Interesting, but what about the Swiss and French studies that show
that diesel engines with filters, in reality are more dangerous than
without. EU seems to have some other interesting investigations and
they are pointing to, that if the filtering does not take the small particles,
the risk for cancer is increasing with current filtering technologies, instead
of decreasing.
The only thing that they agree on is the large casualties caused by
exhaust. Switzerland and France estimated that the yearly fatal
casualties was around twice as much as from road accidents.
When I took up this some time ago, the result was very convincing
arguments for using vegetable fuels, instead of fossil. I am very
surprised and disappointed that this is not obvious for EPA and that
they do not present this as a viable alternative to improve the health
situation as well as the energy dependence.
I am also surprised that they avoid the energy producing sector. It
incudes burning for heating, which is a major consumer of diesel
grade fuel. Electricity generation is an other sector that consumes
a lot of diesel fuel and in this sector the administration stopped
a harsher regulation. In the latter case they obviously sided with
the energy producers.
Hakan
At 07:18 AM 9/11/2002 +0900, you wrote:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34566-2002Sep3.html
(washingtonpost.com)
EPA Links Lung Cancer, Diesel Exhaust
Study Says Long-Term Exposure Also Can Cause Respiratory Illnesses
By Eric Pianin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 4, 2002; Page A02
The Environmental Protection Agency concluded yesterday that
long-term exposure to exhaust from diesel engines likely causes lung
cancer in humans and triggers a variety of other lung and respiratory
illnesses.
The study, the culmination of decades of research, highlights the
health problems posed by the complex mix of gases and fine particles
emitted by heavy-duty diesel engines operating on the nation's
highways, farms and construction sites.
Overall, the evidence for a potential cancer hazard to humans
resulting from chronic inhalation exposure to [diesel emissions] is
persuasive, the report states.
The study, involving tests on occupational exposure and on animals,
focused on diesel engines manufactured before the mid-1990s, when the
government began pressing for tougher emission standards. With new
engine and fuel technology expected to produce significantly cleaner
engine exhaust by 2007, experts project a 90 percent reduction, from
today's levels, in health-threatening exhaust particles from on-road
vehicles.
The agency expects significant environmental and public health
benefits as the environmental performance of diesel engines and
diesel fuels improves, said Paul Gilman of EPA's Office of Research
and Development.
Although the EPA's final assessment echoes preliminary agency
findings and other documents from various world health organizations
and studies in California, it provides added urgency to efforts by
the EPA and others to tighten diesel emission standards under the
Clean Air Act.
A federal appeals court in May unanimously upheld a Clinton
administration regulation requiring a speedy and dramatic reduction
in pollution from large trucks and buses. That rule -- strongly
contested by truck manufacturers and diesel fuel refiners because of
the associated costs -- would cut emissions of particulate matter by
90 percent and nitrogen oxides by 95 percent, beginning in 2007.
The Bush administration has largely taken a strong stand in support
of the tougher emissions standards. Last month, the White House and
EPA rejected a plea from House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and
other lawmakers to postpone the new anti-pollution standards for
long-haul diesel trucks. The standards will provide stiff penalties
for engine manufacturers that don't meet an October deadline for
compliance under a consent decree.
The administration has also announced it will increase efforts to
regulate emissions from off-road diesel-driven machinery and
equipment, such as farm equipment and earth movers. A study by state
air pollution control officials found that more than 8,500 premature
deaths are caused annually by extraordinarily high levels of air
pollution from such machinery.
Some environmental groups have voiced concern that EPA and White
House officials might attempt to dilute the effectiveness of the
Clinton rules governing on-road diesel trucks and buses. That's
because administration officials have said they would consider
incentives to encourage engine makers and refineries to change engine
designs and switch to low-sulfur diesel fuel for off-road vehicles by
2006, in return for a reduction in the emission standards for trucks
and buses.
One approach under consideration is to set an emissions cap for
on-road and off-road vehicles and machinery, and then create a
market-based system to allow companies to buy and trade credits for
off-road and on-road
