Lifting the Black Cloud: EPA Agrees to do something About Diesel

That black puff steadily spewing from tractors and trains is soon to be a thing of the past, according to EPA administrator Michael O. Leavitt.

Leavitt’s declaration is more than just wishful thinking. On May 10, 2004, the Bush administration announced startling new pollution regulations resulting from years of collaboration among environmental groups, engine makers, fuel refineries, and health advocates.

The new rules target no-road diesel vehicles like tractors, bulldozers, locomotives, and barges, which have never been regulated. The paucity of pollution controls for these vehicles is a wonder, since they are responsible for more soot than all cars, trucks, and buses combined.

It is the sulfur in diesel fuel that produces soot and causes thousands of premature deaths every year. Health experts told The New York Times that the reduced emissions would prevent an estimated 12,000 premature deaths and 15,000 heart attacks each year.

Currently, diesel fuel has an average sulfur content of 3,400 parts per million. The new regulation shop to reduce that number to 15 parts per million by 2010.

Cleaner fuel, more efficient engines

The new EPA regulations take a two-prong approach: they clean up diesel fuel and make no-road diesel engines more efficient.

Diesel fuel will be cleaned up in stages; the sulfur must be reduced to 500 parts per million by 2007 and then to 15 parts per million three years later. Trains and boats get a couple of additional years to comply; they have until 2012 to reach the lower standard. These rules are an elaboration of Clinton-era regulations on diesel trucks and buses, continued by President Bush and scheduled to take effect in 2007.

Like the Clinton rules for on-road diesel vehicles, tractors and barges will have to sport more efficient engines to help meet the lower emissions standards.

The effects

The new rules are expected to have a major impact. Diesel emissions will be cut by more than 90 percent, and once the current fleet of diesel engines is lying in the junkyard, the level of nitrogen oxides in the air will be reduced by 738,000 tons and the level of soot by 129,000 tons annually, according to The New York Times.

Bush strategy

The new standards are likely to plump Bush’s approval rating, which has been dipping. Most voters appreciate clean air, and the administration’s Clear Skies Initiative has had a lukewarm reception at best. These new and aggressive regulations make President Bush more environmentally friendly.

Further, the two companies that will most seriously feel the pinch of the new rules, Cummins and Caterpillar, are located in sure-thing states. Cummins is based in Indiana, which Bush is sure to win, and Caterpillar is in Illinois, which Bush is expecting to lose. Therefore, the new regulations’ political risk is relatively low for President Bush.

Environmental outcry

Bush has been sharply criticized on his environmental policy, even by some of his staunch supporters.

On Earth Day 2004, The National Council of Churches sent President Bush a letter that condemned what the group calls his mistreatment of "God’s creation," reported The Associated Press.

Specifically, the group is frustrated with the administration’s proposal to allow industrial plants to expand and remodel without installing pollution-control devices. A federal appeals court temporarily blocked these rules, agreeing with states that the environmental damage could be irreparable.

The National Council of Churches represents 50 million people in about 140,000 Protestant, Anglican, and Orthodox denominations.

Your opinion matters

The new regulations are largely a response to public pressure. Groups and individuals are contacting the Bush administration with concerns about the environment. Clearly, the EPA is listening.

What is your top environmental concern? Discuss it with other WomenMatter readers in one of our online forums. Sign up for an e alert to stay abreast of environmental issues. And when you’re ready, contact your representatives and let them know what you think.

Article Posted on: 5/14/2004