WASHINGTON – Based on extensive input from the public and a broad range of stakeholders, including public health groups, auto manufacturers, refiners, and states, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized emission standards for cars and gasoline that will significantly reduce harmful pollution and prevent thousands of premature deaths and illnesses, while also enabling efficiency improvements in the cars and trucks we drive. These cleaner fuel and car standards are an important component of the administration’s national program for clean cars and trucks, which also include historic fuel efficiency standards that are saving new vehicle owners at the gas pump. Once fully in place, the standards will help avoid up to 2,000 premature deaths per year and 50,000 cases of respiratory ailments in children.
“These standards are a win for public health, a win for our environment, and a win for our pocketbooks,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “By working with the auto industry, health groups, and other stakeholders, we’re continuing to build on the Obama Administration’s broader clean fuels and vehicles efforts that cut carbon pollution, clean the air we breathe, and save families money at the pump.”
The final standards will quickly and effectively cut harmful soot, smog and toxic emissions from cars and trucks. The Obama Administration’s actions to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases from these same vehicles will also result in average fuel savings of more than $8,000 by 2025 over a vehicle’s lifetime. The fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards covering model year vehicles from 2012-2025 are projected to save American families more than $1.7 trillion in fuel costs.
Following a proven approach that addresses vehicles and fuels as an integrated system, today’s action will enable substantial pollution reductions at low cost. The standards slash emissions of a range of harmful pollutants that can cause premature death and respiratory illnesses, reducing standards for smog-forming volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides by 80 percent, establishing a 70 percent tighter particulate matter standard and virtually eliminating fuel vapor emissions. These standards will also reduce vehicle emissions of toxic air pollutants, such as benzene by up to 30 percent.
The final fuel standards will reduce gasoline sulfur levels by more than 60 percent – down from 30 to 10 parts per million (ppm) in 2017. Reducing sulfur in gasoline enables vehicle emission control technologies to perform more efficiently. New low-sulfur gas will provide significant and immediate health benefits because every gas-powered vehicle on the road built prior to these standards will run cleaner – cutting smog-forming NOx emissions by 260,000 tons in 2018.
The Tier 3 standards cut tailpipe pollution where people live and breathe – reducing harmful emissions along the streets and roadways that run through our neighborhoods and near our children’s schools. By 2018, EPA estimates the cleaner fuels and cars program will annually prevent between 225 and 610 premature deaths, significantly reduce ambient concentrations of ozone and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by about 260,000 tons. That is about 10 percent of emissions from on-highway vehicles, with those reductions reaching 25 percent (330,000 tons) by 2030.
By 2030, EPA estimates that up to 2,000 premature deaths, 50,000 cases of respiratory ailments in children, 2,200 hospital admissions and asthma-related emergency room visits, and 1.4 million lost school days, work days and days when activities would be restricted due to air pollution. Total health-related benefits in 2030 will be between $6.7 and $19 billion annually. The program will also reduce exposure to pollution near roads. More than 50 million people live, work, or go to school in close proximity to high-traffic roadways, and the average American spends more than one hour traveling along roads each day.
The final standards are expected to provide up to 13 dollars in health benefits for every dollar spent to meet the standards, more than was estimated for the proposal. The sulfur standards will cost less than a penny per gallon of gasoline on average once the standards are fully in place. The vehicle standards will have an average cost of about $72 per vehicle in 2025. The standards support efforts by states to reduce harmful levels of smog and soot and aids their ability to attain and maintain science-based national ambient air quality standards to protect public health, while also providing flexibilities for small businesses, including hardship provisions and additional lead time for compliance.
EPA conducted extensive outreach with key stakeholders throughout the development of the rule, held two public hearings in Philadelphia and Chicago, and received more than 200,000 public comments. The final standards are based on input from a broad range of groups, including state and local governments, auto manufacturers, emissions control suppliers, refiners, fuel distributors and others in the petroleum industry, renewable fuels providers, health and environmental organizations, consumer groups, labor groups and private citizens.
The final standards will work together with California’s clean cars and fuels program to create a harmonized nationwide vehicle emissions program that enables automakers to sell the same vehicles in all 50 states. The standards are designed to be implemented over the same timeframe as the next phase of EPA’s national program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cars and light trucks beginning in model year 2017. Together, the federal and California standards will maximize reductions in GHGs, air pollutants and air toxics from cars and light trucks while providing automakers regulatory certainty, streamlining compliance, and reducing costs to consumers.
