Study Shows Cars Produce Less Than 30% of Smog in U.S. Cities
13 August 1997
Study Shows Cars Produce Less Than 30% of Smog in U.S. Cities
DES PLAINES, Ill., Aug. 13 -- The AAA-Chicago Motor Club
announced the following today:
Smog produced by automobiles continues to decline and is no longer a
primary cause of the ozone problem in Chicago and other major U.S. cities.
That is the conclusion of a study released today by the AAA-Chicago Motor
Club, which shows that cars and light trucks currently cause less than 30
percent of the emissions that lead to ground-level ozone problems in 24 major
cities. A 1994 study done for AAA showed similar results for 10 cities.
In Chicago, total auto emissions (both volatile organic compounds and
nitrogen oxides) have been cut nearly in half since 1970, despite a 76 percent
increase in the number of vehicle miles traveled over the same period.
"The results of this study contrast with the public and media perception,
which falsely portrays cars and light trucks as the major cause of smog in big
cities," says Jonathan Lehrer, vice president of public affairs for
AAA-Chicago Motor Club.
"More than 70 percent of our smog comes from smokestacks, refineries and
other mobile sources. Should motorists be expected to bear a disproportionate
burden of new clean air standards if their vehicles are not the main problem?"
says James L. Kolstad, vice president, AAA Public and Government Relations.
The study, performed for AAA by Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc. of
Arlington, Va., indicates that reductions in passenger vehicle emissions since
1970 have more than offset the growth in vehicle usage in the 24 cities
studied. "In light of these data, it is difficult to justify stricter
controls on cars and light trucks," Lehrer says.
"We support continued efforts to clean the air. However, AAA is calling
attention to this new information to send a message to federal, state and
local air quality officials of the need to go beyond simply targeting
passenger vehicles if they hope to make any real headway in cutting the ozone
in our cities," said Kolstad.
The study indicates that in such cities as Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore and
Cleveland, 75 percent to 80 percent of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
and nitrogen oxides (Nox) come from stationary and other mobile sources.
This is also true for such cities as Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco
and Washington, D.C., where auto and light truck emissions have nose-dived
since 1970 despite a more than 100 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled.
The study notes that the continuing decline of the passenger vehicle's
role in urban smog is due primarily to the success of tightening federal
tailpipe emissions, cleaner gasolines and effective inspections. It projects
that improvements in passenger vehicle emissions will continue to 2005 --
despite expected growth in vehicle population and miles traveled.
"Motorists have spent billions of dollars buying new, cleaner cars, using
cleaner-burning gasoline and making repairs required by emissions inspection
programs," says Lehrer. "This study shows they have done their part to
reduce emissions."
AAA-Chicago Motor Club provides motoring, insurance, travel and financial
services to more than 670,000 members in Illinois and Northern Indiana. There
are 40 million AAA members in the U.S. and Canada.
Fact Sheet
AAA's
Clearing The Air Study - 1997
Major findings:
Emission inventories submitted by states to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) indicate the automobile's responsibility for the
ozone problems in cities studied averages less than 30% of the total
ozone-related emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen
oxides (Nox). Auto emissions have been declining since 1970 and will
continue to decline through 2005:
VOCs from Autos Nox from Autos
1970 1980 1996 2000 1970 1980 1996 2000
Atlanta 53% 46% 22% 19% 30% 29% 19% 19%
Baltimore 52 49 16 10 26 26 13 15
Charlotte 40 33 17 13 20 20 10 9
Chicago 46 40 25 16 30 29 17 14
Cleveland 49 44 24 21 34 25 24 22
Denver 51 44 23 17 27 28 20 18
Detroit 44 37 19 17 21 20 13 12
Jersey City 35 31 11 6 8 9 4 4
Kansas City, MO 37 33 17 15 16 17 11 12
Louisville 30 24 12 9 12 12 8 7
Milwaukee 48 42 18 13 24 25 18 16
Muskegon, MI 37 30 14 12 23 22 15 14
Newark 39 35 13 8 24 26 15 13
Philadelphia 43 38 16 12 25 26 20 19
Phoenix 48 34 18 14 32 26 17 15
Pittsburgh 40 35 18 15 12 12 10 9
Portland, OR 50 39 18 12 33 30 18 14
Providence 49 42 17 12 43 42 27 28
Sacramento 35 33 20 10 34 28 17 10
San Francisco 47 39 26 14 34 32 22 14
St. Louis 31 26 11 7 13 13 7 7
Toledo 39 33 18 16 15 15 8 7
Trenton 46 40 17 11 9 9 6 6
Wash., DC 56 50 25 20 25 26 23 21
These auto-related emission percentages have declined in the past two
decades despite a more than 100% increase in vehicle miles traveled since
1970. In most instances, emissions from other mobile sources such as trucks,
buses, planes, trains, other utility and off-road vehicles are increasing on a
proportional basis as emissions from cars decline.
SOURCE AAA-Chicago Motor Club
