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Home My WebLink AboutCC Res 1915 1970-11-16 I I I '" RESOLUTION NUMBER 1915 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ADVOCATING THE USE OF LOW- LEAD OR UNLEADED GASOLINE IN MUNICIPALLY OPERATED MOTOR VEHICLES WHEN FEASIBLE. WHEREAS , exhaust emissions from motor vehicles is a noxious and pernicious contributor to air pollution; and WHEREAS, action must be taken to begin eliminating pollutants from our atmosphere; and WHEREAS, it has been proven that the use of low-lead or unleaded gasoline in motor vehicles reduces pollutants in exhaust emissions; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Seal Beach that low-lead or unleaded gasoline be used in municipal vehicles when feasible. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that low-lead or unleaded gasoline be used in emergency vehicles when automotive technology eliminates the need for high lead octane gasoline for Slid vehicles. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Seal Beach, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 16th day of November, 1970, by the following vote: AYES: CouncilJnen Baum, Fuhrman, Gummere, Hogard, Holden NOES: None ABSENT: None Mayor ATTEST: ~_~yJ cvL C Clerk'- , - . - , - .' I I Resolution N~er ;. Novembet 12, 1970 MEMORANDIJJ.l I City Council ~im Val'l'Derhyden, I I SlIllJECT: TO: FROM: Administrative Assistant Use of Low-lead Gasoline in City Vehicles Presently the City of Seal Beach uses low-lead gasoline for all gasoline powered vehicles and equipment working ou't at the City Yard. The switch from regular gasoline with normal lead concentration (2.8 grams per gallon) to regular gasoline with a low concentration of lead (.5 grams per gallon) occurred several months back. The reason 1m.-lead gasoline is used in lieu of non-leaded gasoline can best be explained by the letter attached to this memorandum. (A1t~ough the letter explains the attributes of Union Oil's low- lead regular, Standard Oil's lm.-Iead regular, which is used by the City, virtually has the same lead content -- .5 grams of lead per gallon). In summary, the letter- explains low-lead gasoline extends exhaust system life, extends engine life, extends engine oil life, extends spark plug life, pro- tects against exhaust valve failure while reducing lead compounds in auto exhaust by 80% and emission of unburned hydro-carbons by 20%. At present, low-lead or unleaded gasoline ,cannot be used as a fuel for emer- gency vehicles operated by the City, i.e. Police and Fire, because such a fuel would seriously impair the operation and efficiency of these emergency vehicles. Octane rating of low-lead gasoline is ,94 while high lead octane gasoline has an octane rating of 101-105. High'octane gasoline (over 100) is needed in emergency vehicles. It is the opinion of the City's mechanics that the use of non-leaded regular gasoline in vehicles working out of the City Yard would be detrimental to the vehicles' engines, reduce the efficiency of the vehicles, in some instances precipitate the demise of certain vehicles and in the long run be extremely uneconomical due to excessive repairs. In a conversation with John Asder of Orange County Purchasing, it was related to me that the purchase of non-leaded gasoline by public agencies throughout the County is non-existent. 'Xhe aforementioned inherent detractions of non-leaded gasoline are the reasons public agencies throughout the County are usinE low- lead gasoline. \--~(}~~ ~ "'-' J:[ an Derhyden ~-~ JVD:mjj Attach. . - . . I I . ~ -..,) , Resolution Number Union Oil Company 01 California Union Oil Center, Los Angeles. California 90017 Telephone (~:3; 452-750u -' ... ammo vedTiJ Gentlemen: Summi!a Beginning May'S, 1970 the Union OIl Company began the distribution of new low-lead Regular 76 Gasoline In the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. Our new low-lead Regular 76 meets the octane requirements specified by the legislation now proposed for the State of California. Should the proposed legislation become effective during the calendar year 