When it
comes to refining oil, a lot has changed over the years. Just
as technology has changed our lives for the better, so too technology
has changed the way gasoline and diesel fuel are produced.
Yes, the
Arizona Clean Fuels Yuma refinery will produce some emissions
- that's the nature of refining. But the effect of burning cleaner
gasoline and diesel fuels in Arizona will be a net reduction
of pollution produced by commuters and trucks. In other words,
while the refinery will send some emissions into the air, the
net effect of cleaner-burning fuels being used in the cars and
trucks will be to help clean the air.
And that's
the point. The Arizona Clean Fuels Yuma refinery is being located
far away from any metropolitan area so as not to contribute
in any major way to the air problem, but close enough to population
centers to serve the state's consumers and assist in cleaning
the air. In fact, when taken in context, the refinery project
could be the most reasonable and economical way to reduce our
air pollution.
There's
been a lot said about the dirty air in Arizona. We see it every
day. We breathe it every day. We also contribute to it every
day as we commute in our cars to our work or play. Arizona drivers
collectively drive millions of miles daily, burning millions
of gallons of gasoline and adding tons of pollution to our precious
air. Big trucks roar down the freeway burning diesel fuel and
adding their contribution to our economy... and a brown cloud.
