PROVO — Cars are becoming cleaner-burning, and the state Division of Air Quality says that could mean Utah County gasoline retailers may soon be able to reduce the amount of oxygen-boosting compounds added to the fuel.
For nine winters, Utah County has been only county in the state required to use oxygenated fuel.
"The emissions are going down and the effectiveness of oxygenated fuel is diminished," Joe Thomas, manager of the state division's mobile sources section, told the county Clean Air Commission Tuesday.
Commission Chairman Jerry D. Grover said that was welcome news; he would rather see the state cut back the length of the oxygenated fuel season rather than just cut back the fuel's oxygen content.
Because the county's carbon monoxide levels exceeded federal standards, oxygenated fuel has been used to reduce the emissions. Proponents say the fuel — gasoline mixed with grain alcohol or other oxygen-boosting substances — burns more thoroughly.
Opponents of the program say the fuel is ineffective and contributes to particulate pollution.
Thomas said the new study was done with computer models that take into account improvements in emission-control technology and on-board diagnostic systems.
The model showed that emissions were going down in cars whether they were using oxygenated fuel or not. The cars that did use oxygenated fuel showed slightly better emissions than those not using it, but by 2003, the difference will be small.
Thomas said his numbers don't support totally eliminating the fuel just yet, since it still significantly cuts emissions during cold starts, before the catalytic converter heats up.
Thomas and Rick Sprott, DAQ director, said the information shows the DAQ could amend the rules to reduce the oxygen content from 3.1 percent to 2.7 percent.
Sprott said the rule change could happen as soon as Nov. 1, if the state Air Quality Board approves it by this summer, giving refineries time to make the change.