Tuesday 16th September 1997

New regulations which came into force in the US tightening the standard on the amount of ozone permitted in the air, setting the cap at .08 parts per million. As automobiles are the primary source of emissions that help form ozone, surpassing even industrial sources, consumers were directly affected by the new standard. Cities that did not meet national standards faced strict penalties, including mandatory vehicle inspection and costly retrofitting of pumps at gas stations, all of which would translate to higher gas prices.