Regulators Urge More Controls on Emissions

Federal regulators on Thursday offered their case for tightening controls on auto tailpipe emissions after 2004 to protect people from pollutants spewed by the nation’s growing fleet of vehicles.

The Environmental Protection Agency, in a draft report, said tighter controls on such emissions will be needed in the next generation of vehicles after model year 2003 to meet clean air goals.

“This assessment finds that . . . there will be an air quality need for emissions reductions to aid in meeting and maintaining” national air quality standards, the report said.

“If vehicle emissions are not further reduced, shortly after the turn of the century, vehicle-miles-traveled growth will likely overtake emissions reductions,” said the draft, which is to go to Congress in its final form in July.

The report is expected to touch off renewed debate on auto emissions and could have far-reaching impact on the auto industry. However, California already has the strictest emissions regulations in the nation, and the Big Three auto makers are already required to sell cleaning-burning vehicles here.

“This is a critical report, because it clearly demonstrates that we need cleaner cars, sport-utility vehicles and minivans to meet public health standards,” said Frank O’Donnell, executive director of the Clean Air Trust, which advocates stricter pollution rules.

The EPA study, however, reached no regulatory conclusions and made no recommendations.

The report said many areas of the country, excluding California, will not meet tougher new standards against smog and soot that are to be fully enforced by 2007, even with the car makers’ plan and other pollution control efforts.

Auto makers have said the auto makers’ program, which is supposed to cut emissions by 70%, should take care of needed emissions reductions after 2004, particularly if the EPA forces refiners to lower sulfur levels in gasoline.