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STATEMENT FROM JOHN P. DeVILLARS REGARDING CUMULATIVE EXPOSURE PROJECT (CEP) DATA

Release Date: 04/20/1999
Contact Information: Peyton Fleming, EPA Press Office (617-918-1008)

The CEP data underscores the point that air toxics in outdoor air are a real concern, especially in our urban areas in New England. We've done a lot of work the past few years to address these problems - among those actions, the move to reformulated gas in 1995 which has substantially reduced benzene levels and tighter air toxics standards for dozens of economic sectors such as pulp and paper mills, chemical plants and aerospace manufacturing as well as some categories for smaller sources such as dry cleaners. In New England, these actions have resulted in a 74 percent reduction in toxic air releases from large manufacturers compared to a decade ago. But, clearly, we need to do more.

Much of our attention today is on reducing emissions from cars, trucks and buses. In terms of trucks and buses, we're requiring tighter emission standards for new diesel engines and we're also pursuing voluntary actions such as the Big Dig project's recent agreement to install catalytic converters on 70 of their off-road vehicles. We'll also be requiring cleaner reformulated gas for cars beginning in the year 2000. We're also targeting resources on regions with the worst air pollution problems. In Essex County, for example, we're working aggressively to reduce emissions from trash-to-energy incinerators, both through enforcement actions and by working with area hospitals to eliminate mercury from their waste stream.