Cleaner Gas And Cleaner Cars To Help Americans Breathe Easier

Americans would get substantially cleaner cars and trucks under final regulations expected to be announced tomorrow by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The regulations have two important features: (1) tightening the tailpipe emission standards for cars, minivans, pickup trucks, and SUVs, and (2) requiring cleaner gasoline to power the cleaner vehicles. The air quality benefits from cuts in smog-forming pollutants are expected to be comparable to removing over 150 million of today’s vehicles from the nation’s fleet in 2020 when the program is fully implemented.

“This is a clean air trifecta that will cut harmful smog, reduce fine sooty particles breathed deep into the lungs, and help curb air pollution damage to our forests, lakes, and streams,” said EDF attorney Vickie Patton.

Cleaner Gasoline a Key Ingredient. Cleaner, low sulfur gasoline is a critical ingredient of the clean car and truck strategy. High sulfur gasoline fouls the catalytic converters in the new clean car technology and thereby inhibits the ability of the catalyst to remove a variety of harmful air pollutants.

The clean gasoline standard has been one of the most controversial components of the program. Many oil refineries have opposed the low sulfur gasoline requirement, while others in the oil industry already have begun to offer the cleaner gas in areas such as Atlanta, Chicago, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. EDF and other environmental groups have worked to support a rule that requires cleaner gasoline nationwide.

Closing the SUV Loophole. The tailpipe emission standards would apply to new vehicles beginning with model year 2004. One of the major accomplishments of the new standards is closing the SUV loophole by making SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks meet the same tailpipe emission standards as passenger cars, although the larger vehicles would have a longer phase in period to meet the new standards. Under pre-existing standards, SUVs and trucks were allowed to emit three to five times more pollution than passenger cars. These larger vehicles comprise nearly 50% of new vehicle sales.

Immediate and Steadily Increasing Clean Air Benefits. Cleaner gasoline will have immediate clean air benefits, cutting smog-forming pollutants by about a half million tons per year when implemented. These benefits will steadily increase as the new, cleaner vehicles become a larger portion of the vehicle fleet and the combination of cleaner gasoline and cleaner vehicles work together to substantially cut pollution. When fully implemented in the year 2020, the dual standards are expected to cut smog-forming pollution by over 2 million tons annually.

“These new standards will have important clean air benefits in communities across the country, and the costs are reasonable,” said Patton. “This clean air program is a win-win for the American public.”