Whitman to review EPA emissions rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 22, 2001) — The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency plans to review rules on diesel fuels and emissions issued last month by the Clinton administration.

Former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee at her confirmation hearing that the incoming administration has an “obligation to review all pending rules…and we will do that in this case.”

The new rules, which take effect in 2006, would reduce sulfur in diesel fuel to 15 parts per million, compared to a current level of 500 parts per million. The rules are tied to tighter restrictions on diesel engine emissions; engine manufacturers say they need ultra-low-sulphur fuels in order to comply with 2007 exhaust limits.

Whitman said she wanted to ensure that the rules balanced concerns about clean air with the economic impact such rules would have. Refiners warn that higher prices and limited availability may result unless they are given more time to comply.