Anne get your Gun

[cookiedan@domain.elided (Daniel Nees)]

Clinton to announce clean gasoline, vehicle rules
By Tom Doggett
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Reuters) - President Bill Clinton will unveil new
rules on Saturday to cut the content of harmful sulfur in gasoline and
to impose on trucks and sports utility vehicles (SUVs) the same emission
standards as on cars, an industry group said.
The American Petroleum Industry said on Friday Clinton was scheduled to
make the announcement, which has been expected for several weeks.
The White House has not revealed the topic of Clinton's weekly radio
address on Saturday, a possible forum for the announcement.
A White House official said the proposal was under review by the White
House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and he could not confirm
details or the timing of its release.
``That rule is under development at OMB and we expect to unveil it
shortly,´´ he said. ``The idea is to strike a balance between
cleaner fuels and cleaner cars.´´
While the result of the proposal would be cleaner air, the rules could
also increase the price of gasoline and of popular pickup trucks and
SUVs -- which account for half of U.S. vehicle sales.
Under the rules, the sulfur in gasoline, which nationally averages 340
parts per million (PPM), would be reduced 30 PPM, according to sources
familiar with the proposal.
At the same time, pickup trucks and SUVs will have to reduce their
emissions of nitrogen oxides -- a key ingredient in smog. The biggest
SUVs, like the Ford Expedition, will not have to fully comply with the
new standards until 2009, sources said.
Automakers contend the new standards would force them to spend billions
of dollars to comply, adding $200 to the average sticker price of a new
car.
Oil refiners have said the average gasoline price could rise as much as
six cents a gallon to meet the rules because of the cost to upgrade
refineries to make the cleaner fuel.
Small, independent refiners would have longer to upgrade their
facilities. In addition, refiners who begin introducing low sulfur fuel
early would be allowed a longer time to fully meet the new standards.
Car companies have pushed for lower sulfur requirements because sulfur
clogs catalytic converters, making it more difficult to reduce vehicle
pollution.

_____Dan Nees_____
cookiedan@domain.elided

Good, getting a new heart.
Bad, growing UP.
Ugly, about to under go complete reconstructive surgery.

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