EPA Proposes Tier 3 Motor Vehicle
Emission and Fuel Standards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a
proposed rule designed to reduce air pollution from passenger cars
and trucks. Starting in 2017, Tier 3 would set new vehicle emissions
standards and lower the sulfur content of gasoline, considering the
vehicle and its fuel as an integrated system.
The proposed vehicle standards would reduce both tailpipe and evaporative
emissions from passenger cars, light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger
vehicles, and some heavy-duty vehicles.
The proposed gasoline sulfur standard would make emission control systems
more effective for both existing and new vehicles, and would enable more
stringent vehicle emissions standards. Removing sulfur allows the vehicle's
catalyst to work more efficiently. Lower sulfur gasoline also facilitates the
development of some lower-cost technologies to improve fuel economy and
reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which reduces gasoline consump-
tion and saves consumers money.
The proposed tailpipe standards include different phase-in schedules that vary
by vehicle class but generally phase in between model years 2017 and 2025,
In addition to the gradual phase-in schedules, other proposed flexibilities
include credits for early compliance and the ability to offset some higher-
emitting vehicles with extra-clean models.
The proposed fuel sulfur standards include an averaging, banking, and trading
(ABT) program that would allow refiners and importers to spread out their
investments through an early credit program and rely on ongoing nationwide
averaging to meet the sulfur standard. EPA is also proposing flexibilities such
as hardship provisions for extenuating circumstances, as well as flexibility pro-
visions for small businesses (small manufacturers of Tier 3 vehicles and small
refiners), small volume manufacturers, and small volume refineries.
SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
EPA-420-F-13-016a
March 2013
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The Tier 3 program continues the successful transition that began with EPA's Tier 2
program, finalized in 2000, in which EPA treated vehicles and fuels as a system to reduce
both gasoline sulfur and vehicle emissions. While there were claims at the time that the
program would cause fuel prices to increase far in excess of EPA's estimates and would
result in closures and fuel supply shortages, the Tier 2 program was a success and resulted
in gasoline sulfur reductions of up to 90 percent and enabled the use of new emission
control technologies in cars and trucks with no serious negative impacts on the refining
industry. EPA's Clean Diesel Program similarly utilized a systems approach to reduc-
ing sulfur emissions from diesel fuels and enabling cleaner diesel technologies with the
Highway Diesel Rule (finalized in 2001) and the Nonroad Diesel Rule (finalized in 2004)
again with no serious negative impacts. Now that the U.S. refining industry routinely
produces lower sulfur fuel products, new market opportunities for international fuel ex-
ports have opened up.
EPA is proposing the Tier 3 standards to address public health issues that exist currently and are
projected to continue in the future as requested in a May 21, 2010 Presidential memorandum,
r" Over 158 million Americans are currently experiencing unhealthy levels of air pollution
which are linked with adverse health impacts such as hospital admissions, emergency
room visits, and premature mortality. Motor vehicles re a particularly important source of
exposure to air pollution, especially in urban areas,
^ The proposed vehicle emission standards combined with the proposed reduction of
gasoline sulfur content would significantly reduce motor vehicle emissions, including
nitrogen oxides (NOX), volatile organic compounds (VOC), direct particulate matter
(PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO) and air toxics,
^ Compared to current standards, the proposed non-methane organic gases (NMOG) and
nitrogen oxides (NOX), presented as NMOG+NOX, tailpipe standards for light-duty
vehicles represent approximately an 80% reduction from today's fleet average and a
70% reduction in per-vehicle particulate matter (PM) standards. Proposed heavy-duty
tailpipe standards represent about a 60% reduction in both fleet average NMOG+NOX
and per-vehicle PM standards. EPA is also proposing to extend the regulatory useful life
period during which the standards apply from 120,000 miles to 150,000 miles,
r" EPA is also proposing that federal gasoline contain no more than 10 parts per million
(ppm) of sulfur on an annual average basis by January 1, 2017. In addition, EPA is
proposing to either maintain the current 80-ppm refinery gate and 95-ppm downstream
caps or lower them to 50 and 65 ppm, respectively. The proposed Tier 3 gasoline sulfur
standards are similar to levels already being achieved in California, Europe, Japan, South
Korea, and several other countries,
r" Emission reductions from the Tier 3 program would lead to immediate air quality
improvements that are critically important for states to attain and maintain the existing
health-based National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). In the absence of
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additional controls such as the Tier 3 standards, many areas would continue to have air
pollution levels that exceed the NAAQS in the future.
Tier 3 would also reduce exposure to vehicle pollution for the millions of people living,
working, and going to school near major roads.
Tier 3 is among the most highly cost-effective air quality control measures available,
^ The program would cost about a penny per gallon of gasoline, and about $130 per
vehicle. The annual cost of the overall program in 2030 would be approximately $3.4
billion; however, EPA estimates that in 2030, the annual monetized health benefits of
the proposed Tier 3 standards would be between $8 and $23 billion,
^ By 2030, the Tier 3 standards would annually prevent:
• Between 820 and 2,400 premature deaths
• 3,200 hospital admissions and asthma-related emergency room visits
• 22,000 asthma exacerbations
• 23,000 upper and lower respiratory symptoms in children
• 1.8 million lost school days, work days and minor-restricted activities
The proposed Tier 3 program is part of a comprehensive approach to reducing the impacts of
motor vehicles on air quality and public health,
^ The Tier 3 proposal is harmonized with the California Air Resources Board (GARB)
Low Emission Vehicle (LEV III) program so automakers could sell the same vehicles in
all 50 states.
r" The Tier 3 proposal is aligned with and designed to be implemented over the same
timeframe as EPA's program for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from light-
duty vehicles starting in model year 2017.
^ Together, the Tier 3, light-duty GHG, and LEV III standards would maximize reductions
in GHGs, criteria pollutants and air toxics from motor vehicles while streamlining
programs and providing regulatory certainty and compliance efficiency.
EPA has had extensive outreach and input from stakeholders during the development of the
proposed Tier 3 standards. These stakeholders included auto manufacturers, oil refiners, manu-
facturers of vehicle emission control systems, fuel distributers, state/local governments and
organizations, and environmental and public health groups.
EPA welcomes your comments on this proposed rule. Further information on the public com-
ment period may be found on EPA's website (see For More Information below). All comments
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should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0135 and submitted by one of the
following methods.
You should consult the Federal Register notice for this proposal for more information about how
to submit comments, when the comment period will close, and about where and when public
hearings will be held. A copy of the Federal Register notice can be found on our website listed
below:
Internet: www.regulations.gov
E-mail: A-and'R'Docket@epa.gov
Mail:
Environmental Protection Agency
Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460
Hand Delivery:
EPA West building
EPA Docket Center (Room 3340)
1301 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC
For More Information
You can access the rule and related documents on EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality
(OTAQ) Web site at:
www.epa.gov/otaq/tier3 .htm
For more information on this rule, please contact the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Office of Transportation and Air Quality at:
E-mail: otaq@epa.gov
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