New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner
Bob Shinn today praised BP Amoco, one of the world's largest gasoline
refiners, for its commitment to produce and market low sulfur gasoline.
"John Browne, CEO of BP Amoco, has demonstrated great leadership and
social responsibility with this initiative to market low sulfur gasoline
in 40 cities worldwide. The health of hundreds of millions of people,
including most of the eight million residents of New Jersey, is impacted
by high ozone levels that would be significantly reduced if the sulfur
content of gasoline is lower.
John Browne has my deep respect for accepting the fact cars won't get
cleaner without cleaner fuel. It is my hope that his leadership will
set a standard for the petroleum industry to follow. It is imperative
that the petroleum industry works in partnership with government and
automobile manufacturers to solve our serious air pollution problems.
The arguments of the rest of the petroleum industry that refining low
sulfur fuel will raise prices at the pump ring hollow now that BP Amoco
has voluntarily accepted the challenge of selling cleaner fuels in the
extraordinarily competitive gasoline market that exits today.
There is no disputing that because of high sulfur content in gasoline,
catalytic converters in the millions of cars on New Jersey roads are
less effective at cleaning tailpipe emissions than they were designed
to be. High sulfur gasoline is also the greatest barrier to the introduction
of even more effective automobile pollution control technology.
BP Amoco, by making the investment today in the low sulfur fuel we
need to meet our clean air goals, is positioning itself to prosper as
automobile technology changes. I hope the rest of the refining industry
recognizes the wisdom of what John Browne has committed to do and follows
his lead."