December 21, 1999

Washington, D.C. - The American Lung Association today praised a strong new federal plan for cleaner gasoline, cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks. President Clinton announced the landmark public health plan at a ceremony held this morning at Maury Elementary School in Washington, D.C. Joining him were children from the District of Columbia who participate in the American Lung Association's Open Airways for Schools program for students with asthma.

Known as the Tier2/low sulfur gasoline rule, the plan will sharply reduce air pollution caused by vehicles.

"This plan is absolutely essential to reaching the promise of clean air outlined in the Clean Air Act. It will dramatically reduce air pollution and protect millions of Americans, especially children with asthma. Everyone will breathe easier," said Ernest P. Franck, President of the American Lung Association. "We commend the President and EPA Administrator Carol Browner for their aggressive approach to this continuing public health problem."

"We are especially glad that EPA is closing a 30-year loophole that has allowed minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks to pollute three times more than passenger cars," said Franck.

"Health research shows that additional pollution reductions are needed to protect the public, especially the most vulnerable among us such as children, the elderly and people with chronic breathing problems. President Clinton's proposal, once implemented, will have a huge, positive impact on air quality," he said. "The decision to move ahead toward cleaner fuels is another big step in the right direction. High sulfur in gasoline poisons catalytic converters. The new national standard for lower sulfur in gasoline will help make cars on the road today much cleaner and allow automakers to produce even cleaner vehicles in the future," said Franck.

The new vehicle standards, phased in beginning in 2004, for the first time will apply to all vehicles used for carrying passengers regardless of size, except commercial trucks. Gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles will have to meet the same tough standards. EPA estimates the emissions reductions that will be achieved from the cleaner gasoline and cleaner vehicle rules will be equivalent to removing 166 million cars from the road. These reductions will help the nation's cities reach their clean air goals.

"President Clinton's efforts today to improve air quality will help reduce the number of times children with asthma, like those involved in our nationwide Open Airways for Schools programs, will have to worry about breathing problems caused by 'bad air' days," said Franck.

Open Air Ways for Schools(OAS) is an award-winning, volunteer-driven American Lung Association program that educates and inspires grade school children through an innovative approach to peer-teaching and asthma self-management. The program teaches children, aged 8-11, how to detect the warning signs of asthma, including the environmental factors that can trigger an attack. OAS currently is being conducted by volunteers in approximately 10,000 schools nationwide, reaching more than 100,000 children.