Refiners Tell EPA of Progress on 2006 Diesel Fuel Standards

t may take several more months to get a clear picture of the progress refiners are making toward meeting the Environmental Protection Agency’s new standard requiring widespread availability of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel by mid-2006, people closely following the issue said.

Refiners had a June 2 deadline to inform EPA of their progress on making the fuel with 15 parts per million of sulfur. But most of the reported data are considered confidential business information and likely never to become public, EPA and petroleum industry representatives said.

The new fuel would have only 3% of the amount of sulfur compared with the current level of 500 ppm. It is to be used beginning in model-year 2007 engines that are designed to run cleaner with the help of exhaust aftertreatment systems, which require the low-sulfur environment to operate at their peak.

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