Clearing the Air

The EPA wants more lead out

When the Environmental Protection Agency two years ago took steps to cut the amount of lead used in gasoline, it failed to reckon with the orneriness of American motorists. Car owners have been illegally filling an estimated 13% of the no-lead vehicles on the road with leaded gas, which costs an average of 7-c- per gal. less than the unleaded variety. Last week the EPA fought back. It proposed rules that would slash the amount of lead in leaded gasoline by 91%, starting in 1986.

The agency based its proposal on growing concern about the danger of lead, which can be fatal in large doses and can damage the liver and kidneys and cause mental retardation in smaller ones. Said EPA Administrator William Ruckelshaus: "The evidence is overwhelming that lead is a threat to human health. This action will greatly reduce the threat, especially for pregnant women and young children." He added, moreover, that "recent evidence shows that adverse health effects from lead exposure may occur at much lower levels than heretofore considered safe." Ruckelshaus estimated that the ruling would lower by nearly 50% the number of children with levels of lead in their blood that exceed U.S. health standards. He said the affected youngsters would be reduced from 97,000 at present to 47,000 by 1988.

While many environmentalists and health advocates had urged an outright ban on the toxic element, Ruckelshaus said that some lead was needed to protect the engines in older cars. Lead helps lubricate valves and reduce engine knock.

The EPA predicted that the benefits of getting the lead out will be far greater than the cost. The agency said the move would create overall savings of $1.8 billion in the form of lower medical bills and increased fuel economy. By contrast, staff members estimated that refiners will need to spend only about $575 million to retool their facilities, or less than 1% of the current total cost of making gasoline. That could push the price of leaded fuel, which still accounts for some 45% of gasoline sales, close to the level of the unleaded variety.

Among the companies likely to be hurt most by the EPA action are those like Virginia-based Ethyl Corp. that produce lead additive for refiners. The firm, which supplies about 40% of the lead in U.S. gasoline, has vowed to fight the proposal.

Ruckelshaus suggested last week that even tougher rules may follow if motorists continue to pollute illegally by using leaded fuel in engines designed for lead-free gasoline. One possible remedy being considered: a total ban on leaded gas if the violations persist.