Future of diesel rule in question

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 2/1/2001

The draft version of a regulation that aims to reduce the sulfur content of highway diesel fuel has been approved by the Clinton White House, but there is some question about whether the Bush administration will also back the measure.

The new regulation would require diesel fuel to be 97-percent sulfur-free by 2006. It also proposes stricter emission standards for heavy-duty trucks, requiring them to be fitted with exhaust controls that are similar to the ones required on passenger cars. The American Petroleum Institute estimates that the new sulfur requirements will boost the price of diesel by 15 cents a gallon and cause "a significant risk" of fuel shortages by 2007.

The measure has won favor with environmentalists and health groups such as the American Lung Association. Industry observers, however, say the regulation is too strict and criticize the provision calling for trucks to be equipped with technology that is still unproven. Republican Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma has said he will introduce legislation that will roll back the diesel rule.