New EPA rules cut sulfur in tailpipe emissions

New EPA rules cut sulfur in tailpipe emissions

The EPA has announced long-planned rules to cut sulfur in tailpipe emissions by more than 60 percent starting in 2017. The agency said the new standards would cost an average of $72 per vehicle by the time they are fully in place in 2025. They are projected to improve public health significantly, slashing the incidence of asthma and other respiratory diseases. Other benefits: better vehicle performance and lower emissions.

The American Petroleum Industry estimated that the cost would be much higher than the EPA said: $10 billion initially in capital costs and $2.4 billion a year in compliance costs. The API expects the regulations will add 6 to 9 cents per gallon to the price of gas, but the EPA says it will be less than a penny per gallon.

Automakers had already agreed to the new standards in extensive negotiations. Their main priority was having a single federal standard instead of different standards for different states. The new rules bring the rest of the nation in line with Californias standards.

We give the EPA a lot of credit for figuring out how to do this in a way that meets their requirements but also does it in a way thats more efficient for us, said Mike Robinson, vice president for sustainability and global regulatory affairs at GM, at the press conference where the new standards were introduced, according to Automotive News.