AUTO POLLUTION AND CLEAN GASOLINE STANDARDS: SAMPLE COMMENTS

On May 1st the President announced proposed standards for slashing smog-forming pollution spewing from cars and light trucks as well as standards to clean up gasoline. Together these standards will dramatically reduce air pollution from cars and light trucks, including heavily polluting SUVs.

These standards will start to go into effect in 2004 and be fully phased in by 2007 for cars and light trucks up to 6,500 pounds (this includes smaller SUVs and minivans). The EPA is allowing heavier SUVs between 6,000 and 8,500 pounds (this includes the Suburban or Expedition) to clean up at a much slower rate, polluting more until 2009. The cleaner gasoline standards also phase-in starting in 2004, with extra time for smaller refiners. The EPA estimates then when fully phased in these standards will have the pollution reduction effect of removing 166 million vehicles off of the road.

The EPA is taking comments on these proposed standards until August 2, 1999. Here are some two samples for comments: a short and a long version. Please take a few minutes to personalize your comments -- are you a parent, does someone in your family suffer from asthma, are you a coach or a scout leader, do you exercise outdoors? Add your story to these comments. Also, if you live in one of the 12 states with the most number of unhealthy air days, you can include that fact in your comments: CA had 79 days; NC had 68; TX has 62; GA had 55; PA had 47; NJ had 41; MD had 40; NY had 40; IN had 39; OH had 38; VA had 36; and FL had 33.

Short Comments

Detailed Comments

Email your comments to the EPA!!!

Short comments:

The Honorable Carol Browner
Public Docket No. A-97-10
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Air Docket (6102), Room M-1500,
401 M Street, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20460.

Dear Administrator Browner:

I am writing to voice my support for cleaner air and the EPA's Tier 2 proposal to cut auto pollution and clean up gasoline. I am concerned about the health impacts that air pollution has on our children. [If possible, insert personal story like: "I/my child have asthma and have trouble breathing on bad air days," or mention that you find it difficult to exercise on bad air days].

The proposal is a big step in the right direction but there are three things that must be improved before the rule becomes final. First, all passenger vehicles, including minivans and SUVs, should meet the same standards at the same time. Larger SUVs should not be given extra time to clean up. Second, there also should be no special breaks for dirty diesel vehicles. Finally, the EPA should do more to get cleaner advanced technology vehicles on the road.

We need the strongest possible regulations to control auto pollution.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Name
Address

Detailed Comments:

The Honorable Carol Browner
Public Docket No. A-97-10
US Environmental Protection Agency
Air Docket (6102) Room M-1500
410 M Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460

Dear Administrator Browner:

I applaud your efforts to make our air safe to breathe by cutting pollution from automobiles. At a time when asthma rates are on the rise and more people than ever before are vulnerable to severe health impacts of air pollution, we need the strongest possible regulations controlling air pollution from all major sources.

Right now we have a serious air pollution problem around the country. There are currently 117 million people who live in areas that are unsafe to breathe due to smog pollution. Last summer, we had over 5208 violations of the new 8-hour health standard for smog nationwide. Children, the elderly and those with respiratory illness are most at risk. Asthma rates in children have increased 75% since 1980. Automobiles are the largest non-industrial source of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The proposed auto pollution and clean gasoline standards are a big step in the right direction but there are a few things that should be improved before the rule becomes final.

1. There should be no special treatment of heavier vehicles.

All passenger vehicles, including minivans and SUVs, should meet the same standards at the same time -- by 2007. Heavier SUVs should not be given extra time to clean up. Right now the proposal includes a separate schedule for these most polluting vehicles, such as the Suburban. These vehicles will be allowed to pollute more than any other passenger vehicles. The industry has always responded with new technologies and products when standards are firm and deadlines are reasonable. The 10-year phase in schedule for heavy SUVs far exceeds any phase-in period for passenger vehicles ever proposed. This schedule asks the victims of air pollution, to once again, wait for relief. If anything, the timeline should be shortened.

In addition, this proposal does nothing to clean up super-sized SUVs such as the new Ford Excursion. This could lead to increased production and sale of these overgrown passenger trucks as automakers try to evade cleaning up their SUVs. All SUVs should be included in this plan.

2. There should be no special treatment of diesel technologies.

All vehicles, regardless of engine technology or fuel used should meet the same public health-related standards. There is no justification for special treatment for diesel technologies. Yet, the Tier 2 proposal has created two emissions categories that would permanently allow diesel engines to pollute twice as much soot as gasoline engines and up to 10 times as much smog-forming nitrogen oxide. Given the toxic and likely carcinogenic nature of diesel exhaust, there should be NO incentives to increase the amount of diesel vehicles on the road.

3. The sulfur levels in gasoline should be lowered to 30 ppm.

The current proposal will reduce the sulfur content in gasoline, but allow an extended timetable for small refiners. Low sulfur gasoline needs to be adopted nationally at the same time as new emission standards. By allowing some refiners to continue to produce dirty gasoline, these standards will jeopardize the cleaner vehicles that will be sold starting in 2004 because dirty gasoline will damage the advanced pollution control technologies. I am willing to pay the extra 1-2 cents/gallon that it will take to clean up sulfur levels if it means breathing cleaner air.

4. There should be increased incentives for advanced technology vehicles. The new standards do not provide sufficient incentives to spur the development of cleaner technologies, such as hybrid or battery-electric and fuel-cell powered cars. To move the market towards future advanced technology vehicles, the EPA must do more to get more of these vehicles on the road.

The Tier 2 proposal is a strong start to reducing air pollution. However, since this decision will affect our air quality for decades to come, we can not afford to risk the public health by adopting a proposal that does not address the above-mentioned areas of concern. We need the strongest possible regulations to control auto pollution. Thank you again for your leadership on this issue.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Name
Address