Chicago joins the list of cities to severely cut diesel-engine idling times. City council members recently passed an ordinance that slashes the idling time from ten minutes, permitted by Illinois’ state regulation, down to three minutes in Chicago.
Emergency vehicles are exempt from the city ordinance, as are airport support vehicles. The regulation is not applied to operating engines in certain standing situations, including: vehicles in traffic; using the vehicle to run auxiliary equipment for which the engine’s power is required; standing for service, government inspection or repair; or supplying air conditioning, if outside temperatures reach more than 80 degrees. The regulation does not apply when operating an auxiliary power unit or generator in place of the main diesel engine; operating engines for mechanical requirements; running engines for diesel particulate filters; and running as part of the manufacturer’s recommended pre-shutdown cooling.
The ordinance aims to cut down on the metro-area’s air pollution problem, and packs a $250 fine for operators who idle their engines for longer than the three-minute allowance. Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C., also restrict diesel-powered engine idling to less than three minutes.
For more exemptions, view http://www.chicityclerk.com/headlines/2009/october/SO2009-5544.pdf
Source: http://truckinginfo.com/news/news-print.asp?news_id=68340