P. 1


# OAR Box 1142 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 14 ) IV-F-1 2 Docket Number: 

# A-87-1 1

Printed 4/23/2008 10:21:21 AM Sheet 14 of 30P. 2 

# 'W-F-1 2 STATEMEN T O F TH E k^J > ASSOCIATIO N O F INTERNATIONA L AUTOMOBIL E MANUFACTURERS , INC . REGARDIN G ONBOAR D VAPO R CONTRO L REGULATION S BEFOR E TH E U.S . ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N AGENC Y

. ^ r£\ SEPTEMBE R 26 , 199 1 Goo d Morning , I a m Gregor yDana , Vice-Presiden t an d Technica l Directo r of the-Associatio n o f Internationa l Automobil e Manufacturer s (AIAM)
. AIA M i s a non profi t trad e associatio n tha t represent s U.S
. importers , distributors , an d manufacturer s of passenge rcars an d ligh t trucks. 1

W e appreciat e th e opportunityt o appea rbefore yo u todayt o expres s ou r view s o n refuelin g vapo rcontro l requirements that ar e agai n bein g considere d base d o n th e Clea n Ai rAc

t amendments of 1990 (Act)
. Th e Ac t condition s EPA' s authorit yt o promulgat e standard s fo ronboard vapo rcontro l system s whe n i t state s tha t

EP A shal l procee d onl yafte rconsultatio n wit h th e Secretar yof Transportatio n regardin g th e safet yof vehicle-base d ('onboard' ) system s fo rth e contro l of vehicl e refuelin g emissions..
. I t i s clea rtha t Congres s intende d fo rth e safet yissu e t o b e resolve d before rule s ar e promulgated
. I t i s unconceivabl e tha t Congres s intende d t o mandat e contro l system s tha t represen t th e degre e o f publi c safet y hazar d foun d b y NHTSA .

1 AIA M represents : America n Hond a Moto r Company , Inc. ; America n Suzuk i Moto r Corporation ; BM W o f Nort h America , Inc. ; Daihats u Moto r Ca , Ltd. ; Ra t Auto U.SA , Inc. ; Hyunda i Moto r America ; Isuz u Motor s o f America , Inc. ; Jagua r Cars , Inc. ; Mazd a Motors o f America , Inc. ; Mitsubish i Moto r America , Inc. ; Nissa n Nort h America , Inc. ; Peugeo t Motors o

f America , Inc. ; Porsch e Cars Nort h America , Inc. ; Roll s Royc e Moto r Cars , Inc. ; Rove r Grou p US A Inc. ; Saab-Scani a o

f America , Inc. ; Subar u o f America , Inc. ; Toyota Moto r Sale s U.SA , Inc. ; Volkswage n o f America , Inc. ; Volv

o Nort h Americ a Corporation ; an d Yug o America , Inc .P. 3

Give n tha t th e Nationa l Highwa yTraffi cSafet

yAdministratio n (NHTSA) , whos e expertis e i s vehicl e safety , ha s determine d suc h system s d o represen t a safet y hazard 2 , EP

Ashoul d no t procee d wit h adoptio n of thes e requirements
. Wha t make s th e argumen t against adoptio n of onboard requirement s eve n mor e compellin g i s that a n alternative exists
. Th e Ac t als o require s th e installatio n of Stag e I I equipmen t i n moderate , severe , seriou s an d extrem e non-attainmen t areas (whic h cove ra larg e majorit yo f th e populatio n of th e U.S.)
. Thes e system s hav e bee n i n us e fo rove rte n years i n Califomi a an d ar e als o installe d i n a numbe rof othe rareas throughou t th e country . Theyhav e prove d effective an d d o no t presen t th e safet y concern s of onboar d systems . I n addition , th e technolog yha s bee n refine d repeatedl y ove rtim e s o tha t th e origina l objection s t o Stag e I I of consume rinconvenience , are now moot . Stag e i l wil l als o capture refuelin g emission s fro m al l cars o n th e road , no t jus t ne w vehicles
. Reduction s i n refuelin g emission s fro m JStage II , then , wil l b e fa rmore effective i n addressin g th e shor t ter m ozon e non-attainmen t proble m face d b yth e nation' s urba n areas , especiall ysinc e th e implementatio n pla n specifie d b yCongres s woul d no t have onboard full yeffective i n eve n th e ne wca rflee t unti l 199 8 o r1999
. O n th e technica l side , th e difficult yo f controllin g th e massive vapo rloa d fro m refuelin g an d purgin g i t throug h th e engine , give n th e more stringen t emissio n standard s an d greate rusefu l lif e establishe d i n th e Act , i s eve n greate rtha n whe n thes e rule s were firs t propose d i n 1987
. A n analysi s o f thi s issu e i s no t presente d i n th e Summar yo f Change d Circumstances (Summary) 3 documen t tha t wa s place d i n th e docket
. I t i s necessar

yfo rEP At o conside rthi s impac

t an d what effec

t i t ha s o n manufacturers ' abilityt o meet th e ne wtailpip e requirements
.

