April 2, 2013—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will proceed with Tier 3 rulemaking, imposing new vehicle emissions and fuel standards.
The proposal will require further reductions in sulfur levels in gasoline to an average of 10 parts per million, a 70 percent drop from today’s levels.
The Association of Global Automakers and its member companies were pleased with the decision, and said they believe the proposed EPA fuel standards will enable automakers to meet new and highly stringent vehicle emissions standards, including manufacturer efforts to meet the combined 54.5 MPG fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standard in California by 2025.
"With 15 million new vehicle sales a year, automakers need predictable national fuel quality at the retail pump," said Michael J. Stanton, president and CEO, Global Automakers. "Ultra-low sulfur gasoline is already available in California, Europe, and Japan and will enable automakers to use a broader range of technologies to meet the significant environmental challenges facing the industry."
Conversely, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) have expressed concern over the EPA’s decision.
“While we haven’t had the opportunity to review the report, the EPA’s decision to move forward with Tier 3’s gasoline sulfur reduction program is completely without merit given that the Agency has not previously offered any cost/benefit analysis to justify this onerous rulemaking,” said AFPM President Charles T. Drevna. “The Agency’s failure until today to provide any information on the need for this discretionary rule, despite repeated requests from American fuel manufacturers, strongly suggests the lack of a credible case.”
The AFPM argues that the rulemaking lacks transparency and has asked for more information on potential benefits before proceeding with final rulemaking.
