Mercury switches used in automobiles to light hoods and trunks are environmentally unhealthy, according to a letter written by attorney generals in 23 states. The group has pleaded with Ford Motor Co. to replace mercury switches in vehicles that come in to have Bridgestone/Firestone tires replaced. Mercury seeps into the atmosphere after a vehicle has been scrapped. Mercury can cause brain, lung and kidney disease in humans.
The Bush administration decided against granting California a waiver from the
2 percent oxygenate requirement in reformulated gasoline. Members of the California delegation want to pass legislation to exempt California from the oxygenate requirement. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-N.D., and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., want the oxygenate requirement to be filled by ethanol, an additive produced by corn. House leaders Dick Armey and Tom Delay, both R-Texas, want to continue the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), which is produced by oil refineries.
General Motors Corp. will start mass-producing fuel cell powered vehicles by 2010 (see related article on page 20). GM has acquired a 15 percent stake in General Hydrogen, a fuel cell technology company. The group will focus on hydrogen storage, fuel cell vehicle refueling and energy services. GM's goal is to have a prototype of the vehicle in a few years, but the main obstacle
is cost. Investment by government will be key to developing such technology. Vehicles powered by fuel cells will emit only water and heat as waste.
President George W. Bush supports a bill that would make the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a cabinet-level department. Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., would elevate agency head Christine Whitman to a cabinet secretary.
Donald Manzullo, R-Ill., U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee chairman, introduced the Small Employer Tax Relief Act of 2001. The legislation will give relief to small business employers in the form of tax deductions of health costs for the self-employed, increased expense write-offs for small businesses, and increased deductions for business meal expenses and training for highly skilled workers.
A group of 178 nations, not including the United States, has agreed on a global warming treaty. The agreement hinged on nations agreeing to drop legally binding sanctions for violators of the treaty. Delegates of the treaty agreed upon four crucial provisions: financing, emissions credits, offsetting pollution reduction targets and sanctions.
The nations hope to ratify the treaty by 2002.
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AutoInc. Magazine ® Vol.XLIX, September 2001
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Copyright © 2001 Automotive Service Association (ASA). All rights reserved.