[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 78 (Thursday, May 27, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S6325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS:
  S. 1175. A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to require 
that fuel economy labels for new automobiles include air pollution 
information that consumers can use to help communities meet Federal air 
quality standards; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation.


         Automobile Emissions Consumer Information Act of 1999

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill that 
will give consumers important information many will want to factor into 
their decisions when they shop for a new vehicle. My legislation will 
ensure that consumers have the information they need to compare the 
pollution emissions of new vehicles. The Automobile Emissions Consumer 
Information Act of 1999 simply takes data already collected by the 
Environmental Protection Agency and requires that this information be 
presented to consumers in an understandable format as they purchase 
cars. This proposal, if enacted into law, will benefit both the 
consumer and the environment.
  This measure is modeled after existing requirements for gas mileage 
information. It ensures that emissions information will be on the 
window stickers of new cars just as fuel efficiency information is 
currently displayed. Additionally, emissions information for all new 
vehicles will be published by the EPA in an easy-to-understand booklet 
for consumers.
  This information is already collected by the EPA, but is disseminated 
in an extremely burdensome way. First, consumers must pro-actively 
request emissions information. Then, after securing the relevant EPA 
documents, the consumer is presented with an overload of complicated 
data in spreadsheet form. Furthermore, the EPA organizes emissions data 
by engine type and not by the more commonly compared model and make 
categories.
  Let me refer to a page from the EPA's 1999 Annual Certification Test 
Results of emission standards. As my colleagues can see, it is an 
extraordinarily difficult document to read and interpret. The 
complicated nature of this document becomes increasingly apparent when 
this table is compared with the simplified information currently 
provided to consumers about fuel mileage. The federal government should 
be aiding consumers who want to consider emissions in choosing which 
vehicle to purchase. This bill will do just that.
  Mr. President, this is not a new idea. The Clean Air Act Amendments 
of 1970 mandated that the EPA make available to the public the data 
collected from manufacturers on emissions. The 1970 Amendments further 
required, ``Such results shall be described in such nontechnical manner 
as  will responsibly disclose to prospective ultimate purchasers of new 
motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines the comparative 
performance of the vehicles and engines tested.'' Mr. President, 
clearly, the EPA is not abiding by the letter and spirit of the 1970 
law.

  It is important to note that the Automobile Emissions Consumer 
Information Act of 1999 does not require either motor vehicle 
manufacturers or the EPA to conduct new tests. Manufacturers must 
already test emissions of all new vehicles and submit the test results 
to the EPA. Unfortunately, the gathering of this information does not 
translate into useful information for consumers.
  While all vehicles must meet the Federal standards, some vehicles 
exceed the standards. Consumers who are concerned about vehicle 
emissions deserve to be able to exercise their right to buy from 
manufacturers who take extra steps in reducing emissions, if they so 
chose.
  Representative Brian Bilbray of California is introducing this bill 
in the House of Representatives today. I greatly appreciate his 
leadership on this issue and his bringing this common-sense proposal to 
my attention. He is clearly committed to protecting both consumers and 
the environment.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to join me in enacting the 
Automobile Emissions Consumer Information Act, and I ask unanimous 
consent that one page from the EPA's 1999 Annual Certification Test 
Results of emissions standards be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                  CERTIFICATION AND FUEL ECONOMY INFORMATION SYSTEM (CFEIS), 1999 ANNUAL CERTIFICATION TEST RESULTS, ALL SALES AREA--LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS
                     [Manufacturer: 20; DaimlerChrysler; Engine Family/Test Group: XCRXA0318H11; Engine System: 1; Evaporative/Refueling Family: RXE0174G4H; Evap System: 1]
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                                            Emission    Eng.                            Axle     Tst                                                          Cert
     Division          Car line tested       control    disp    Trn      ETW      HP     Rat     Prc    Fl  Ty     SA  Cd      UL           Emission          level      Std     Tier      DF
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Dodge............  Ram 1500, Pickup 4WD..    20/99///   5.2       L4    5500    14.8    3.55      34       6    CA             12    HC-TEV-3D                  .7       2.5        T1    .05+
    Do...........  Ram 1500, Pickup 2WD..    20/99///   5.2       L4    5500    13.9    3.55      35      23    CA             50    CO                        2.0       4.4        T1   1.156*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA             50    HC-NM                      .15      0.32       T1   1.055*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA             50    NOX                        .4       0.7        T1   1.28*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA            120    CO                        2.4       6.4        T1   1.393*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA            120    HC-NM                      .16      0.46       T1   1.139*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA            120    NOX                        .6       0.98       T1   1.706*
    Do...........  Ram 1500, Pickup 4WD..    20/99///   5.2       L4    5500    16.2    3.55      35      23    CA             50    CO                        1.9       4.4        T1   1.156*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA             50    HC-NM                      .17      0.32       T1   1.055*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA             50    NOX                        .2       0.7        T1   1.28*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA            120    CO                        2.3       6.4        T1   1.393*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA            120    HC-NM                      .18      0.46       T1   1.139*
                                           ..........  ......  .....  ........  .....  ......     35      23    CA            120    NOX                        .3       0.98       T1   1.706*
    Do...........  ...... do.............    20/99///   5.2       L4    5500    .....   3.55      11      24    CA             50    CO-COLD                   5.6      12.5       N/A   1.156*
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