To meet the cleaner gasoline standards necessary to reduce tailpipe emissions and protect public health, the agency has built in flexibility and adequate time for refiners to comply. For those refineries that may need it, the program would provide nearly six years to meet the standards. To provide a smooth transition for refiners to produce cleaner gasoline, the program is structured in a way that allows the industry to plan any additional investments needed. In addition, the agency is giving special considerations to small refiners, while offering provisions for compliance assistance in the case of extreme hardship or unforeseen circumstances.
REACTIONS:
General Motors
“Today, the EPA took steps to harmonize regulations to improve air quality by issuing its final rule on Tier 3 tailpipe emission standards. We appreciate EPA’s treatment of vehicles and fuels as a system by introducing lower sulfur market fuel.”
GM looks forward to reviewing the specifics of the Tier 3 final rule, but it appears EPA has effectively harmonized the federal and state vehicle emissions requirements. We commend the agency for understanding the importance of this objective and creating one set of emissions standards for our vehicles nationwide.
In addition, we support the provisions for lower sulfur levels in fuels. Since the vehicle emission system and the fuel used act together in determining the emissions performance of the vehicle, automakers need cleaner fuels to achieve the lowest possible emissions. In addition, cleaner fuels provide the added benefit of reducing emissions immediately across the entire on-road fleet.
And finally, we commend EPA for selecting a certification fuel that is representative of in-use fuels. This allows OEMs to optimize vehicle performance to an actual fuel that our customers use nationwide.
Ford
John Viera, director, Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental Matters, Ford “Automakers have dramatically reduced vehicle emissions by 99 percent during the last four decades, and today’s announcement builds on the good work we already have done. Ford is committed to continuing to reduce emissions across our vehicle lineup. We also are proud of the progress we have made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicles and facilities, cut energy and water usage in the vehicle manufacturing process, and increase the fuel-efficiency of Ford’s vehicles, including our plug-in hybrids and full electric offerings.”
Toyota
Toyota supports EPA’s efforts to advance the nation’s clean air goals. The Tier 3 standards announced today continue to recognize the importance of treating vehicles and fuels as a system, by linking lower sulfur gasoline with more stringent vehicle emission standards. Lower sulfur gasoline not only results in cleaner air, but also enables advanced engine technologies to help improve vehicle fuel economy.
“We commend EPA for its collaboration with California in an effort to further harmonize the next-generation of emission standards,” said Tom Stricker, vice president of technical and regulatory affairs, Toyota Motor North America. “This is an important step toward Toyota’s ultimate objective of a single national emissions and fuel economy program.”
While a review of the regulation details is still needed, Toyota is supportive of the overall direction embodied in today’s announcement.
Kia Motor America
“EPA’s new Tier 3 standards, which treat vehicles and fuels as a system, are a critical step forward in bringing smog-forming vehicle emissions close to zero. Of particular importance is the reduction of sulfur levels in gasoline, which will yield an immediate and cost-effective air quality improvement from vehicles that are already on the road. Honda commends EPA for this rational approach to clean air regulation.”
Honda
Edward B. Cohen, Vice President, Government & IndustryRelations Honda North America, Inc.
“In keeping with our commitment to clean mobility, Kia Motors America praises the Environmental Protection Agency for its decision today to reduce the amount of sulfur in gasoline with a single national standard for the industry. This EPA ruling will result in lower emissions and reduced greenhouse gases from all gasoline-powered vehicles in operation – and, most importantly, cleaner air for all. In addition to the immediate benefits, ultra-low sulfur fuel will enable a wider range of technologies to meet environmental needs and reach higher fuel economy standards for the future.”
Hyundai Motor America
“Hyundai Motor America applauds the EPA’s decision today to promote cleaner air. The rule will align key provisions of federal and California emissions rules, replacing two standards with a single national standard for manufacturers to meet in the vehicles they design and build. Also, EPA’s rule will reduce the amount of sulfur allowed in gasoline, providing drivers of both new and older cars with an improved fuel to meet stricter emissions standards.”
