subdivision b of this section, as that paragraph applies to the requirement that each diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle owned or operated by a city agency be powered by ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, shall not apply to any motor vehicle covered under a federal waiver for the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel issued by the United States environmental protection agency pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 7545(c)(4)(C)(ii) or any regulation promulgated thereunder, provided that the city agency shall fully comply with the terms of such federal waiver, and that the requirements of paragraph one of subdivision b of this section shall be in full force and effect upon the expiration of such federal waiver.
(2) The commissioner may issue a waiver for the use of an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel blend that contains the amount of biodiesel required pursuant to subdivision b of this section where a city agency makes a written finding, which is approved, in writing, by the commissioner, that a sufficient quantity of such ultra low sulfur diesel fuel blend containing biodiesel is not available to meet the requirements of this section. Any waiver issued pursuant to this paragraph shall expire after two months, unless the city agency renews the finding, in writing, and the commissioner approves such renewal, in writing.
(3) The commissioner may issue a waiver for the use of an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel blend that contains the amount of biodiesel required pursuant to subdivision b of this section where a city agency makes a written finding, which is approved, in writing, by the commissioner, that the use of biodiesel in a particular type of motor vehicle would void the manufacturer's warranty for such vehicle.
f. (1) Not later than January 1, 2007, and not later than January 1 of each year thereafter, the commissioner shall submit a report to the comptroller and the speaker of the council regarding, among other things, the use of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel and the use of the best available retrofit technology by diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles owned or operated by city agencies during the immediately preceding calendar year. The information contained in this report shall include, but not be limited to, for each city agency: (i) the total number of diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles owned or operated by such agency; (ii) the number of such motor vehicles that were powered by ultra low sulfur diesel fuel; (iii) the total number of diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles owned or operated by such agency having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 8,500 pounds; (iv) the number of such motor vehicles that utilized the best available retrofit technology, including a breakdown by motor vehicle model, engine year and the type of technology used for each vehicle; (v) the number of such motor vehicles that are equipped with an engine certified to the applicable 2007 United States environmental protection agency standard for particulate matter as set forth in 40 CFR § 86.007-11 or to any subsequent United States environmental protection agency standard for particulate matter that is at least as stringent; (vi) the number of such motor vehicles that utilized technology in accordance with paragraph two of subdivision c of this section and the results and analyses regarding the testing of such technology; and (vii) all waivers, findings, and renewals of such findings, issued pursuant to subdivision e of this section, which, for each waiver, shall include, but not be limited to, the quantity of diesel fuel needed to power diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles owned or operated by such agency.
(2) The report due January 1, 2007 in accordance with paragraph one of this subdivision shall only include the information required pursuant to subparagraphs (i), (ii) and (vii) of such paragraph.
g. This section shall not apply:
(1) where federal or state funding precludes the city from imposing the requirements of this section; or
(2) to purchases that are emergency procurements pursuant to section three hundred fifteen of the charter.
h. B20 winter pilot program. Not later than December 1, 2016, the commissioner of citywide administrative services shall establish a pilot program to determine the feasibility of utilizing an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel blend containing at least twenty percent biodiesel (B20) by volume in city-owned diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles during the months of December to March, inclusive. The pilot program shall include not less than five percent of the city's total diesel fuel-powered motor vehicle fleet, which shall be representative of the vehicle types and operating conditions of the fleet as a whole, and shall include vehicles from the department of citywide administrative services, department of environmental protection, department of parks and recreation, department of sanitation, and department of transportation and vehicles from other city agencies at the discretion of the commissioner of citywide administrative services. Such pilot program shall continue until March 31 of the second calendar year after such pilot program was initiated, and within four months of the conclusion of such pilot program, the commissioner of citywide administrative services shall issue a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council detailing the findings of such pilot program with recommendations for the use of an ultra low sulfur diesel fuel blend containing at least twenty percent biodiesel (B20) by volume in city-owned diesel fuel-powered motor vehicles during the months of December to March, inclusive.
(Am. L.L. 2015/038, 5/6/2015, eff. 5/6/2016)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 2005/039 and L.L. 2006/021.
Source: City of New York, Charter, Administrative Code and Rules (American Legal Publishing XML export, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-210900Fetched: 10/24/2026