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# OAR Box 1830 Prepped byOllie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 180 ) IV-C-14

7 Docket Number: 

# A-87-1 1

Printed 11/13/20087:21:00AM Sheet 180of 232

# ft-87-"

DE C 2 1 198

8 

# y^° $* &

Honorabl eJoh nD . Dingel l Cnairman , Sutcotrjr.itte eo n Oversigh t

an aInvestigationr . Coutmitte eo nEnerg y an dConfere e U.S . Hous eo f

Representative s Wasr.inqton , D

C 20'ril 5 #

f^ar :-ic . Cn; : - rnaa :

/ r i t in c i n respons e t o you r lette r o f Octobe r ).?., l')>

: o^ mo nt s c r EPA ' 3 s i ir o 1 i zi o-. ^ Iar, - concernin g iforc l refuelin g contro lconcept . W enav eha daserie s o f raeetir . v;:tr . For:

- o nthi s issue , r?.o= t recentl v o nOctobe r 2- 1 whe n personall y r.e t

wit hFor erepresentative s t o noa r th e concerns . A s liste di nyou r letter , Ford' s conclusion s a tha t E?A'{ : -ir.pii f

iec. » syste mna s th< > 33tne , i f

no t creat e safet y concern s a s othe r previousl y reviewe drefuplin c sv~, t -•hisinn : A . Also , ?or dconclude s tn c sittoli t iei ) sy?te ~ ir

> n r^aviii'"- ' ?.•:"!actnbl v t o oro>-h;ctior . vehicles . onbonr o a s I i r r e r , err . o t Zir.c?. \n: le^r n«?.••• • *n eresult s o . Fork' s •vv'slu? " ior

- ir . ::._J-Dcpte";--r , IT' . *.»n g infer s n?v e'.ler'.on."tr?.e v 3 full v succoss f

u' . .~;n; l icac . or . o: : ou r ar.r.ole , llcii' 1 sea lsyste mO P;. ; Pore 1 T3Mru.- - . Cua ] tank . I t function s evtren-il v w?l l anr . '\o$r. no t nriV'.t

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- oii'ii. ! con O IT.ion~ y . ; -: ? ."lavr

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- . c«_- ier> . iens . •n r- •o ~ n-'.tv ; ;nr , tr>.<_ - i/or c als o rt&te s tnet Iiauui/vapo r s^c-ar^'or s .-ir e recu r re•-. ;

. n rei.uelin'- " contr a _svstems . •efutlin o vaoo r contro l "y.'-ter.- s e enntinuf

- t o believ e tna t a o n>" i < 

### inherentl y rieF , Iiaula/vapo r seoarators : the critica l ciesic. n perimete r appear s t o b e tn e placemen t o f th ycharcoa l caniste r i n relatio n t o th * iue l cant; . Liauici/vapo r separator s ar e airee.iyuse d o n e . numbe r o f no-ti

e I s currentl yc n th e roa d an' i y.or.cmanufacturer s i^iaii t r?e c id e t o us e the n i n system s tha t includ e refue l m a controls .P. 3

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Fordclain s tha t the normall y ope nfue l tan

kven t syste

m in our designadversel y affect s exnaus t an devaporativ e emission s control . I t furthe r state s tha t the simplifie dsyste m wil l no t be capabl e o f controllin g running losse s unde r "ozon e day " conditions . However , thi s i s onl ythe cas e fo r hig hvolatilit y fuel s which , a s youknow , w e have propose dt o control . Ford' s ow npresentatio nshow s tha t anunpressurize dtan kgenerate s les s tha n 1 0 percen t mor e vapo r tha n a pressurize d tank whe n 9 ps i volatilit yfue l i s used . Further , Ford' s exhaus t and evaporativ e emission s test s usin g 9 ps i fue l sho wtha t th e siapl e refuelin g system , wit ha n unpressurize d fue l tank , meet s al l curren t standards . Ford' s clai mtnn t th e sara e enis3io n reductio n benefit s ca n be achieve d withou t controllin g refuelin g emission s i s incorrect . Ou r tes t procedure s woul d assur e tha t refuelin g control s wil l achiev e tn e sam e runnin a los s and evaporativ e emission s contro l benefit s a s improve d evaporativ e control , oiu s th e benefi t o f capturin qrefuelin g emissions . Finally , Ford' s problem s wit hneetin g th e Federa l Mcto r Vehicl e Safet yStandar d 30 ? tes t stern s fro mth e fac t tha t For.^' c ven t valv e wa s ne t designe d fo r rollove r functio n an d had a defectiv e sea l vne n teste d b yFord , accordin g t o tn e valv e supplier . I t i s th e opinio n o f SP Apnqineer s tha t thi s wa s tn e caus e o f th e excessiv e fue l leakag e tha t For d experienced , rathe r tha n som e inheren t desig n orocleir , wit h r.impli f led systenc . W e hav e obtaine d fro mFork' s valv e supplie r modifie d valve s whic hfunctio n correctl yi n ou r onboar d system . Ir . additio n t o th e valv e supplier' s tests , w e nav e pu t on e o f thes e valve s o n e fue l tank an d conducte d s rollove r tes t t o verif yit s performance . Ou r prototyp e valv e easil yme t bot hr.'HTSA' s 30 1 r,tnr>~x:c~ zzvei l a s tn e rvor ? stringen t rollove r tes t specification s recuire d o f Ford' s curren t productio n valv e a . I n surnrsarv , i t .-.ppearr - tna t Ford' s concern s arou t tn e F? A '•i~p.l. e o n b o m i syste m conveye d t o yo u ir . Septembe r appea r t o r:fiv n nse n iarael vresolve d oasfic , or , tn e .icvnrcH. " mad e n yT.Vl-. ensineerc . W e nav e bee n and wil l continu e t o ho i n contac t wit hFor d and othe r vehicl e manufacturer s a s w e attemp t t o resolv e al l outstandin g issues . Than k yo u agai n fo r expressin o you r concern s i n thi s matter .t

_.11 » P. 4



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- A s a fina l note , I woul d lik e t o infor m yo u tha t th e Nationa l Highwa

yTraffi c Safet yAdministratio n (NHTSA ) an d EP A hel d our secon

d ouarterl ymeeting unde r the term s o f our Memorandu

mo f Understanding . Representative s o f NHTS Aan d variou s office s withi n EPAme t on Octobe r 1 7 t o discus s ongoing rulemaking s an

d otne r issue s o f mutua l interest .

Sincerely , LeeM . Thoma s ue e'•'. . Thoisa s

c c : Tn eHonorabl eDian eK . Stee d Acm i n i s t

r at o r , l-THTS

A Tn eHonorabl eJosep hR . Wright , Jr . Actin aDirector , OVii\ Tn eHonorabl eCnarle s A . Bcwshe r Comntrolle r

Genera'. , GA

O