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Environment Update

January 4, 2001
Volume II, Number 1b

On Dec. 21, 2000, President Clinton and U.S. EPA Administrator Carol Browner announced a new rule to reduce by 95 percent diesel emissions from heavy trucks and buses. In order to meet these requirements, the proposed rule includes a 97 percent reduction of sulfur content in diesel fuel-a reduction from 500 to 15 parts per million. The new standards will be phased in for diesel vehicles between 2007 and 2010. EPA estimates the proposal will raise the cost of new vehicles by $1,200 to $1,900 (new trucks cost up to $150,000 and buses cost up to $250,000) and diesel fuel between four to five cents per gallon. The final rule and related documents are available at http://www.epa.gov/otag/diesel.htm.

On Dec. 14, 2000, U.S. EPA Administrator Carol Browner announced that the Clinton Administration will require reductions, for the first time ever, of harmful mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants-the largest source of such emissions in America. The agency will propose regulations by 2003 and issue final rules by 2004. Plants would be required to comply by 2007-2008. More information is available at http://www.epa.gov/mercury.

On Dec. 22, 2000, the U.S. EPA released new standards to identify dangerous levels of lead in paint, dust and soil. "These new standards provide important information to help all Americans better protect our children from the threats from lead. Parents who have their homes checked for lead, for example, will know if they need to take action to lower levels..." stated EPA Administrator Carol Browner in an announcement. Under the new standards, lead is considered a hazard if there are greater than: 40 micrograms of lead in dust per square foot on floors; 250 micrograms of lead in dust per square foot on interior window sills and 400 parts per million (ppm) of lead in bare soil in children's play areas or 1200 ppm average for bare soil in the rest of the yard. Additional information is available at http://www.epa.gov/lead.

NCSL Contacts:

Molly Stauffer
Committee Director
(202) 624-3584

Laurie Holmes
Staff Assistant
(202)624-8695