Editorial: Clearing the Air Over Cleaner Air

Trucking is proud to support the nation’s drive for cleaner air.

Trucks built today emit, on average, 88% less pollution than did the vehicles that came down the assembly line in 1985.

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The companies building the diesels that power America’s trucks have agreed to Environmental Protection Agency demands to cut 90% of the particulate matter and 95% of the nitrogen oxide emissions from their engines by 2007.

Now comes EPA’s proposal to cut sulfur in diesel fuel by 97% — to no more than 15 parts per million — from the existing standard of 500 ppm.

We don’t know if that’s a reasonable standard or not, as oil refining and environmental testing aren’t our lines of work. We do know, however, that the petroleum industry is warning that the proposed rules could lead to 25-cents-a-gallon increases in the price of diesel fuel and possibly severe shortages.

We also know that the proposal focuses solely on trucking while exempting several diesel-using industries that have far less positive records in cleaning up the environment: namely the railroad and construction equipment industries.

EPA needs to know that trucking will not sit idly by and let itself be unfairly singled out for economic harm in the name of pollution control. Nor will it let the nation’s economy be jeopardized.

Consider what Walter B. McCormick Jr., president of American Trucking Associations said:

“Any effort in this area must be pursued within a framework that achieves, in a common-sense way, both clean air and a strong economy. Otherwise, America’s economy will suffer as many small companies may be forced out of business. Motor carriers are reeling from high fuel prices.

“They now are threatened with economic harm from an unworkable and overly burdensome hours-of-service proposal from the Transportation Department. To pile on a rule that could raise the cost of a diesel truck engine by thousands of dollars and drive up the price of diesel fuel by yet another 20 cents a gallon would force many in our industry off the road. The U.S. economy can’t afford to pay this high a price.”

Trucking deserves fairness in this drive to clean up America’s air. Indeed, the industry demands it. Let’s raise our voices at the series of EPA hearings on the new proposal and in the halls of Congress.