Number
111734
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. BOHL
Title
Resolution urging the U.S. Congress to amend the Clean Air Act to eliminate the requirement for use of reformulated gasoline in 6 counties in southeastern Wisconsin.
Analysis
This resolution urges the U.S. Congress to amend the Clean Air Act to eliminate the requirement for use of reformulated gasoline in 6 counties in southeastern Wisconsin. It also directs the City Clerk to send copies of this resolution to all Wisconsin representatives in the United States Congress.
Body
Whereas, Since 1995, a federal Clean Air Act mandate has required the use of reformulated gasoline in 6 southeastern Wisconsin counties - Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington and Waukesha; and
Whereas, As reported in the March 31, 2012, edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, since the introduction of reformulated gasoline, the environmental advantages of this fuel relative to conventional gas have diminished for a variety of reasons, including:
1. The quality of conventional gasoline has been greatly improved, meaning that fewer pollutants are produced. For example, federal regulations enacted in 2004 reduced the sulfur content in all gasoline, thereby virtually eliminating the difference between the two types of gasoline in terms of the amount of smog-forming nitrogen oxides produced.
2. Improved emission-control equipment on motor vehicles has reduced the amount of emissions, even when the fuel burned is conventional gasoline. Vehicles built in 2004 or later were 77% to 93% cleaner than those built in 2003 or earlier.
; and
Whereas, According to the same Journal Sentinel article, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has not released any findings of its ongoing study of the effectiveness of the reformulated gas requirement; and
Whereas, One of the primary reasons for establishing the reformulated gas requirement was to address the problem of volatile organic compound emissions that...
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