The National Petrochemical & Refiners Association said Tuesday it will challenge the US Environmental Protection Agency's final diesel sulfur rule in federal court.
The rule, among other provisions, calls for a 97% reduction in the sulfur content of highway diesel fuel to 15 ppm from 500 ppm.
The association, which claims to represent 98% of US refiners, said it believes the EPA under outgoing Administrator Carol Browner exceeded its authority in issuing the rule.
NPRA said the rule will create diesel shortages. It pointed to a Charles River Associates study that said the rule would lead to a 12% shortfall nationwide starting in 2006 (OGJ Online, Dec. 21, 2000).
It also said the impact would be felt across the national economy, since diesel trucks transport the vast majority of American products.
NPRA cited last week's announcement of the closing of Premcor Inc.'s Blue Island refinery in Illinois.
"We fear that this announcement is just the beginning of refinery closures and reductions of petroleum product supplies, including heating oil, gasoline, and jet fuel," said NPRA Pres. Urvan Sternfels.
The NPRA spokesman said the group "welcomes the decision of the Bush administration to review the diesel rule, and we hope that necessary revisions in the rule can be achieved. But we must pursue every possible remedy, including legal actions."
NPRA noted the association was not opposed to reducing environmental impact from diesel fuels; it said that a year ago it had advocated a "more reasonable and balanced" approach that would have cut sulfur content by 90%.
The American Petroleum Institute also has cited concerns that the rule could create diesel shortages (OGJ Online, Dec. 21, 2000).
For its part, the EPA claimed the action would result in "the greatest reduction in harmful emissions of particulate matter, or soot, ever achieved from cars and trucks" and would "reduce 2.6 million tons/year of smog-causing nitrogen oxide emissions once the program is fully implemented. Emissions of soot, or particulate matter, will be reduced by nearly 110,000 tons/year."