COLUMBUS, Ind. — Cummins says the first of their on-highway engines slated for the October 2002, commonly referred to as 10/02, emission standard has been certified by the EPA.

In issuing the certification, the EPA also affirmed the use of Auxiliary Emissions Control Devices (AECD) as submitted by Cummins. These so-called ‘defeat devices’ limit the environmental controls under certain operating conditions.

Although now permitted by law ironically it was the unauthorized use of these devices in the past that was the catalyst that helped EPA to accelerate 2004 emissions standards to the current 10/02 deadline. All major North American engine suppliers signed a consent decree to bring the industry where it is today.

“Cummins did not enter into this consent decree lightly,” says Christine Vujovich, Cummins vice-president of environmental policy. “Cummins made a significant investment in technology and product development to meet, on time, the requirements of our consent decree.”

The certification by the EPA, according to Joe Loughrey, Cummins executive vice-president and president of the company’s Engine Business, proves Cummins will provide a product line that will fulfill its commitment to standard.

“Meeting customer requirements while achieving emission requirements is a challenging business,” he adds. “We remain committed to providing our customers with the best possible performance and fuel economy, and are focused on providing the lowest cost solution while contributing to a cleaner environment.”

According to the engine maker, in-house test actually revealed drivers of the new ISX engine preferred the performance of this engine by a 3:1 margin compared to today’s product.