nia to drop the electric vehicle mandate and enter into an agreement, calculating that other states would have to drop their electric vehicle mandates. Massachusetts and New York contend that the NLEV would be far less effective than the California program in solving their air quality problems, even though the national program would guarantee cleaner cars nationwide. "Given that states in the Northeast may not be able to attain the ozone standard, even with all practical control measures (including the California low-emission vehicle program), NLEV makes no sense to Massachusetts " said the state in its response to the automakers' suit Pardee said the NLEV would also take pressure off automakers to come UD with cleaner cars Robert Brenner, director of EPA's Air Policy Office, said the voluntary NLEV is EPA's best shot
at getting emission reductions in the near future, because the Clean Air Act precludes the agency from mandating further tailpipe emission reductions until 2004. He added that many states support the plan because it
New York and Massachusetts contend that the National Low Emission Vehicle program is far less effective than California's program. would result in significant national emission reductions. EPA estimates that the NLEV program will reduce nonmethane organic gas releases by 279 tons daily and nitrous oxides by 400
tons daily by 2005. The agency says the program will also reduce toxic air pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and 1,3-butadiene. Automakers say they will continue to develop and market electric cars, regardless of how the NLEV program plays out. "GM's approach is to spread [the electric vehicle approach] to all of our other models," said General Motors spokesperson Richard Thompson. GM is marketing its EV1 electric car as a lease vehicle in Los Angeles, San Diego, Tucson and Phoenix. "We're marketing it as a commuter vehicle, as a second or third car" said Thompson who explained that the car's limit of 90 miles between charges and its high cost—which includes batterv replacement few years makes it a hard sell Thus far GM has leased 200 of the cars in the four cities.—VINCENT LECLAIR
U.S. toxic wastes increase, prompting push for chemical use reporting EPA Administrator Carol Browner said the agency will move ahead with its controversial proposal to add chemical use data to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) in response to increased toxic waste generation by U.S. industries. When die 1995 TRI annual report was released on May 20, Browner said mat the agency wants to "articulate an action plan on chemical use expansion" by the end of the year. She said the move is designed to give EPA and the public the "entire picture" on toxic chemicals EPA Assistant Administrator Lynn Goldman said the increased generation of toxic wastes underscores a need for more pollution prevention in manufacturing. In 1995, the volume of all toxic waste containing TRI chemicals, including new chemicals added to the TRI list in 1995, was more man 35 billion lb, up 7% since 1991. The agency issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on the chemical use expansion last October. The proposal, which has elicited strong industry opposition, would require companies to track chemicals entering and leaving a facility, along with chemicals that become a product or a waste
byproduct {ES&T, November r996, p. 474A). A bill to require chemical use data reporting in the TRI (S.769) was introduced in the Senate May 20 by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ.), who said the legislative effort is designed to stifle legal challenges to EPA's planned use expansion. The Lautenberg bill would require companies to consider options such as recycling and treatment to reduce their use of toxics. Reps. Henry Waxman (DCalif.) and Jim Saxton (R-NJ.) introduced companion legislation (HR1636) in the House May 15. The TRI annual report also showed that 1995 pollution leases decreased by 4 9% from
1.75 billion lb in 1994 to 1.66 billion lb. Reported air emissions were down by 88.8 million lb, or 7%; reported discharges to surface water fell 4.1 million lb, or 10%. Releases to land were down by 17 million lb, or 6%. However, underground injection releases increased by 24.5 million lb, or 19.5%. Browner said the injection well increase was "a concern," noting that potential air, land, or water emissions may have gone underground instead. Methanol, ammonia, toluene, and nitrate compounds were the most widely released chemicals in 1995. —VINCENT LECLAIR
U.S. production-related waste increases Change. 1991-1995 Waste type
Pounds (millions)
Percent
Recycled on-site Recycled off-site Energy recovery on-site Energy recovery off-site Treated on-site Treated off-site Quantity released, disposed of
959 462 -190 34 654 -36 -625
15.4 26.4 -6.4 7.7 15.0 -8.2 -25.4
Total production-related waste
1258
6.8
Source: EPA 1995 Toxics Release Inventory (public release data)
VOL. 31, NO. 7, 1997/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE S TECHNOLOGY / NEWS " 3 1 1 A
