EPA issues rule on pollution from Off Road Vehicles

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a proposed rule to reduce air pollution from snowmobiles, dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). This proposal sets weak standards - especially for snowmobiles - and will not substantially reduce air and noise pollution from off-road vehicles unless strengthened significantly. To make matters worse, during recent public hearings in Washington and Denver, the off-road industry presented a united front opposing the proposal as too stringent, and made it clear it would submit "many, many comments" to keep the rule as weak and ineffective at curtailing pollution caused by their vehicles. Contact the EPA today - to urge the agency to create a strong rule that results in a meaningful cut in harmful air and noise pollution from these machines.

Dirty Machines - Dirt bikes, ATVs and snowmobiles are a major source of air and noise pollution nationwide. Most of these machines are powered by antiquated two-stroke engines that burn a combination of gas and oil. According to the EPA, the average two-stroke dumps 25 to 30 percent of its fuel unburned into the air and water. The California Air Resources Board concluded that operating a two-stroke motor for about 7 hours generates as much smog-forming pollution as driving a modern car more than 100,000 miles. The EPA estimates that dirt bikes, snowmobiles and ATVs alone produce 10 percent of all hydrocarbon pollution from vehicles nationwide. Air pollution from these machines also threatens public health and has been directly linked to respiratory disease, cancer and premature death.

Polluting Public Lands - Off-road vehicles are a major source of pollution on public lands. In Yellowstone National Park, although cars outnumber snowmobiles 16 to 1, snowmobiles produce as much as 68% of the Park's annual carbon monoxide pollution and up to 90% of all hydrocarbon emissions. The average dirt bike traveling across BLM lands in the west generates 8 times as much air pollution as the average car. Pollution controls are also needed because these machines are impairing visibility in national parks, wilderness areas and other public lands across the country.

Weak Proposal - The EPA has taken a step in the right direction by proposing to reduce pollution from these machines - a step that's long overdue. However, the proposal issued on September 14 falls far short because:

1. It fails to encourage a rapid transition from dirty two-stroke to cleaner, more fuel-efficient four-stroke engines, especially in snowmobiles.
2. It fails to address noise pollution from machines that are as loud as a busy street and whose noise has a scientifically proven detrimental effect on wildlife.
3. It does not include a labeling system that would give consumers user-friendly information about emissions to help them make more informed choices between machines.

These standards can be much stronger. Four-stroke technology is widely available today in off-road vehicles. In fact, two of the four major snowmobile manufacturers are already making and promoting four-stroke machines. Nevertheless, the snowmobile industry pressured the EPA to issue a weak proposal and has made it clear it will fight even the very modest pollution controls under consideration.

TAKE ACTION -- Contact the EPA before December 19, 2001 and urge the agency to:

1. Substantially strengthen the proposed standards for snowmobiles in order to quickly and completely phase-out dirty two-stroke snowmobiles;
2. Harmonize proposed standards for dirt bikes with ATVs by requiring catalytic converters on both machines;
3. Use its legal authority to reduce noise pollution from all machines;
4. Establish a mandatory, multi-tiered labeling system that gives consumers easily understandable information about vehicle emissions; and
5. Require particle filters on all diesel boats to protect public health.

Contact Information:

In all comments, reference "Docket A-2000-01."

Send electronic comments

Send written comments to: The Honorable Christine Todd Whitman, c/o Margaret Borushko, U.S. EPA, National Vehicle and Fuels Emission Laboratory, 2000 Traverwood, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.