WASHINGTON, DC (March 3, 2014) – Today, the White House finalized “Tier 3 Standards” for cleaner gasoline—a set of rules to cut sulfur emissions and clean up the fuel that we put in our cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates the standards could prevent between 820 and 2,400 premature deaths annually and prevent 1.8 million lost school or work days. BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director David Foster released the following statement:

“We commend President Obama and EPA for making this investment in our future. By driving American innovation, smart standards like Tier 3 will contribute to healthier families, cleaner skies, a strong auto industry and more opportunity for workers throughout the economy.

“While we couldn’t have gotten here without industry support, the groundswell of support by America’s working families speaks volumes about the importance of these kinds of standards that protect the health of all of us. The benefits of fewer missed work and school days, decreased medical costs, and long-term health effects are priceless.

“In addition, cleaner fuels will also create new jobs at refineries—installing and operating sulfur reduction equipment—and in the automotive sector developing and manufacturing cleaner vehicles. Upgrading refineries could create more than 20,000 construction jobs and more than 5,000 jobs in refinery operations in the first three years of implementation.

“This is exactly the kind of action that America needs to take to reduce pollution, improve public health, and create good jobs for American workers. We’re proud to have supported these standards and urge President Obama and the EPA to take other common-sense steps that will safeguard our communities and strengthen our economy.”