1971, our gasoline will comply an'd'you wfll need no change in pumps or tanks - or change In specifications - to meet the new requirements. T~e Important specifications of our new regular gasoline are attached. Details Low-lead Regular 76 gasoline represents a significant, respon~ible step toward reducing air pollution In accordance with recent recom- mendations by governmental bodies and at the same time offers not only the full performance of high-lead regular grade gasolines but the additional benefits of extended en~lne life and lowered auto maintenance. The future of lead In gasoline has been a dominant environmental and leglstatlve Issue during recent months, both at the State and Federal level. Union Oil Company has played a leadership role In workln~ with air pollution authorities and car manufacturers to help determine the most responsible and practical approach toward ultimate lead removal. Although Union early In the deliberations offered to manufacture a non:J,ead~q reF.ular grade gasoline, auto makers have n~w firmly advised that a smaiL amount of lead Is mandatory to guard against exhaust valve failure In cars on the road today'and future models until all engines are mechanlcall desl ned to operate on lead-free fuels. Pro osed 9 Fe era and State of CalifornIa anti-pollution regulations take note ot this requirement. - " I I .' - 2 .'. ResNut;i,on N~er .. .- " -;.... Rather t~an waiting for proposed legislation to be enacted, Union 011 Company now offers new Regular 76 containing only 0.5 ~rams of learl ' per ~allon, complyln~ with the proposed 1971 anti-pollution re~ulatlons and continuing to meet existing specifications as a full-performance regular grade gasoline. We hasten to pQlnt out there Is no magic In arriving at this Quality combination.' Thanks to years of research and our prior planning, we are able, admittedly at some added cost, to be extremely selective in our choice of gasoline stocks and additives for proper product design. Besides being a recognized advance toward reducing air pollution, low- lead Regular 76 holds five other significant advantages over other regular grade ~asollnes on the market to'day. Again, \-Ie want to emphasize that these advantages are net mcre "magic'" advertising claims. ~luch has been known about the effects of lead for some time, indeed long before the current environmental Issue was raised. Comments below are based on work which goes back as far as 1957, much of it published in scientific journals. 1. Extended Exhaust System Life. Lead mixes used as octane Improvers In gasoline also contain organic halogen compounds (ethyl dibromide and ethyl dichloride) bmployed as lead scavengers to reduce engine deposlts~ The more lead that Is added to a gasoline, the higher the concentration of these chloride and bromide compounds, since they are added, In a fixed ratio to the amount of lead. During the combustion of gasoline these compounds become a major source of strong acids whlch.~orrode metal. Particularly during cold-engine operation or when cars are driven on short trips (less than 10 ~lles) these acids have a-chance' to condense In mufflers, resonators, exhaust pipes and tall pipes and drastically shorten their servlcable life. Since the average one-way trip for cars these days is of the order of 5 miles, this corrosion factor Is significant. Low-lead Regular 76 contains 80% less lead than the average regular grade gasoline and thus also conta:ns 80% less of these acid formers. Although driving patterns and exhaust system designs for Individual cars differ. literature data Indicate that 0.5 ~ram5 of lead- per gallon can extepd the remaining useful life of the system as much as 50% as compared to continued exposure to combustion products from normally leaded regular grades. 