These popular vehicles currently emit three to five times more pollution than passenger cars. Speaking at the Maury Elementary School in Washington, D.C., the President noted that Americans are now driving twice as many miles each year than they did 20 years ago. Cars are now limited to emissions of 0.4 grams of NOx per mile. Light trucks, minivans and SUVs can emit 0.7 grams to 1.1 grams, depending on their size. The final rule also cuts the allowable sulfur content of gasoline from its current average of 330 parts per million to 30 parts per million by 2006, a reduction of nearly 90 percent.
Sulfur reduces the efficiency of vehicle catalytic converters, making cars produce more pollution.
The standards Clinton announced are nearly the same as those proposed by the EPA in May, but the agency says it made the rules tougher by extending them to cover even the heaviest of passenger trucks. These measures will assure cleaner air for every American well into the 21st century. The current high utilization rate of U.S. refineries leaves little room for error, and the new restrictions on sulfur content could stretch the industry beyond the breaking point if these needs are not considered. Automakers had joined environmental groups in urging the EPA to make even sharper reductions in gasoline sulfur - down to five parts per million. Lower sulfur gasoline makes it easier for automakers to meet tailpipe emissions standards.