Grantee Research Project Results
Air Pollution and Environmental Impacts of International Maritime Transport
EPA Grant Number: U915180Title: Air Pollution and Environmental Impacts of International Maritime Transport
Investigators: Corbett, James J.
Institution: Carnegie Mellon University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: January 1, 1997 through January 1, 2000
Project Amount: $102,000
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (1997) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Safer Chemicals , Fellowship - Engineering
Objective:
The objectives of this research project are to address the following policy questions: (1) Should we be concerned about air pollution from international maritime transport? (2) If so, which pollutants are of most concern, and where might their impacts be the greatest? (3) What policy objectives might be appropriate to respond to ship air pollution? (4) Which engineering strategies and technologies are most feasible in the near term to address these policy objectives? and (5) What are the factors that influence which technologies may become feasible in the longer term?
Approach:
This research project develops and applies scientific, engineering, and policy research tools to assess the problems of air pollution from marine engines. The research will integrate insights drawn from work in following general disciplines: (1) atmospheric and pollution science: estimation of ship emissions and impacts; (2) mechanical engineering: evaluation of emission controls for marine diesel engines; and (3) policy analysis: evaluation of strategies at international and domestic levels.
By drawing these insights into a common decision-analytic framework, one can structure the complex international policy problem. This policy framework will provide the first integrated assessment of the problem of international ship emissions. The engineering assessment of technologies will describe design constraints that manufacturers of marine engines and pollution control technologies must meet for practical implementation in commercial ship systems.