Washington, D.C. - Voters overwhelmingly support clean diesel trucks and clean diesel fuel, according to a new national survey for the American Lung Association. Indeed, the survey suggests voter support for clean diesel fuel has actually intensified since last summer. The survey was released as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nears a final decision on a landmark plan to require dramatically cleaner big diesel trucks and buses, starting in 2007. To enable use of advanced pollution controls, EPA also would require that refiners remove nearly all the sulfur from diesel fuel.
Sulfur is a poison, much as lead was a poison to catalytic converters.
It's time for EPA to move forward now to protect the public from the harmful emissions from big diesel vehicles. These views were held by at least seven out of ten voters across every demographic, geographic and political subgroup. In addition, voters also believe cleaner diesel fuel can have a positive impact on our nation's air quality. Voters also favored diesel fuel cleanup even when told it would increase costs to consumers. The EPA proposal would mean cleaner air and better breathing for everyone in America.