CHE Opacity Testing
On September 22, 2011, CARB approved amendments to the Cargo Handling Equipment (CHE) Regulation. The amended regulation now requires annual opacity testing to detect emission control failures and require maintenance to repair the failures.
The CHE Regulation requires annual opacity testing for all diesel equipment that is subject to the engine performance requirements listed in CCR 2479(e). Testing is performed using the Society of Automotive Engineers’ (SAE) J1667 snap acceleration test procedure.
- All cargo handling equipment, including those powered by on-road or off-road certified engines, with or without retrofit emission controls, are required to be opacity tested.
- New engines are required to be tested by January 1st of the year that is the model year plus four (i.e., 2014 model year engines need to be tested first by January 1, 2018).
More Information
The regulation requires that individuals conducting opacity tests must have completed training conducted by the California Council on Diesel Education and Technology (CCDET) and obtained certification on the proper administration of the SAE J1667 test procedure.
The engines in the rubber tired gantry (RTG) cranes are often not compatible with the SAE J1667 procedure. The California Council on Diesel Education and Technology (CCDET) has developed and released guidance applying the SAE J1667 Snap Acceleration Test Procedure to RTG cranes. This guidance should be followed when testing RTG cranes that are subject to annual opacity testing requirements in the CHE regulation. Note that this guidance may not apply to all CHE due to some unique equipment configurations. In those cases, alternative methods approved by CARB’s Executive Officer must be used.
If you have questions regarding the testing procedure, contact cargohandling@arb.ca.gov.