September 8, 2003
Volume 81, Number 36
Chemical and Engineering News, p. 14
CLIMATE CHANGE: EPA SAYS NO TO REGULATING CO2
Agency claims it needs congressional authority to act on greenhouse gas
by BETTE HILEMAN
EPA has denied a 1999 petition from environmental groups asking the agency to regulate carbon dioxide from motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act. The agency provides two primary reasons for its Aug. 28 decision: The Clean Air Act does not give EPA authority to regulate CO2 for climate-change purposes, and setting up emissions standards for motor vehicles is not appropriate at this time. "Congress must provide us with clear legal authority before we can take regulatory action to address a fundamental issue such as climate change," says Jeffrey Holmstead, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air & Radiation.
The decision has no impact on regulations affecting manufacturing plants. Chemical industry trade groups, including the American Chemistry Council, had no comment on the decision. Environmental groups are highly critical of EPA's decision. "Refusing to call greenhouse gas emissions a pollutant is like refusing to say smoking causes lung cancer," says Melissa Carey, climate policy specialist with Environmental Defense. "Climate change is happening. It's time to stop the denial and start focusing on solutions."
Mark Wenzler, environmental counsel for the National Environmental Trust, says the Administration has ample authority to regulate CO2 from motor vehicles. During the Clinton Administration, two EPA general counsels, Jonathan Z. Cannon and Gary S. Guzy, decided that CO2 is a pollutant under the Clean Air Act and thus subject to regulation. Joseph Mendelson, legal director for one of the petitioners, the International Center for Technology Assessment, says: "EPA's decision makes it clear that the Bush Administration refuses to take any concrete steps to fight global warming. We will challenge this determination in court."
Industries take pledge on greenhouse gases
C&E News, 10/4/99,
By Bette Hileman
At the annual meeting of the Earth Technologies Forum last week in Washington, D.C., several industries announced steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And a report was presented that claims use of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators is both cost-effective and more protective of the environment than other alternatives, such as hydrocarbons.
The forum is a conference on ozone protection and global climate-change issues. It is sponsored by industry organizations and government agencies.
Twelve U.S. magnesium companies have formed a partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce emissions of sulfur hexafluoride, said Scott. C. Bartos, EPA program manager for the partnership. In the production of magnesium and magnesium parts, SF6 is used to prevent rapid oxidation of the metal from exposure to air. The companies will determine and report their base line emission levels of SF6 to EPA in March 2000 and then decide on voluntary emission reduction targets, Bartos said.
Sulfur hexafluoride has a global warming potential about 24,000 times as high as that of carbon dioxide, Although it currently accounts for less than 1% of greenhouse gas emissions, Bartos said, without. reduction measures, SF6 emissions would rise substantially because automakers are increasingly choosing lightweight magnesium parts to improve fuel economy.
Steve Harper, environmental, health, and safety manager at Intel, announced that (the worldwide semiconductor industry will reduce its emissions of perfluorocarbons (PFCs) 10% from their 1995 level by 2010. The World Semiconductor Council reached this decision at its annual meeting in Rome in May. Some companies, such as Motorola, will cut their emissions much more than 10%, Harper said, whereas less technologically advanced companies may do nothing.
PFCs are used to etch and clean wafers that are made into chips. ‘The 10% reduction goal is more ambitious than it sounds because the production of semi conductors is expected to grow sixfold during the next decade, according to Harper. Reducing FEC emissions is important, he explained, because PFCs last virtually "forever" in the atmosphere.
Addressing ways to reduce the impact of automobiles on greenhouse gases, Stephen O. Andersen, director of strategic climate projects at EPA, said that, as hybrid vehicles capture a share of the market, HFC emissions from auto air conditioners will decline. Currently, auto air conditioners have flexible hoses that gradually leak HFC coolant to the atmosphere. The hybrid vehicles, which accommodate hermetically sealed air conditioners will leak little or no coolant he explained.
Bob Russell, chairman of the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy and global director of environmental and legislative affairs at Dow Chemical, discussed the results of an Arthur I). Little Inc. study done for the alliance, the trade association for makers of chlorofluorocarbons and HFCs. The study analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of using HFCs—which are green house gases—as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners and as foam-blowing agents compared with simple hydrocarbons. In phasing out CFCs as coolants, some European and Asian refrigerator manufacturers are switching to hydrocarbon coolants, whereas U.S. firms use HFC coolants exclusively (C&EN, Aug. 3, 1998, page 33).
The report concludes that using HFCs rather than alternatives would save the world economy $35 billion annually in the period 2020 to 2030, Russell said. HFCs will have a negligible impact on the environment, he predicted because they are projected to account for less than 2% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030.