dukeuch
10-12-2004, 01:49 PM
When the issue turned to the Environment in the last debate, I licked my chops; what could Bush possibly come up with when asked about his environmental record?
His self proclaimed crowning achievement (at least what he lead off with in response) was that "(we) reduced off-road diesel emissions by 90%". Beer came out of my nose. What the hell is that? How significant can that be? I vowed to do a little research.
For such a stunning achievement, one would think there would be a lot of info. There really is not much to find except for a bunch of EPA studies going back to the early 1990s. As best I can figure out, diesel emissions account for about 1/3 of all NOx emissions (acid rain) and Particulate Matter from moving vehicles. A bit less than 1/3 of those emissions come from off road vehicles (i.e. locomotives, farm vehicles, coal mining vehicles, snowmobiles, boats, etc.). While modest from a total emissions standpoint, it seemed to be not inconsequential. Maybe Bush actually did something!
Ohh, wait a minute. The regulations came out of the Clean Air Act administered by the EPA. The first regulations for off road diesel were passed in 1994 and phased in from 1995-2000. Stricter standards were established in 1998 becoming effective in 2001-2008. Wait a minute, that would mean that the Bush administration had NOTHING to do with any improvements to off-road diesel emmisions standards or air quality to date! Gosh, could Bush have been misleading the public?
Maybe not. The EPA adopted even stricter standards to become effective starting 2007 (good news, but certainly nothing that has happened yet). Guess that is what Bush was talking about. Wait, the 90% reduction claim stems from the "call" for engine manufacturers to produce more efficient engines, which they "could" require "as soon as" 2008. Does not seem too air tight and there does not seem to be an actual limit proscribed in terms of NOx and PM.
Maybe he was talking about an actual adopted standard regarding sulfer dioxide emissions. Wow, the current standard allows for 5,000 parts per million sulfer content for off road diesel. The EPA estimates that current average sulfer content of diesel fuel is 3,400 ppm. Bush's EPA will reduce the allowable amount to 500 ppm by 2007, the current standard allowed for on-road vehicles, and all the way down to 15 ppm by 2010. Way to go Bush, you clean air champ!
Wait a minute; the 500 ppm standard is what is already in effect for ON-road diesel engines. I guess the diesel manufacturers must produce one kind of diesel for on road vehicles and another for off-road vehicles, right? OF COURSE NOT. Turns out that the actual average sulfer content in off-road diesel fuel, as determined by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in an actual survey, is 385 ppm. So the EPA's stricter standards (in regards to sulfer content) are higher than what is actually experienced at this time.
So Bush's proud environmental moment is that under his watch off-road diesel emissions were reduced due to legislation and standards adopted prior to his presidency, and the stricter standards which are now being called for (which will not become effective until 2007 at the earliest) depend on the engine manufacturer's producing more efficient engines (perhaps voluntarily) and reductions in allowable emissions of certain pollutants to levels HIGHER than what is actually experienced today.
Well, at least he did not make the off-road deisle situation worse, like most of his other "Clear Sky" initiatives.
His self proclaimed crowning achievement (at least what he lead off with in response) was that "(we) reduced off-road diesel emissions by 90%". Beer came out of my nose. What the hell is that? How significant can that be? I vowed to do a little research.
For such a stunning achievement, one would think there would be a lot of info. There really is not much to find except for a bunch of EPA studies going back to the early 1990s. As best I can figure out, diesel emissions account for about 1/3 of all NOx emissions (acid rain) and Particulate Matter from moving vehicles. A bit less than 1/3 of those emissions come from off road vehicles (i.e. locomotives, farm vehicles, coal mining vehicles, snowmobiles, boats, etc.). While modest from a total emissions standpoint, it seemed to be not inconsequential. Maybe Bush actually did something!
Ohh, wait a minute. The regulations came out of the Clean Air Act administered by the EPA. The first regulations for off road diesel were passed in 1994 and phased in from 1995-2000. Stricter standards were established in 1998 becoming effective in 2001-2008. Wait a minute, that would mean that the Bush administration had NOTHING to do with any improvements to off-road diesel emmisions standards or air quality to date! Gosh, could Bush have been misleading the public?
Maybe not. The EPA adopted even stricter standards to become effective starting 2007 (good news, but certainly nothing that has happened yet). Guess that is what Bush was talking about. Wait, the 90% reduction claim stems from the "call" for engine manufacturers to produce more efficient engines, which they "could" require "as soon as" 2008. Does not seem too air tight and there does not seem to be an actual limit proscribed in terms of NOx and PM.
Maybe he was talking about an actual adopted standard regarding sulfer dioxide emissions. Wow, the current standard allows for 5,000 parts per million sulfer content for off road diesel. The EPA estimates that current average sulfer content of diesel fuel is 3,400 ppm. Bush's EPA will reduce the allowable amount to 500 ppm by 2007, the current standard allowed for on-road vehicles, and all the way down to 15 ppm by 2010. Way to go Bush, you clean air champ!
Wait a minute; the 500 ppm standard is what is already in effect for ON-road diesel engines. I guess the diesel manufacturers must produce one kind of diesel for on road vehicles and another for off-road vehicles, right? OF COURSE NOT. Turns out that the actual average sulfer content in off-road diesel fuel, as determined by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in an actual survey, is 385 ppm. So the EPA's stricter standards (in regards to sulfer content) are higher than what is actually experienced at this time.
So Bush's proud environmental moment is that under his watch off-road diesel emissions were reduced due to legislation and standards adopted prior to his presidency, and the stricter standards which are now being called for (which will not become effective until 2007 at the earliest) depend on the engine manufacturer's producing more efficient engines (perhaps voluntarily) and reductions in allowable emissions of certain pollutants to levels HIGHER than what is actually experienced today.
Well, at least he did not make the off-road deisle situation worse, like most of his other "Clear Sky" initiatives.