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  • From: ron thigpen <ron AT fuzzsonic.com>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] EPA v. NC (and more)
  • Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 11:41:01 -0400

Jeremy Portzer wrote:

Just because construction vehicles are putting out visible crud (i.e.,
carbon in the smoke) doesn't mean they are polluting all that badly.

particulates in diesel exhaust do have negative effects, just different ones from some of the more commonly regulated internal combustion by-products. small particulates are increasingly seen to cause lung cancers.

What really matters is things like sulfur (causes acid rain), nitrous
oxides (causes smog), etc -- these are invisible.

well, they all matter to some extent, but you are right in that it's not always the stuff you can see that is the most toxic.

The EPA's "Tier 2" program for deisel emissions is making a big dent
in these problems.

or rather, it will, when the provisions actually start to kick in. those big engines last a long time, and replacement under these regs is likely to take 20+ years. on the positive side, the Clinton era low-sulfur diesel rules were allowed to take effect and the US will soon be refining much cleaner diesel road fuels. locomotives and heavy equipment will not be required to burn it, but it may not be cost effective for the refineries to keep producing the high sulfur stuff.

However, I have heard that much of the pollution, even among
automobiles, is caused by a very small number of vehicles. This is
partially driven by the desire to "grandfather" all old cars from new
pollution requirements.

very true. closed-loop fuel injection systems and other engineering advances have done wonders for emissions and performance. there have acutally been economists who advocated the buying up of cheap, high polluting older vehicles and "retiring" them as a very cost effective means of reducing output of certain pollutants. one rusty, old buick can be cheaper than one hundred new catalytic converters. the politically more palatable solution seems to be to let nature -- and either oxidation or the collector's marketplace -- simply run their course.

and i seriously doubt you're going to convince scott that sending all pre-1974 vehicles to the crusher is a good idea. and let thee who comes for my old ducati proceed with extreme caution.

if you want to see where the various pollutants in your area are coming from, try scorecard.org. here's the summary for my zip (watch wrap):
<http://www.scorecard.org/community/index.tcl?zip_code=27608&set_community_zipcode_cookie_p=t&x=0&y=0>

--rt








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