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Statement On Behalf of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers

18 May 1999

Statement On Behalf of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers In Response To the May 14 Decision From the U.S. Court of Appeals

  Regarding EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards and EPA's Proposed
                              Tier II Standards

    WASHINGTON, May 17 -- The implications of the recent court
decision on EPA's ozone and particulate matter rule, along with its potential
impact on other rulemakings, remain unclear at this time.  This decision
raises procedural questions, and we look forward to seeing EPA's response.
    What is clear is that the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers continues
to support clean air, clean fuels, and clean vehicles.
    In the last 25 years, the auto industry has done more than any other
sector to improve the quality of our air.  One of the ways we are continuing
this effort is through the voluntary National Low Emissions Vehicle (NLEV)
commitment.  This program achieves greater vehicle emissions reductions than
are currently required.
    We continue to support the merits of our Tier II proposal, a 10-year
strategy for even cleaner vehicles and cleaner fuels that is based on sound
science and good technology.  The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
formulated this plan to reduce automotive emissions further and presented this
proposal to EPA in March.  When EPA proposed its Tier II plan on May 1, many
of our recommendations on cleaner fuels and cleaner vehicles were included in
either the rule or the preamble.
    However, the industry's clean air proposal relies upon four critical
elements that must be in any final Tier II rule:

    * We need sulfur-free fuels to reach the clean air goals.  Fuels and autos
      operate as one system, and both sulfur-free fuels and technology are
      necessary to achieve the greatest clean air benefits.

    * We need to further refine the timing.  Automakers need enough
      flexibility in the timeline to allow for the invention of the
      technologies necessary to make EPA's standards a reality.

    * We want to ensure that the final Tier II rule continues to foster the
      development of and ready access to advanced technologies.

    * And we need a feasibility study in 2004 to make sure that we're headed
      in the right direction.  This study will focus on technical
      achievability, cost effectiveness, and competitive impact.

    These are the key points that the industry will make when testifying at
EPA's public hearings on Tier II in June.