In a press release on Wednesday, July 1, the EPA announced it is proposing a rule under the Clean Air Act to control NO_X and PM emissions, and hoping to reduce these emissions by 80 and 85 percent, respectively, from U.S.-flagged ocean-going vessels. The U.S. ships will have to meet current MARPOL Annex VI standards.

The rule comes on the heels of a proposal last March by the United States and Canada to designate thousands of miles of the two countries' coasts as an Emission Control Area (ECA). The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency, begins consideration of the ECA plan this month, which would result in stringent standards for large ships operating within 200 nautical miles of the coasts of Canada and the United States, according to the EPA.

The proposed rulemaking is designed to reflect the IMO's stringent ECA standards and broader worldwide program. The rule adds two new tiers of NO_X standards and strengthens the agency's existing diesel fuel program for these ships.

"Lowering emissions from American ships will help safeguard our port communities, and demonstrate American leadership in protecting our health and the environment around the globe," said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, in a statement.