2. Extended En~lne Life. Just as the strong acids mentioned above corrode exhaust system metal, they also attack other parts of the engine. Research shows a dramatic drop In hydraulic valve lifter, piston rln and c llnder bore wear ra es w en t e ea content 0 gasoline is reduced. Throughout the engine, the potential formation of rust is always.a'threat, not only because It represents chemical corrosion of parts, but because loosened rust can Itself 'contribute to further abrasive wear. 3. Extended En~lne 011 Life. Modern automotive crankcase oils contain alkaline compounds which Inhibit corrosive wear and! . _ . '.'- ~'.., .,.... ,..J. '~J~.., .,.- .,: lIt< . :. ',"", ..:.-".~: ~:.~:~.~_- ..,'....~..~ ,.._.... ,",. ,">,;c" :'\ ,;, ,': :.<,..;" "'-X\~:,,;';, .~<.; 3 ,.., ReiilolutiOfhNumber,', :'- -.-'..' ,',' ....,. 'I ,,", ::;,,':. ,~_.'""':. ...1""'" ,.:., ..'"",,:-,".;'..:_,,i..~...'."..,' ,.., . Po :~1~.~< ~i~::~:::;~:~;.(~!:::.~:~ I ,", ," . ... ..,. -.', ,- . ~ .-..)"\' t. .:.:...,-..:.,. . ," ':l....~.~.:...~' "':'::,=_'1'.\" ;~. :'~.~::. .~.,:.'_~. ....~ .' . :,'...-::' r",,-' ,,(..;:,,"::..,'-:' or;'i-u'stlng of engine par'ts "t~ey a're deslg'n~l to lubricate. '~. Again, research has shown that when lead (and the accom- '",,::>~,' panylng or anlc halides) Is reduced to low levels t I ," "'" protect vc u r ca t n1!: 0 II gua.' I t~ III ex tended Qf the order of 50% or more as compared to typical hl~h lead 'con ten ts . I' ,-- ',': '. 4. Extended Spark Plu~ life. Extensive work has shown over and over that the presence of lead salts In spark plug deposits Is responsible for :~park plug fouling. Based on published data, we are confident that use of low-lead Regular 76 will virtually double spark plug life as compared to fully leaded re~ular grade gasollnes on the market today. 5. Protection A~alnst Exhaust Valve Failure. We have already . Indicated auto makers' deep concern over using lead-free gasollnes In cars on the road today and many planned 1971 ' models. The problem arises because valve seats tend to be worn awa (The technical term Is "valve seat recession") As It progresses, valve seat recession ~radUallY cho es ~ the outward flow of exhaust gases and t us causes a serious' power loss. The presence of a small amount of lead In a gasoline results In laying down a light coating of deposit whlc acts as a cushion or lubricant and thus reduces valve seat erosion. New Regular 76 with O.S grams 0 lead per gallon provIdes the proper amount of deposits required to afford this protection. Use of lead-free regular grades on the market today are expected to result in catastrophic valve failures under some rather common operating conditions. - , :1:' ., , '. . . . '; I',";' -.." " ... .. ." , ! ~'. ;.. I I The above advantages are obviously o{-aTrect operational and economic benefit to users of new low-lead Regular 76: Return'ln~' to air pollution factors, the effect of using Regular 76, with 80% of the lead removed, will be to reduce lead compounds In auto exhaust . urt or w t resu t n ower ea epos t eve s n com ustlon cHambers. there swell ocumente evidence t at emissions 0 un urn~ hydrocarbons wIll be reduced on the order of 20%. Better spark plug condition likewise reduces emissions of hydrocar~ons in the exhaust: New Regular 76 will, of course; continue to contain Union's unexcelled detergent/dispersant additives to maintain carburetor cleanliness and thus further guard against emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. New or low-mileage cars will receive Immediate benefIt from using our new low lead formula; continued use of new Regular 76 In older cars will like- wise result In better performance and .lowered contribution to air pollution. We know you will find these obvious benefits of new Regular 76 persuasive and urge your careful consideration of the qualities outlined In reviewing this proposal. Very t_r~)1urs, /J C~jtf~?~ Manager Operations & Services CRI~/1p Attachment " /- . ", .. r .. I I I I I , I I . Reso~utiop Number " . . - UNION OIL COMPANY OF CALU'ORNIA Typical Test Values Effective May 8, 1970 Gravity oAPI at 600F Super 76 Gasoline 58 Gum, mg/l00 ml 0.5 Sulf!,r, $ by wt. 0.15 Brominj!' Number ,.1lr17 '99.7 Research Method, Octane Number Motor Method, Octane Number 91.2 Distillation-End Point, OF 396 Lead Content 3.43 ,;:- -. -- I' . Low-Lead Regular 76 Gasoline 56 0.5 0.15 ~17 93.5 86 430 0.5 gram