Opinion: A cleaner burn

The Bush administration scored a victory for public health with its proposal to clean up dirty diesel engines. The new rules, unveiled Tuesday by Christie Whitman, the chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, would force so-called "non-road" engines -- tractors, generators and the like -- to burn cleaner fuel and emit less soot. The administration was right to be aggressive about a cleanup that could save thousands of lives.

Most of the attention about smog-causing pollution revolves around cars and power plants. But farm equipment in rural areas and construction machinery in cities churn out almost half of all diesel-generated soot, which is blamed for an array of serious respiratory illnesses. According to the EPA, the new standards will spare the nation 9,600 premature deaths, 8,300 hospitalizations, 16,000 heart attacks, 5,700 asthma-related emergency room visits among children and nearly a million work days lost due to illness. Combined with EPA's ongoing effort to reduce emissions in buses and trucks, the non-road initiative could markedly reduce the health risks facing millions of Americans.

The government and private sector need to stick to the targets. When the program is fully phased in, by 2014, emissions of soot would be reduced by as much as 95 percent; the sulfur content in diesel fuel would drop 99 percent. This plan gives manufacturers and consumers time to invest in more efficient and cleaner machines. The phase-in provides the government with benchmarks helpful in guiding enforcement efforts.

It also comes cheap; the $1.5-billion in annual added costs to the industry is dwarfed by the $16-billion to $80-billion that can be saved yearly in lives and pollution-related health care costs. The administration, which is enjoying a rare show of environmental applause, should make these goals a top priority.

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright