The US Environment Protection Agency blows the whistle on the dirty diesel lobby
the diesel lobby in the us received two major blows recently when the Science Advisory Board of the us E nvironment Protection Agency ( epa) classified diesel exhaust as a 'likely human carcinogen' and the California Air Resources Board finalised its plan to reduce risks from diesel exhaust.
At its meeting on October 12-13, the Diesel Review Panel of the epa 's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee approved the most recent draft Health Assessment Document for Diesel Exhaust . As a result of this decision, which follows a six-year review process, the epa will finally adopt its formal position on the health effects of diesel emissions.
As expected, the automobile manufacturers are up in arms against the verdict. "I think it's not correct," said Glenn Keller of the Engine Manufacturers Association. "There's not compelling evidence in the human data." But the committee disagreed. "That's consistent with most other research," said Joe Mauderly of the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, usa . Mauderly and other scientists say that studies now underway could remove many uncertainties about risks of diesel exhaust.
Earlier this year, the epa proposed rules that would require new trucks and buses to cut their emissions of certain pollutants by at least 90 per cent. Now the California Air Resources Board has finalised its Diesel Risk Reduction Plan for cutting down diesel emissions. The plan proposes to cut diesel emissions by 90 per cent from the current levels. The main proposals include implementing stricter emission standards for diesel engines, mandatory use of state-of-the-art catalysed diesel particulate filters ( dpf ) for new diesel vehicles and retrofitting old diesel vehicles with dpf wherever possible. It also proposes to limit the sulphur content of diesel fuel to 15 parts per million.
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