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To: Hawkeye who wrote (3716)	1/28/1999 11:57:00 AM
From: Hawkeye	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5827

01/27/1999 - Tokyo to Halve Taxes on Hybrid EVs, Cleaner Cars Tokyo, Japan - The Tokyo Metropolitan government plans to cut taxes on hybrid-electric vehicles and other low-emission cars by as much as half - while raising taxes on cars 10 or more years old, reports Nihon Keizai Shimbun. The action marks the first time a local government in Japan has tied the taxes to environment-related criteria. Under the program, which begins in April, buyers of hybrid EVs or other cars that use electricity, natural gas, methanol or other clean fuels will receive a 50 percent cut in their annual vehicle registration taxes for a three-year period. Those buying vehicles that run on gasoline or diesel that meet specified emissions targets will receive 30 percent cuts. Owners of the older cars will see a 10 percent increase, beginning in 2001. Officials project 22,000 vehicles will be eligible in fiscal-year 2000, then 350,000 by 2001.

To: Hawkeye who wrote (3716)	1/28/1999 12:00:00 PM
From: Hawkeye	Respond to of 5827

Thursday January 28, 10:42 am Eastern Time Company Press Release SOURCE: American Methanol Institute Study Says Methanol Safer for the Environment than Gasoline; Methanol Video to Premiere WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- A study by the environmental engineering firm Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. finds far fewer environmental threats from using methanol in fuel cell vehicles, compared to gasoline's use for internal combustion engines. In addition, a video presentation on methanol and the environment produced by the Public Interest Video Network will be premiered at ''The Road to Fuel Cell Vehicles: A National Forum'' being held on February 4th and 5th at the Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C. The Malcolm Pirnie study prepared for the American Methanol Institute (AMI) and titled, ''Evaluation of the Fate and Transport of Methanol in the Environment,'' reviewed the chemical and physical properties of methanol and then examined the fate of methanol in the environment under several potential release scenarios, such as a surface water spill or leaks from an underground storage tank. The researchers also conducted an extensive review of the literature on methanol toxicity, as well as methanol spill remediation and treatment technologies. ''Our study on the fate and transport of methanol in the environment showed that, relative to gasoline and its constituents like benzene, methanol will likely have far fewer adverse impacts on the environment,'' said Dr. Michael C. Kavanaugh, P.E., Vice President of Malcolm Pirnie. ''This is due to the inherent properties of the chemical: it is capable of completely mixing with water; degrades quickly in the atmosphere; and -- most importantly -- will rapidly biodegrade in surface waters and underground. Generally, methanol is less toxic to humans than gasoline, and is neither mutagenic nor carcinogenic. When you add all of this up, the overall threat to human health and the environment of methanol is likely to be far less than conventional gasoline, under equivalent release or spill scenarios.'' Methanol, a widely used industrial chemical since the 1800s, is considered by the world's major automakers to be an ideal hydrogen carrier for fuel cell vehicles. AMI has estimated that by 2010, a fleet of two million fuel cell vehicles could demand over 880 million gallons of methanol per year, creating a need for expansion of the methanol refueling infrastructure. Given the expected increase in methanol production, transportation, storage and use, there will be a potential for accidental releases to the environment. Compared to crude oil or gasoline, the study found that methanol is a safer and more environmentally benign fuel, so that releases would be far less damaging to the environment. The researchers found that a large methanol spill into a surface water would have some immediate impacts to the biota in the direct vicinity of the spill. However, in contrast to a crude oil ocean spill, methanol rapidly dissipates into the environment, reaching low concentration levels where biodegration will occur quickly. Under another scenario, if methanol were to leak from an underground storage tank, rapid biodegradation is expected to occur under both aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) subsurface conditions. Hazards from gasoline leaks are greater than those of methanol, because gasoline and many of its constituents biodegrade slower and will persist longer in the environment. Based on an extensive literature review, the study reports that methanol is neither mutagenic nor carcinogenic. The evidence shows that acute toxic effects on humans from methanol only occur at high doses. The U.S. Department of Energy considers gasoline to be ''overall more hazardous to human health than methanol.'' ''We all know that methanol fuel cell vehicles will offer significant air quality and global warming benefits,'' said AMI President and CEO John Lynn. ''This study proves that the environmental benefits of using methanol extend well beyond the fuel cell vehicle. Compared to conventional gasoline, methanol is less polluting to water, less toxic, does not cause cancer, and is much safer to use. Methanol really is the clear alternative.'' The American Methanol Institute has prepared a 12-minute video presentation titled, ''The Clear Alternative: Methanol Fuel Cell Vehicles and the Environment.'' Produced by the Public Interest Video Network, the video includes interviews with: Dr. Ferdinand Panik of DaimlerChrysler; Jason Mark of the Union of Concerned Scientists; Lois Epstein of the Environmental Defense Fund; and Jim Larkins of Georgetown University. The video features footage of DaimlerChrysler's methanol fuel cell vehicle, NECAR 3, and highlights the use of methanol at the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washington, D.C. to accelerate the biodegradation of nitrogen prior to discharge into Chesapeake Bay.