“ARC and Mobil hold talks”

June 13, 2001

The Auckland Regional Council and Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited have held top level talks in an attempt to end their stand off over lower sulphur diesel for the Auckland region.

Mobil CEO Alan Heng met ARC Chief Executive Jo Brosnahan in Auckland this afternoon to discuss the council’s bid to gain the backing of all four major oil companies for the introduction of a cleaner diesel to the Auckland region.

With Caltex, BP and Shell having pledged their support for the ARC initiative to lower the sulphur levels in diesel from 3000 parts per million to 1000ppm, Mobil is all that stands between the community and the ability to make the change almost immediately.

ARC Chairman Philip Warren was pleased the meeting took place and hopes it will lay the foundation for further significant progress on the issue this week.

“I understand both parties were left in no doubt as to each other’s position and would be taking that into consideration,” he says.

“However I can assure Aucklanders that this council’s position has not changed. We are still determined to pursue the environmental gain which we set out to achieve.”

The support of all four major oil companies would enable the New Zealand Refinery Company to refine a 1000ppm diesel almost immediately and at a minimal extra cost of less than one cent per litre.

That would result in 1000kg per day of potentially carcinogenic particulate being removed from the air Aucklanders breathe almost overnight.

Unlike any other city in New Zealand, 80 per cent of Auckland’s air pollution is caused by vehicle emissions. In other countries, the targeted introduction of low sulphur diesel to similarly congested, urban areas is not uncommon.

ENDS

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