A n Assessmen t o f th e Safet yo f Onboar

d Refuelin g Vapo rRecover ySystems , NHTSA , Jul y199 1 3 Summar

yof Change d Circumstance s - Contro l of Ai rPollutio n Fro m Ne w Moto rVehicle s an d Ne w Moto rVehicl e Engines ; Refuelin g Emissio n Regulation s fo rGasoline-Fuele d Light-Dut yVehicle s an d Truck

s an d Heavy-Dut

yVehicles , Augus

t 199 1P. 4 I n th e Summar

ydocumen t reference d above , EP Amake s th e followin g comment : I t i s als o possibl e that us e o f reformulate d gasolin e i n som e

nonattainmen t areas woul d caus e a sligh t reductio n i n benefits
. W e believ e tha t thi s assertio n understate s th e facts
. Base d o n preliminar ydat a o n ARCO' s EC-

X fuel , evaporative emission s ar e reduce d b

y35-4 1 % 4

. Give n th e mandat e fo rreformulate d gasolin e containe d i n th e Ac t an d th e announcemen t b yStat e organization s urgin g thei rmember s t o opt-i n t o thes e requirements 5 , i t i s likel ytha t reformulate d gasolin e wil l b e widel yi n us e throughou t th e country . Clearly , thi s reduce d benefi t t o onboar d system s shoul d b e analyze d more thoroughl ybefore proceeding
.

Th e Act confine s EPA' s authorit yt o promulgat e onboard refuelin g control s fo r"light-dut

yvehicles. " Th e statutor ylanguag e i s clea ro n it s face
. I n ligh t o f thi s languag e an d th e principle s o f statutor yconstruction , EPA' s attemp t t o rel yo n repor t languag e t o suppor

t th e extensio n of thi s requiremen t t o light-dut ytruck s (LDTs ) i s inappropriate
. Whil e EP

A claim s th e righ t t o impos e refuelin g control s o n LDT s an d heavy-dut yvehicle s unde rSectio n 202(a)(1 ) o f th e Act , w e believ e tha t i n a statute a s detaile d an d specifi c a s this , Congres s woul d hav e expresse d it s desire t o contro l thes e classe s i n th e statutor

ylanguage , i f tha t wa s it s intent
. Moreover , thi s lac k of statutor

y authorit ydoe s no t pos e a proble m i f Stag e I I i s th e contro l metho d of choice
. A s state d above , al l vehicle s woul d b e covere d byStag e I I requirements
.
Document : Wit h regard t o progra m coverage , EP Astate s th e followin g i n th e Summar y I t shoul d b e note d tha t th e onboard contro l standard s an d thei rimplementatio n schedul e ar e intende d t o appl yt o vehicle s sol d i n al l part s of th e Unite d States , eve n wher e Stag e I I control s ar

e (o rwil l be ) i n place , suc h as i n California
.

4 Dat a o n EC- X Blend s 2 an d 4 presente d b yARC O a t a CAR B Phase 2 Reformulate d Gasolin e Hearing , August 14,199 1 5 Statemen t of STAPPA/ALAPCO at th e Signin g Ceremon yfo rth e Regulator yNegotiatio n o n Reformulated Gasoiine , Augus t 16 . 199 1P. 5

We disagre e wit h thi s assertion
. Since th e adoptio n of th e Clea n Ai rAc t o f 1970 , Californi a ha s maintaine d it s ow n moto rvehicl e contro l program . Californi a has alread y chose n t o contro l refuelin g emission s vi a a statewid e mandat e of Stag e I I controls
. I t woul d b e inappropriat e fo rEP A t o require onboard controls , bot h becaus e i t woul d "frustrate " th e refuelin g contro l syste m alread yi n plac e i n Californi a an d becaus e i t i s inconsisten t wit h th e Act' s provisio n fo rexceptiona l treatmen t of California
.

I n summary , EP

A shoul d no t procee d wit h thi s rulemakin g becaus e NHTS A has deeme d suc h system s as unsafe an d a viable , prove n an d cost-effective altemative exists
. I n addition , EP

Ahas faile d t o accoun t fo rcertai n factors that hav e a bearin g o n th e feasibilit

yan d effectivenes s of onboar d controls
. Th e analyse s prepare d i n 1988 canno t b e use d t o suppor t thi s curren t action
. Than k yo u fo rth e opportunityt o appea rbefore yo u toda yan d I woul d b e happyt o answe ran yquestions
.