Modified diesel trucks are all the rage these days, as nary a day goes by when we don’t see at least one coal rolling pickup driving down the highway, with plumes of black smoke filling the air. On the flip side, both activists and the government have long targeted these seemingly heavily polluting pickups. Now, however, a new study from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that perhaps these modified diesel trucks are doing serious damage to the environment after all.
The EPA report estimates that roughly 500,000 diesel truck owners have modified their vehicles’ emissions systems in the last ten years, leading to excess emissions equivalent to having another 9 million trucks on the road. The EPA collected data from both resolved and ongoing cases to estimate the excess pollution emitted by these modified pickups, and the results are fairly alarming.
According to the report, diesel tuners will lead to the release of more than 570,000 tons of nitrogen dioxide over the lifetime of these vehicles, a chemical that has been linked to heart and lung disease, as well as premature death. Additionally, the modified trucks will emit around 5,000 tons of industrial soot, which has been linked to various respiratory diseases.
This data was collected over the course of five years, but only studied trucks weighing between 8,500 and 14,000 pounds. It’s believed that the effects of emissions tampering is far more widespread than this, as a variety of passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and even forestry and agricultural equipment have also had their emissions systems tampered with as well.
Meanwhile, the EPA continues to go after the companies that sell these devices, which are in many cases illegal. But with so many small businesses making and selling them, it has proven to be a daunting task. In the meantime, these modified diesel trucks continue to emit extremely high levels of smog-forming pollution that is also having a big impact on our health.
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Comments
I don’t think this should come as a surprise to most. From things I’ve read, the particulate size released in the fumes actually can imbed permanently in the lung tissue and can do more damage than the N02 over the long term.
More Liberal BS. Carry on.
Exactly.
ok all of you guys want to sit her talking so much smack diesels have 10x more power than a regular truck
So according to their data, modified diesel trucks emit 18 times the emissions of unmodified engines. Seems a bit much.
I have had modified diesel pickups go down my former dragstrip leaving enough smoke that we had to hold the next pair due to zero visibility down track. And we had some major explosions from both engines and transmissions.
Another government control. How about the volcano that produce more emissions while is erupting.
Why is it these recent articles never mention that many owners make changes only to keep their engine more reliable and why does the EPA have the ability to make unrealistic mandates. Changes to reduce engine emissions will never be good enough for them until ICE are completely phased out. Why do they not take themselves to other parts of the world that are truly hurting the environment. I do not see the EPA finding solutions to their ever increasing standards. They only make rules and expect companies as well as vehicle owners to comply or else individuals will be Fined financially. Not everyone that wants to tune or increase performance does it so that they can roll coal. The articles show pictures of blowing smoke, dirty oil on surfaces calling them dirty diesel pictures. They will go as far as editing the photo to make it seem dark and dusty such as black and white editing. California and their new laws need to separate themselves from these ridiculous net zero carbon and climate pledge ideas. These articles are poorly written.
Ask theses Demtard libercrats how much emissions are emitted due to petroleum or coal powering and electric plant to charge a Tesla…
From what I “read” Ab Lincoln created the internet, the Sun is burning out of hydrogen, Earth’s core is cooling and will lose the magnetic field, blah blah blah, can the rest of the world sue state of California for the poor management of wilderness that lead to massively NoX/soot emitting fires that will kill millions….. Funny how the state that wants total control, pollutes the most!
What’s the economic/environmental impact of thousands upon thousands of DEF bottles bought and thrown away? I’ve never seen anyone talk about that.
Rednecks suck hot coal
You’re not too bright obviously. You’re sister should have swallowed.
Plumes of black smoke poured out of the truck when the environmental system malfunctioned and was impossible to repair…before environmental emissions parts it never was so concentrated…the system is a make money project by truck companies everywhere.