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Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers President Issues Statement on EPA's Tier 2 Rule

21 December 1999

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers President Issues Statement on EPA's Tier 2 Rule

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The following statement was released
by Josephine S. Cooper, President of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers,
on EPA's Tier 2 rule in anticipation of an Administration announcement:

    "The Tier 2 rule presents a technological challenge to the auto industry,
but we accept that challenge.  The 11 automakers of the Alliance of Automobile
Manufacturers have committed to investing in advanced technology cars,
minivans, SUVs and pickups that run even cleaner.
    "While EPA's Tier 2 rule is headed in the right direction, we are
disappointed that EPA stopped short of attaining the maximum clean air
benefits possible.
    "Under Tier 2, we're going to provide even cleaner cars and light trucks
that will both meet the same tough limits, but EPA didn't go far enough with
clean fuels.  This is a missed opportunity for air quality, and automakers
will continue to call for sulfur-free fuel.
    "EPA did not finalize a rule with the sulfur-free fuel essential for our
cleaner vehicles, even though California and Europe are now moving toward
sulfur-free fuel. (More information is available at http://www.lowsulfurfuel.com.)
    "For three decades, the auto industry has been producing ever cleaner
vehicles.  Today, automakers are producing vehicles with substantially reduced
emissions through the voluntary National Low Emissions Vehicle initiative.
These cars and light trucks, which were first introduced in the Northeast in
1999, will be available nationwide next fall.
    "The auto industry continues to invest billions of dollars in research and
development to produce the advanced technology vehicles -- such as lean-burn,
direct-injection systems, gasoline-hybrid powered cars, and fuel cells -- that
could provide yet another giant leap forward for low-emission vehicle
technology."