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# «*- ? Statemen tBefore th e U.S .

Environmental Protectio n Agenc y Hearin g o n On-Board Refuelin g Vapo r Recovery Systems .

\ Adria n Lund

Septembe r26,199 1 

# F TITUIT E AFIET Y

loo s N GLEB E ROAD . ARLINGTON , V A 2220 1 (703 ) 24 7 150 0P. 3

I a m Adria n Lund , Assistan t Vice Presiden t fo rResearc h fo rth e Insurance Institut e fo r Highwa ySafety , a nonprofi t researc h an d communication s organizatio n tha t identifie s an d develop s ways to reduce moto rvehicl e cras h losses . W e are supporte d b

yth e nation' s propert yan d casualt

yinsurers . Than k

yo u fo rth e opportunit

yt o presen t th e Institute' s view s o n th e safet

yo f on-boar d refuelin g vapo rrecover ysystems . Th e Institut e ha s lon g bee n involve d i n reducin g th e risk s t o th e publi c pose d byvehicl e fires . Fo rexample , Institut e researc h an d cras h testin g i n th e earl y1970 s le d t o th e strengthenin g o f th e federa l moto rvehicl e safet ystandard o n fue l syste m integrity . I t wa s becaus e o f ou r concer n abou t an yactio n that ca n increas e th e ris k o f fir e that th e Institut e entere d th e debat e o n controllin g refuelin g emission s i n 1986 , whe n th e Environmenta l Protectio n Agenc y(EPA ) wa s considerin g two alternative approache s t o trappin g thos e emissions . Th e firs t approac h involve s capturin g th e vapor s wit h recover

ysystem s installe d o n boar d eac h moto rvehicle . Th e othe rwoul d tra p vapor s at th e gasolin e pump . Th e Institut e wa s th e firs t organizatio n t o oppos e th e on-boar

d approac h becaus e i t woul d increas e th e ris k o f fir e i n moto rvehicl e crashes . Since 1986 , th e Nationa l Highwa yTraffi c Safet

yAdministratio n (NHTSA) , th e Nationa l Transportatio n Safet

yBoard , an d other

s hav e confirme d th e Institute' s concern s abou t safet y an d als o oppose d th e us e o f a n on-boar

d syste m becaus e o

f it s potentia l t o increas e th e numbe ro f vehicl e cras h fires . On-the-roa d testin g o f vehicle s wit h prototyp e on-boar d system s hav

e raise d additiona l safet

yconcern s abou t fue l expulsio n an d fue l spitbac k tha t ma yoccu rwit h som e on-boar d designs . Vapo rloc k

problem s wit h som e on-boar d design s als o ca n caus e hesitatio n an d sudde n stalling , whic h increase s th e ris k o f a vehicl e bein g involve d i n a crash . I n additio n t o crash-relate d fir e hazards , NHTS A ha s als o identifie d th e potentia l fo rincrease d number s o f safety-relate d defect s becaus e o f th e increase d complexit y o f fue l system s designe d t o captur e refuelin g vapors . Th e Institut e agree s wit h NHTSA' s assessmen t i n thi s regard .

Insuranc e Institut

e fo r Highwa

y Safety 100 5 N . Gleb e Road , Arlington , V A 2220 1 Septembe r 199 1P. 4

NHTS A Safet y Assessmen t NHTSA' s Jul y199 1 report , "A n Assessmen t o f th e Safet

yo f On-boar d Refuelin g Vapo r Recover ySystems, " reiterate s th e safet yproblem s associate d wit h thos e systems . Th e primar yreason s that on-boar

d system s pos e a n increase d ris k o f fire are th e larg e siz e o f th e syste m components an d th e complexit yo f th e desig n neede d t o meet th e stringen t vapo r recover yrequirements o

f th e 199 0 Clea n Ai rAc

t Amendments . Becaus e th e charcoa l canister s i n whic h th e vapor

s ar e capture d must b e muc h large rtha n curren t evaporative emission s system s an d mus t functio n a

t hig h operatin g temperatures , the ywoul d contai n muc h mor

e vapo rtha n curren t systems . A s NHTS A point s out , the ywil l increas e th e likelihoo d o

f fire s i f a releas e o

f capture d vapo rshoul d occu ri n th e presence o f a n ignitio n source . An d th e laborator ytestin g don e byNHTS

A shows that thre e commo n ignitio n source s

~ a spark , a ho

t surface , o ra flam e ~ that are presen t durin g norma l vehicl e operation s o r durin g a cras h ca n easil yignit e thos e vapors . Th e type s o

f design s neede d t o compl ywit h th e emissio n requirements als o mak e th e system s vulnerabl e t o failure i n th e wid e rang e o f cras h configuration s an d severitie s that vehicle s experience i n real-worl d crashes . As NHTS A notes , Thes e systems , wit h complicate d mechanica l nozzl e seal s an d vapo rcontro l valve s nea rth e to p o f th e fue l fille r pipe , hav e performe d ver

ypoorl yi n th e limite d collisio n testin g that has bee n conducted. " Quantifyin g th e Increase d Ris k o f Cras h Fire s NHTS A has note d th e difficultie s i n quantifyin g th e increase d ris k o f cras h fire s wit h o n boar d refuelin g vapo rrecover

ysystems . Th e majo rproble m i s th e absence o f reliabl e data . Althoug h th e polic e usuall ynot e fir e event s o n cras h reports , eve n crashe s involvin g fire relate d death s are rarel yinvestigate d full yenoug h t o determin e th e locatio n o f th e fue l syste m failure . I n man ycases , th e cras h report s wil l not eve n indicat e whic h vehicl e i n a multipl e vehicl e cras h wa s th e source o f th e fire , le t alon e th e locatio n o f th e fue l leak . And , i f fue l spillag e di d not resul t i n a fire , i t i s unlikel ythat th e fact o f th e spillag e woul d b e noted . Th e unfortunat e fact i s that n o cras h dat a bas e contain s th e detaile d informatio n necessar yt o reac h fir m prediction s abou t th e incidenc e of cras h fires .

