WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday issued tough standards to significantly cut polluting emissions spewed from new diesel engines that will power trains and ships.  When fully implemented, the new standards will reduce soot by 90 percent, or 27,000 tons, and cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent, or nearly 800,000 tons.

The cleaner engines would reduce pollutants linked to health problems such as asthma, preventing 1,400 deaths and 120,000 lost workdays annually in 2030, the EPA said.