isma files brief opposing new epa emissions standards
Amsnow
The International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA) filed its opening brief in the United States Court of Appeals to counteract environmental groups that want to reduce snowmobile exhaust emissions.
"Despite the efforts by ISMA to ensure that the standards are based on sound and unbiased scientific data, environmental extremists seem more intent on perpetuating their movements than in moving America toward meaningful air quality improvement," said ISMA President Ed Klim.
"These activists have waged an unwarranted campaign against snowmobiles based on nothing but junk science and misinformation," he said. "Now they have filed a frivolous lawsuit, trying to use the court system to overturn the ambitious emission reduction schedule that the industry is hard at work trying to meet."
The ISMA legal action comes in response to the San Francisco-based Bluewater Network and Environmental Defense that together filed the initial suit on Jan. 7, 2003, which challenged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule, claiming the new requirements are not strict enough.
The new EPA regulations announced in October call for a rigorous three-phase reduction in snowmobile emissions. By 2006 emission levels must be reduced to 70 percent of the present levels. By 2010 emissions must be half of present levels and by 2012 emissions must be 30 percent of present levels.
By filing its counter suit, the ISMA will take part in the court proceedings and be in a position to protect snowmobilers' interests and ensure that manufacturers' efforts at achieving emission reductions are not disrupted.
Snowmobile manufacturers made a genuine effort to inform EPA of the unique challenges related to redesigning snowmobiles and the limited impact of snowmobiles on air quality, Klim said.
"We've worked too hard to let some fringe group undo all the good that's been accomplished over the past few years," he said. "We need to be a part of these proceedings to ensure an emission reduction plan will continue to be based on scientific facts, not on unsubstantial guesses about future snowmobile designs.
"It has always been the position of the snowmobile manufacturers that any emission reduction plans should be based on the scientific research analyses that have been conducted by respected independent research organizations," Klim said. "These groups have conducted exhaustive studies analyzing current emission levels, snowmobile use factors and cost benefit analysis."
The EPA emission standards under question must be met by the manufacturers based on the average emission levels of their respective product lines. In order to achieve the environmental benefits as quickly as possible, the new regulations provide incentives in the form of credits for producing snowmobiles that achieve the new standards.
All manufacturers are working diligently to develop new models that meet the EPA regulations. Current model year four-stroke snowmobiles and other cleaner technology machines already meet the new emission level requirements, Klim said.