AAA Study Shows Substantial Reduction in Air Pollution From Autos in Detroit Area
13 August 1997
AAA Study Shows Substantial Reduction in Air Pollution From Autos in Detroit Area
DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 13 -- During the past 26 years,
emissions of air pollutants in the Metro Detroit area from automobiles and
light trucks have been sharply reduced. According to a study released today
in Washington, and supported by AAA Michigan, more than 75 percent of the most
harmful pollutants now come from stationary sources such as factories,
electric power plants and dry cleaners, as well as heavy trucks, boats and
lawn mowers.
The study, which reviewed data on emissions of volatile organic compounds
(VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) for 24 metropolitan areas in the United
States, concluded that autos and light trucks now account for only 24 percent
of VOC emissions and 16 percent of NOx emissions in the seven-county Metro
Detroit area. In 1970, the numbers were 51 percent and 24 percent
respectively. These reductions were achieved despite a 57 percent increase in
the number of miles traveled in the area by cars and light trucks, the study
estimates.
Stationary sources of pollution now account for 64 percent of NOx and 55
percent of VOC in the Detroit area's air, according to AAA's study. Muskegon
County showed similar results.
"This study provides further evidence that restrictions on motorists
likely to result from tougher air-quality standards the federal Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking to impose are unwise and unnecessary," said
Larry Givens, AAA Michigan's vice president for corporate relations. "The
study shows that cars and light trucks are not the major source of air
pollution in the Detroit and Muskegon regions.
"AAA Michigan strongly supports the goals of the Clean Air Act. We
applaud the successful effort auto manufacturers have made to reduce pollution
from vehicles. We believe motorists are doing more than their share to
achieve clean-air goals by paying as much as $2,000 per car for pollution-
control equipment. And we contend there is no justification for EPA to
enforce new standards that will cost motorists even more money and require
onerous restrictions of their freedom to drive," Givens said.
Projecting ahead to 2005, the study concludes VOC emissions from cars and
trucks will be reduced by another four percentage points and NOx emissions by
another one percentage point as older vehicles are retired and replaced by
newer vehicles with improved pollution-control systems.
AAA Michigan is on record as being opposed to new air-quality standards
for ozone and particulate matter that EPA has announced. The Auto Club
contends EPA's proposals could result in new regulations affecting the Metro
Detroit area and other regions of Michigan that would require annual tailpipe
emissions testing, mandatory car pooling for employees of large companies,
substantially increased parking fees and other severely restrictive measures.
An editorial that will appear in the September issue of the club's
magazine, Michigan Living, urges AAA Michigan's 1.7 million members to contact
their representatives in Congress in support of HR 1984, a bill in the House
of Representatives that would postpone EPA's new standards for four years
while the scientific basis for those standards is reviewed.
Michigan Congressmen John Dingell of Dearborn and Fred Upton of St. Joseph
are among the leaders of the effort to pass HR 1984. They and other
supporters of the bill contend the proposed standards are based on flawed
scientific studies. The new standards, they say, will not produce the public-
health benefits EPA claims, but will have a severe impact on the American
public in enormous costs and forced lifestyle changes that would be required
to meet the standards.
SOURCE AAA Michigan
