January 7, 1999

(Washington, D.C.) -- Americans strongly favor uniform national clean gasoline standards and are willing to pay more for cleaner gasoline if it means cleaner air, according to a new national survey conducted for the American Lung Association. In fact, nearly seven of 10 respondents said they would personally pay a nickel more per gallon for cleaner gasoline.

The survey also reveals that an overwhelming majority of people favor requiring the same strict air pollution standards for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and minivans as for passenger cars. Most people also believe diesel vehicles should meet the same strict standards as gasoline vehicles, and they reject the idea of permitting weaker standards for diesel vehicles in order to get better fuel economy. (Current regulations permit SUVs, minivans and other light trucks to emit more pollution than passenger cars. The rules also allow diesel vehicles to emit more pollution than gasoline vehicles.)

The survey results were released as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prepares to propose new clean gasoline and clean car standards. The new standards are also expected to cover sport utility vehicles, minivans and small pickup trucks.

"This survey clearly demonstrates that Americans want national standards for clean vehicles and clean gasoline -- and are willing to pay for cleaner air," said John R. Garrison, CEO of the American Lung Association. "As last summer's smog reminded us, dirty air remains a national health problem, and we need national solutions."

Garrison noted that much of the oil industry opposes strong national clean gasoline standards and wants to allow dirtier, higher-sulfur gasoline, especially in the West.

But pollster Celinda Lake, who conducted the survey, noted, "overwhelmingly, people believe stricter standards for clean gasoline should be enforced across the entire country because it makes the air cleaner everywhere." An 89% percent majority favored national clean gasoline standards, versus only 4% who favored the oil industry position that "cleaner gasoline is not necessary in the West, except in California, because the air is already clean enough." Even in the West, the survey found a whopping 84% say the same standards should be enforced everywhere.

Garrison noted that removing most of the sulfur from gasoline would make the operation of cars and other vehicles much cleaner because sulfur impedes the performance of pollution control equipment. EPA experts predict the cleanup could cost oil companies from one to three cents per gallon.

The Lung Association survey found that 69 % of respondents are willing to pay up to 5 cents more per gallon of gasoline if it would produce significantly less pollution. Fully 91% of people are willing to pay up to 3 cents more per gallon for cleaner gasoline. Nearly four in 10 would pay up to a dime more per gallon.

Some U.S. auto makers have protested the idea of applying strict pollution standards to sport utility vehicles and have argued that EPA should set looser pollution standards for diesel vehicles because they get better fuel economy. But the new survey found that: