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1 1 (June 12, 2000)

handle is hein.crs/crsahea0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS20247 Updated June 12, 2000 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web EPA's Tier 2 Emission Standards for New Motor Vehicles: A Fact Sheet David M. Bearden Environmental Information Analyst Resources, Science, and Industry Division The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 established Tier 1 standards to limit tailpipe emissions from new motor vehicles. The law also required the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine if stricter controls would be necessary by model year (MY) 2004 to assist states in attaining or maintaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. EPA also was required to assess the availability and cost-effectiveness of technologies necessary to control emissions. In a report submitted to Congress in August 1998, EPA concluded that tougher standards are necessary and that essential technologies are available and cost-effective.! As a result, EPA finalized stricter Tier 2 standards on February 10, 2000.2 The new standards will be phased in beginning in MY2004 and will require all new passenger cars and light trucks up to 8,500 pounds, and all new heavier passenger vehicles up to 10,000 pounds (including large sport-utility vehicles), to demonstrate full compliance by MY2009. To improve the efficiency of emission control technologies, oil refiners also will be required to limit gasoline sulfur levels to an average of 30 parts per million (ppm) nationwide beginning in 2005, roughly 90% less than the current national average of 340 ppm. The new Tier 2 standards will require vehicle manufacturers to reduce tailpipe emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (HCHO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non- methane organic gases (NMOG), and particulate matter (PM). However, manufacturers will have the flexibility to average the NOx emissions of their vehicle fleets to demonstrate compliance with the standards instead of certifying each vehicle according to the same stringency. The standards will require the most reductions in emissions of NMOG and NOx to help control the formation of ground-level ozone pollution. Relative to the Tier 1 standards, the fleet average standard for NOx will require vehicle manufacturers to reduce overall tailpipe emissions by 88% to 95%. The standards also will require at least an 80% reduction in PM emissions but will require less stringent reductions in CO emissions. The standard for HCHO is a new requirement that is intended to reduce emissions of carcinogenic pollutants. The table on page 2 compares the current Tier 1 standards, which became effective in MY1994, to the new Tier 2 standards that will be phased in beginning in MY2004. 1 EPA. Office of Air and Radiation. Tier 2 Report to Congress. July 31, 1998. 55 p. 2 EPA. Federal Register. February 10, 2000. p. 6698-6870. Congressional Research Service + The Library of Congress

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