EPA Finalizes Rule Tightening Vehicle Emissions And Fuel Standards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule on March 3, 2014, that establishes stricter standards for motor vehicle exhaust emissions and the sulfur content of gasoline. The new "Tier 3" standards represent a holistic approach to reducing motor vehicle emissions: they require auto manufacturers to cut tailpipe emissions of volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, while simultaneously requiring refineries to reduce the sulfur levels in gasoline by more than 60 percent. EPA asserts that, by addressing vehicles and fuel as a single system, the Tier 3 standards achieve emissions reductions "beyond what would be possible looking at vehicle and fuel standards in isolation."