1. Introduction

The On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations¹ under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 came into effect on January 1, 2004. The Regulations contain emission standards for various classes of on-road vehicles and for heavy-duty engines, including requirements for motorcycles of the 2004 and later model years. These Regulations are designed to align Canadian requirements with corresponding U.S. federal emission standards.

On January 15, 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a new final rule² to introduce more stringent emission standards for on-road motorcycles beginning in the 2006 model year. The EPA rule introduces some new important elements in both the application and structure of future U.S. motorcycle emission standards. These elements must be addressed in order to maintain Canada/U.S. alignment with respect to motorcycle emission standards.

This paper reviews the main elements of the U.S. rule and discusses the proposed approach for maintaining alignment through amendments to the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations. Environment Canada is soliciting the views of interested parties on the proposed approach in advance of a formal proposal to amend the Regulations in Part 1 of the Canada Gazette.

¹ On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations, Canada Gazette Part II, January 1, 2003, SOR/2003-2

² Control of Emissions from Highway Motorcycles; Final Rule, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Register, January 15, 2004.