29 Jun 2005
Washington DC--The US Senate has passed a wide-ranging energy bill that includes an amendment by Sen. Charles Schumer, (Democrat, New York), calling for a national fuel efficiency rule for tyres.
The amendment, which the tyre industry opposes, would require that the rolling resistance on replacement tyres be less than or equal to that of original equipment tyres. California, which passed an identical bill in 2003, is now studying whether the law will compromise tyre safety, performance and recycling too much to enforce, and the Massachusetts legislature is also considering a nearly identical measure.
The House version of the bill, which passed in April, does not contain a tyre fuel efficiency provision. This will be one of many issues the House-Senate conference on the energy package will have to consider; the highest-profile one will be the House provision, not in the Senate bill, to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
Press release from Sen. Schumer
Subscribe for unlimited access. A subscription to European Rubber Journal includes:
Already a subscriber? Log in here
