A. A county with a population of more than four hundred thousand persons shall operate and administer a voluntary diesel emissions retrofit program in the county for the purpose of reducing particulate emissions from diesel equipment. The program shall provide for real and quantifiable emissions reductions based on actual emissions reductions by an amount greater than that already required by applicable law, rule, permit or order and computed based on the percentage emissions reductions from the testing of the diesel retrofit equipment prescribed in subsection C as applied to the rated emissions of the engine and using the standard operating hours of the equipment.

B. A person may participate in the program if both of the following apply:

1. The person is the owner of diesel powered equipment that requires a permit issued pursuant to this article for lawful operation.

2. The person reports to the control officer on the type of equipment that is retrofitted, provides a method for calculating the emissions reductions achieved that is approved by the control officer and provides evidence that the retrofitted equipment is actually used in a manner that results in lower particulate emissions with no increase in emissions of other pollutants.

C. The voluntary diesel retrofit program shall provide for the following:

1. Each person who participates shall allocate to the air quality emissions reduction inventory for that county one-half of the total particulate emissions reduction achieved through that person’s retrofit of diesel equipment operating at the permitted site whether or not that equipment is required to have a permit.

2. Each person who participates shall retain one-half of the total particulate emissions reduction achieved through that person’s retrofit of equipment at the site for purposes of receiving a modification to an existing permit or a provision in a new permit that allows for extended hours of operation for the permitted equipment, as compared to the existing permit, or for new permits, as compared to permits for similar equipment.

3. The diesel emissions reduction equipment that is retrofitted shall be registered with the department of environmental quality with notice to the applicable county, shall be tested with an ISO 8178 test by a properly equipped laboratory and shall demonstrate at least a thirty-five per cent reduction in particulate pollution with no increase in the generation or emission of other regulated pollutants. This paragraph applies without regard to whether the participant is required to obtain an air quality permit for the equipment.

4. The control officer shall provide a method for determining the participant’s eligibility for the program and for the modification of existing permits or for incorporating this program’s provisions into the terms of any applicable new permits as well as any reporting requirements to ensure continued use of the emissions reduction measures.

D. This section does not authorize a permit condition or a modification to a permit condition that would violate a requirement of the clean air act, this chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter, including the national ambient air quality standards. This section does not authorize the use of reductions in mobile source emissions for purposes of determining the applicability of new source review requirements.