porations responsible for the ma­nure their chickens produce, Bed­ford said.

"Under the new guidance, states may copermit growers and their corporate integrators if the corpo­rations exercise substantial opera­tional control over the growers," Hall said. This is the case for nearly all the nation's poultry farms and about 20% of the hog farms, said Steven Cohen, Washington com­munications director for the Na­tional Pork Producers Council. In general, if the permit conditions

are violated, the copermittees will be held jointly liable for enforce­ment action, which could include fines, said Hall.

"The EPA doesn't have author­ity under the Clean Water Act to copermit," responded Richard Lobb, spokesperson for the Na­tional Chicken Council, an indus­try association that represents large chicken farms. He ques­tioned how it would work, saying, "This is a real departure to make corporations responsible for things we really can't control."

"The copermitting provision will provide a strong incentive for corporations to ensure that waste is handled properly," countered Ed Hopkins, Washington, D.C., representative for the Sierra Club. He added that "the provision also gives the government a good place to collect fines." For in­stance, he said most growers are not financially well off, and state officials said they have not pur­sued civil suits because the viola­tors could not pay the fines. —JANET PELLEY

Report on greening SUVs captures auto industry's attention Ford Motor Company expected to meet with the Union of Con­cerned Scientists in September to discuss a report showing that ex­isting technology could be used to construct sports utility vehicles (SUVs) that get far better gas mileage and take a lower environ­mental toll. The meeting was scheduled not long after the re­lease of a survey showing that consumers would pay more for less polluting SUVs.

The Union of Concerned Sci-entists's report, Greener SUVs: A Blueprint for Cleaner, More Effi­cient Light Trucks, demonstrates that a much cleaner SUV, which is otherwise equivalent to the best-selling Ford Explorer, could be crafted from technology that is currently in mass production. Light trucks—including SUVs, minivans, and pickups—currently pollute 3 to 5 times more than cars, according to EPA's Office of Mobile Sources.

The "UCS Exemplar" de­scribed in the report would be constructed of new Ultralight steel, and its design would be more aerodynamic. This ideal SUV also would incorporate nu­merous engine and transmission improvements already found in passenger cars such as using four valves per cylinder to in­crease power output, and imple­menting variable valve control to optimize valve timing. The report estimates this "greener" SUV would cost $715 more but the technologies would ultimately save consumers $1600-$2220 over the vehicle's lifetime

The report also hypothesizes how an even greener SUV, the "UCS Exemplar Plus," could be built from technologies currently in development. While the Ford Explorer gets 19.3 miles per gal­lon (mpg), according to EPA tests, the Exemplar would get 28.4 mpg, and the Exemplar Plus would achieve 34.1 mpg.

Ford wants to discuss the re­port's findings and underlying assumptions with the Union of Concerned Scientists, according to Mike Moran, director of the automaker's national public af­fairs office. Though he declined to comment on the composition of models being designed for 2001 and beyond, Moran said that Ford is working to improve SUV fuel economy by incorporating light­

weight materials and engine improvements. A spokesperson for the Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers said that the in­dustry as a whole is also putting more time and effort into improv­ing SUV fuel economy.

In August, a survey of 1396 SUV owners by the U.S. Public Research Interest Group found that 80% would be willing to pay $200-$450 more to buy a less pol­luting SUV Conducted this past summer by the group's state affili­ates, 87% of the survey respon­dents also said that automakers should be required to make all light trucks meet the same pollu­tion and mpg performance as cars. EPA plans to rule on tighten­ing standards for light trucks in December. KELLYN S. BETTS

OCTOBER 1, 1999/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / NEWS • 4 0 3 A

Environmental benefits of greener SUVs The hypothetical UCS Exemplar incorporates existing technologies into the design of Ford's best-selling Explorer SUV to improve its environmental performance. The even greener UCS Exemplar Plus features technologies that are still in develpoment.

Source: Union of Concerned Scientists, 1999.