Tag: clean air trust

Stricter Rules for Heavy Equipment Emissions?

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new clean-air standards for some diesel-powered equipment. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:

Transcript

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new clean-air standards for some diesel
powered equipment. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:


The EPA’s new rules would cut the soot and pollution that’s belched by off-road diesel vehicles
such as bulldozers and farm tractors. Frank O’Donnell is with the environmental group Clean Air
Trust.


“Currently there are very minimal controls on big diesel heavy equipment and the fuel itself is
extremely dirty. It’s virtually unregulated. And this EPA proposal will go a long way, over time,
making a significant reduction in the diesel pollution coming from heavy equipment.”


The EPA projects the new rules will prevent almost ten-thousand premature deaths each year
once the standards are fully phased in. But, that’ll take a while with the last of the dirty vehicles
probably taken out of service around the year 2030.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, this is Lester Graham.

Epa Targets Ethanol Plants for Cleanup

The U.S. EPA is finishing a 17-month study of the emissions at ethanol plants in the Great Lakes region. As a result, the EPA is asking ethanol producers to clean up their plants. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Jonathan Ahl reports:

Transcript

The U.S. EPA is finishing a 17-month study of the emissions at ethanol plants in the
Great Lakes region. As a result, the EPA is asking ethanol producers to
clean up their plants. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Jonathan Ahl reports:


The tests of the ethanol plants show unexpectedly high levels of carbon dioxide,
methanol, and formaldehyde in their emissions. Monte Shaw is a spokesperson for the
Renewable Fuels Association. He says the industry will comply with the EPA’s request:


“All of the industry is committed to doing whatever’s necessary, if anything. Some plants won’t have
to change a thing. But if there are some where the EPA wants to make modifications, we’re
committed to working with them, and addressing their concerns as quickly as possible.”


Shaw says most bigger plants already have the controls in place, and the smaller ones
that are in violation will comply with the request. Critics of the EPA including the Clean Air
Trust and the American Lung Association say the changes need to be a requirement, not a
voluntary program as it is now.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Jonathan Ahl.