b'Limited Operating Hours ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCEmentperiodforWETAsproposed Feasibility Extension (E4).FOR EMISSIONS (ACE) ACE Plan is underway.This extension can be for a period ofThe2022amendmentsprovidean-two years. It can be renewed for up toother pathway for a vessel operator toAn ACE plan may cover a single vessel, another two years. satisfytherequirements:developingor it might apply to a fleet of vessels, as and obtaining CARB approval of anis the case for the WETA ACE plan.ForapassengervesseltobeeligibleAlternative Compliance for Emissions toseekthisextension,itmustbe(ACE) compliance strategy. MoreinformationabouttheACE considered to be a limited operatingplan option can be found on this doc-hours vessel. Its operating hours inument and also starting at page 91 of a year cannot exceed 1,300 hours if itIt made no decision onthe 2022 amendmentsoperates within two miles of a disad- two provisions. The vantaged community or 2,600 hoursPROVISIONS THAT EPAfirst is RequirementsDECLINED TO APPROVEif it operates elsewhere.for Zero-EmissionAlthoughtheJan.6EPADecision Thevesselspropulsionenginesand AdvancedDocumentgrantedtheagencysap-must all be tier 4. The operator mustprovalofmostofthe2022amend-demonstratethatavailabledieselTechnologies forments,itmadenodecisionontwo particulate filters are not technicallyin-use short-runprovisions. The first is Requirements feasiblebecausetheydonotfittheforZero-EmissionandAdvanced regulated vessel or because the vesselferries. The other isTechnologies(ZEAT)forin-use modifications necessary to make themperformance standards(existing) short-run ferries. The other fit will reduce the passenger capacityfor in-use vesselsisperformancestandardsforin-use by more than 25 percent.(existing) vessels and engines after the and engines afterexpiration of any available E3 (equip-Scheduling Extension (E5). the expiration of anyment not feasible and operator cannot Thisextensioncanbeforoneyearaffordvesselreplacement).Seethe only. It is not renewable. It is the onlyavailable E3. table on page 72 of the EPA Decision compliance date extension potential- Document. Presumably, this EPA no ly available to a new-build vessel, ifdecision means that CARB cannot there is a delay associated with ship- To use an ACE plan, a passenger ves- enforce these two aspects of the 2022 yard capacity. seloperatormustdemonstratethatamendments, but its not entirely clear.thealternativestrategywillachieve Theschedulingexemptionisalsodieselparticulatematter(PM)andWHAT SHOULDpotentiallyavailableintheeventofoxidesofnitrogen(NOx)emissionA CALIFORNIA OPERATOR delaysinreceivinganorderednewreductionsequaltoorgreaterthanDO NOW?replacementengineornecessarythose required by direct compliancePVA suggests that each California op-equipmentorifexcessivedelaysarewith the regulation.eratorreviewthe2022amendments encountered by the engine or equip- carefullytodeterminewhenthey ment installer. PVA vessel member San Francisco Bayapply to each engine on an in-use (ex-AreaWaterEmergencyTransporta- isting) passenger vessel. An E5 extension may also be availabletion Authority (WETA) is pursuing to an operator with two or more ves- thiscourseofaction.CARBstaffAlso, review the five potentially avail-selswithmultipleengineswiththehas preliminarily determined that theable extensions to determine whether same compliance date or in the case ofsubmitted ACE plan meets the criteriatoseekoneormore.Payspecialat-an operator with a single vessel withset out in the regulations and has pro- tention to the rigid and limited time multiple engines with different com- posedanapprovalofWETAsACEperiods in which an extension request pliance dates. plan. A second required public com- must be submitted.35 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025'