On-Road Vehicle Emissions: Regulations, Costs, and Benefits

Abstract

In 1990 Congress passed the Clean Air Act Ammendments, many parts of which deal with motor vehicles. Motor vehicles are the primary source of urban carbon monoxide and are an important source of hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen responsible for the formation of photochemical smog and ground-level ozone. Cost estimates for implementing the Acts`s mobil source provisions range up to $12 billion annually. Because of the huge economic cost affecting a ubiquitous transportation method, the authors analyse the scientific basis for the legistation programs. Their work is described here. They conclude that regulatory policies based on a computer model that targets all vehicles equally, with out recognizing the overriding importance of individual maintenance, may not be cost-effective or may be ineffective. 23 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.