http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28611-2002Jul31.html (washingtonpost.com)
Bid to Delay New Emissions Rule Fails Companies Face Penalties for Not Complying With Tough Standards for Diesel Trucks By Eric Pianin Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, August 1, 2002; Page A08 The White House yesterday rejected a plea from House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and other lawmakers to postpone a tough new anti-pollution standard for long-haul diesel trucks that will provide stiff penalties for companies that don't meet the deadline for compliance. Hastert and dozens of other House members had turned to the White House for help after Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman told them a week ago that the administration would implement the rule to sharply reduce health-threatening nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines. Senior officials of the Office of Management and Budget and the EPA confirmed the decision, with one saying, "We looked at the science and heard from as many stakes-holders as possible . . . and believe that moving forward is the right thing to do." Officials of the American Lung Association and key environmental groups recently wrote to President Bush urging him to hold the diesel engine manufacturers "accountable for over a decade of corporate irresponsibility that continues to impact public health." The White House cited the letter yesterday as a factor in its decision. At least two manufacturers of diesel engines -- Caterpillar Inc. of Peoria, Ill., and Detroit Diesel Corp. -- face millions of dollars in penalties because they cannot meet an Oct. 1 deadline for complying with the new standards. They were among six major manufacturers that signed consent decrees with the Justice Department in 1998 agreeing to meet the new standard by the end of this year. The consent agreements settled government allegations that the companies had intentionally evaded emission standards for over a decade by installing devices that turned off pollution controls while their trucks were on the road but not during EPA's certification tests. Hastert was drawn into the dispute by Caterpillar, a significant contributor to GOP campaigns. A Hastert spokesman said recently that Caterpillar "is a very important company, not only in Illinois but in the country," and that Hastert and other lawmakers were "trying to get some common-sense regulation." Caterpillar officials say it would be unfair for the government to implement the new rule this fall because manufacturers haven't been given sufficient time to test new engines that cause less pollution and because the added cost of developing those engines will seriously harm an industry already reeling from years of declining sales. The company complained that the EPA has proposed a sliding-scale penalty system of fines that is three times greater than originally discussed. According to the EPA, the penalties range from a few hundred dollars -- for an engine close to meeting the new emission standards -- to more than $12,000 for an engine far from compliance. But White House regulatory czar John Graham agreed with EPA and Justice Department officials, who concluded that the new rule is essential to protecting public health and that Caterpillar is exaggerating the potential economic impact. A senior Justice Department official said "a deal's a deal," and companies that fail to comply with the deadline must face the consequences. Two other manufacturers, Cummins Inc. and Mack Trucks Inc., have developed engines that satisfy the new standards. "Obviously we think it's the wrong decision, given that most of the companies haven't had a chance to adequately test the engines," Hastert spokesman John Feehery said. "There could be safety concerns, but we will have to see what they say before making any official reaction." Rep. Mac Collins (R-Ga.), a former trucking company owner, and other lawmakers have vowed to introduce legislation to sidetrack the regulation or soften the penalties. © 2002 The Washington Post Company ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/Ey.GAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