Insuranc e Institute fo r Highwa y Safety 100 5 N . Gleb e Road , Arlington , V A 2220 1 Septembe r 199 1P. 5

Nevertheless , th e ris k

o f cras h fire s i s rea l an d cannot b e ignored . Despit e th e scarcit yo f data , NHTS

A has reporte d a n indicative analysi s of fire-relate d events associate d wit h th e introductio n o

f th e on-boar

d evaporative vapo rrecover ysyste m i n 197 1 mode l yea rcars . NHTS A estimate d that th e introductio n o f thi s smaller , les s complicate d syste m increase d th e incidence o

f cras h fire s i n police-reporte d crashe s bya n averag e o f 2 7 percent . Th e statistica l accurac

yo f thi s estimat e i s limite d b yth e data , bu t traditiona l statistica l procedure s sugges t that th e actua l increas e wa s a t leas t 6 percen t an d ma yhave bee n a s great a s 5 3 percent . Thi s increase d ris k

cannot b e ignored . So man yseriou s moto rvehicl e crashe s occu rever y yea rthat eve n smal l increase s i n ris k ca n translat e int o substantia l number s o f additiona l cras h fires . Mor

e tha n 1 9 millio n tota l crashe s occu reac h year , an d mor e tha n 2 millio n o

f thes e are severe enoug h fo ra t least on e vehicl e t o b e towe d fro m th e scene . A s NHTS A point s ou t i n it s Jul y199 1 assessmen t o f on-boar d systems , som e 28,80 0 passenge rca ran d ligh t truc k fire s occu rannuall yi n moto rvehicl e crashes . Durin g 1978-1988 , there were a n averag e of 1,36

5 fata l injurie s an d nearl y12,00 0 nonfata l one s i n thes e crashes . Althoug h w e cannot quantif

yho w manymor

e peopl e woul d b e injure d i n cras h fire s i f al l vehicle s were equippe d wit h on-boar

d refuelin g vapo rrecover ysystems , i t i s clea rtha t us e o f thos e system s wil l needlessl yexpos e motorists t o possibl e injurie s an d death . Additiona l Risks : Safety-Relate d Defects Th e complexit y o f th e desig n o f on-boar d system s pose s othe r risks tha t nee d t o b e considered . As NHTS

A reports , since 1970 there hav e bee n 7 1 safet

yrecalls , involvin g nearl y2 millio n vehicles , fo rdefect s i n curren t evaporative emissio n systems . Thi s recal l situatio n woul d worse n wit h on-boar d refuelin g vapo rrecover ysystem s becaus e of th e increase d numbe ran d complexit yo f th e components use d i n thei rdesigns . Becaus e most defect s are relate d t o mistake s i n th e manufacturin g process , th e complexit yof th e design s wil l mak e i t easie rfo ra n erro ri n on e componen t t o lea d t o a n increase d fir e risk. Again , althoug h i t i s impossibl e t o quantif yho w manymanufacturin g mistake s woul d occur , i t i s clea r that the ywil l occu ran d expos e th e publi c t o a n increase d ris k o f vehicl e fire .

Insuranc e Institute fo r Highwa y Safety 100 5 N . Gleb e Road , Arlington , VA 2220 1 Septembe r 199 1P. 6

Conclusio n NHTSA' s mos

t recen t dat a analyse s an d testin g agai n confir m that on-boar d refuelin g vapo r recover ysystem s pos e a n increase d an d unreasonabl e ris k o f fire i n moto rvehicl e crashes . Ther e i s n o reaso n t o impos e additiona l hazard s o n motorists whe n a saf e alternativ e exists . Accordin g t o NHTSA , Stag e I I fue l vapo rrecover ydevice s o n gasolin e pump s hav e actuall y lowere d th e ris k

o f fire s at th e pump . I n addition , NHTS A reports that a stud yb

yth e Californi a Ai rResource s Boar d indicat e that Stag e I I system s ar e mor e effective i n controllin g refuelin g vapor

s tha n on-boar

d systems . EP

A ca n achieve th e goa l o f th e Clea n Ai rAc

t Amendments o

f 1990 o f reducin g refuelin g emission s withou t riskin g additiona l moto rvehicl e death s an d injurie s byusin g Stag e I I system s o n gasolin e pumps . Give n th e unreasonabl e ris k o f deat h an d injur

ypose d b

yon-boar d system , there i s n o othe rrationa l choice .

Insuranc e Institute fo r Highwa y Safety 100 5 N . Gleb e Road , Arlington , VA 2220 1 Septembe r 199 1