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so a while back, I was pulled over by the EPA police (nice new shinny black truck with letters on the side that say "EPA police"). .
The office says "your emissions violates EPA standards"
I say "but I just passed an emissions test with flying colors last months......and I proceed to hand him the emissions test report.
The office says...your emissions can not contain a puff of smoke that last more than 3 seconds
I say...how do you measure that...do you have a machine that can check cars as they pass...pictures with readings...etc
The officer says...no its a visual...and you failed...but Im going to give you just a warning ticket. take your truck back to the place that tested it and have them check it out.
I said, OK..but...these new trucks have a process called regen which cleans out the exhaust system and during that process its going to generate ash dust...its not smoke.
office hands me my written warning and says..get it checked out...next one is a 700 dollar fine.
so here is a picture of a truck during regen...yep...thats definitely a puff of smoke that last more than 3 seconds.
I drive a 08’ F550 at work with a 6.4l it regens once a tank of diesel and during the regen, it will periodically belch a trail of white smoke for 10-30 seconds. Most often it occurs after stopping at a stop light for a few minutes during regen. I just laugh at how this truck with emission controls, puts out more noticeable crap out of the exhaust than my personal 02’ 7.3l without any emission nonsense. On top of that, the work truck almost never gets over 8mpg and my 7.3l averages 15-17mpg with 35” tires and a 6” lift.
Well color me "skeptical" about the entire scenario.
"EPA Police"?
Pics, or it never happened. Pic of the "written warning".
I'm calling BS until pics show otherwise.
I'm with you on this specific case for a diesel in re-gen, and as far as some special "EPA Police", but there are codes which may apply. I found this one for the state of Washington:
RCW 46.37.390
Mufflers required—Smoke and air contaminant standards—Definitions—Penalty, exception.
(1) Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, bypass, or similar device upon a motor vehicle on a highway.
(2)(a) No motor vehicle first sold and registered as a new motor vehicle on or after January 1, 1971, shall discharge into the atmosphere at elevations of less than three thousand feet any air contaminant for a period of more than ten seconds which is:
(i) As dark as or darker than the shade designated as No. 1 on the Ringelmann chart, as published by the United States bureau of mines; or
(ii) Of such opacity as to obscure an observer's view to a degree equal to or greater than does smoke described in subsection (a)(i) above.
(b) No motor vehicle first sold and registered prior to January 1, 1971, shall discharge into the atmosphere at elevations of less than three thousand feet any air contaminant for a period of more than ten seconds which is:
(i) As dark as or darker than the shade designated as No. 2 on the Ringelmann chart, as published by the United States bureau of mines; or
(ii) Of such opacity as to obscure an observer's view to a degree equal to or greater than does smoke described in subsection (b)(i) above.
(c) For the purposes of this subsection the following definitions shall apply:
(i) "Opacity" means the degree to which an emission reduces the transmission of light and obscures the view of an object in the background;
(ii) "Ringelmann chart" means the Ringelmann smoke chart with instructions for use as published by the United States bureau of mines in May 1967 and as thereafter amended, information circular 7718.
(3) No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the engine of such vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle, and it shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle not equipped as required by this subsection, or which has been amplified as prohibited by this subsection. A court may dismiss an infraction notice for a violation of this subsection if there is reasonable grounds to believe that the vehicle was not operated in violation of this subsection.
This subsection (3) does not apply to vehicles twenty-five or more years old or to passenger vehicles being operated off the highways in an organized racing or competitive event conducted by a recognized sanctioning body.
I'm with you on this specific case for a diesel in re-gen, and as far as some special "EPA Police", but there are codes which may apply. I found this one for the state of Washington:
There's a huge difference between having codes in place that make emitting smoke or "rolling coal" illegal, and the OP's wild claim that there are "EPA Police" out there in so marked patrol vehicles, and running LEO light packages on them, and pulling people over and giving them citations (or warnings). Doesn't pass the BS test.
Now, if he said a "state police" vehicle, or another jurisdiction sworn LEO complete with badge, et all, pulled him over for rolling coal, I'd probably believe it.
But the story he spun, and the manner in which he spun it (complete with added on BS pictures)?
I know they have EPA running around with opacity meters (they look at the exhaust stacks and read them emission opacity) but have only seen them using them at power plants and refineries. It’s pretty much impossible to read a truck going down the road and unless it’s measured by using calibrated equipment then it’s an opinion and not valid and won’t stand up in court. Also at the cost of that equipment they won’t be driving up and down the public highways just looking, it’s not cost effective, they might catch one driver every 2 to 3 months.
I‘ve never seen a vehicle with EPA Police on the side but have been visited by the EPA when running generators when we were starting up or when they were making rounds checking plants.
I have been pulled over in California and warned by the CHP because one of my old trucks with a 6.9 diesel had cracked rings on a trip and would smoke when it was running slower due to heavy traffic.
I got pulled over one time (not for emissions). Unmarked vehicle with lights in the grill. They had badges around there necks but otherwise were plain clothes. Very pleasant even when I informed them of my legal ccw they really didn't care. They ran my license and sent me on my way. To this day I have no idea who they were or what division they were in.
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