Paoe Six THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, August 4, 1977 .5. eases auto fume curbs FOrm Wire Service Reports DETROIT - A congressional conference agreement yester- day on a major change in tail- pipe pollution standards should end threats of massive auto plant shutdowns by next week, the industry indicated. The compromise set a formu- la that will ease federal re- quirements on auto emission standards for new American cars beginning in 1980. THE REVISED STANDARDS are less stringent than those written into law in 1970, but still tougher than the House- passed version that the indus- try supported. House and Senate conferees had earlier agreed to extend for two years the tougher stan- dards of the 1970 law that were to go into effect in 1977. Wednesday, after a seven hour session, they settled the stick- ier issue of how much to ease auto emission requirements for 1980 and subsequent models. That cleared the way for adoption of a revised federal clean air law which the auto- makers have said is essential if the nation is to avoid an in- dustry - wide shutdown, thous- ands of layoffs and an economic downturn. THE INDUSTRY had argued that it could not legally sell any new cars in the upcoming model year because none of the companies were prepared to meet tough 1978 emission standards under existing law, which would be replaced by the committee proposal. Approval by both chambers is likely by tomorrow, when Congress is scheduled to start. a month-long recess. The House is to take up the measure to- day. "We are relieved that it (the conference committee) has reached a decision," said El- liott Estes, president of General Motors Corp., the nation's larg- est automaker. GM WARNED last week that it would begin shitting down plants "immediately" if Con- gress failed to approve new emission standards by Mon- day, when GM is to begin 1978- model car output. "We hope the House and Sen- ate will act promptly so that we can get on with the job of building our 1978 cars and planning for our cars of the fu- ture," Estes said in a prepared statement yeterday. United Auto Workers Presi- dent Douglas Fraser said the conference committee's action "should avert the shutdown of auto production which could have caused layoffs for hun- dreds of thousands of auto workers and countless others in supplier industries." A TOP FORD MOTOR CO. official said the outlook foa. continued strong car sales this spring "has been strengthened considerably by the prospects for governmental action enab- ling us to sell 1978 models." American Motors Corp. said it was "happy the long debate is over," but complained that the compromise standards for 1980 and after are tougher than it had wanted. In a more strongly worded statement, Chrysler Corp, cri- ticized the conferees for recom- mending standards which "go beyond health needs, unques- tionably waste fuel and will be an additional and unnecessary cost burden to the American consumer." _ A YEAR AGO, House-Senate conferees sought to resolve dif- ferences over amended auto pollution standards much like the bills brought before this year's conference committee. But Congress adjourned before a compromise could be forged. Overall, the committee com-a promise on hydrocarbon, car- bon monoxide and nitrogen ox- ide is closer to the Senate ver- sion, supported by the Carter administration, than the House version, supported by both the industry and the UAW. Conference Committee Chair- man Edmund Muskie, (D- Maine), a leading advocate of tougher auto pollution stand- ards and principal author of the original Clean Air Act, called the comprbmise "reason- able." But Rep. John Dingell, (D- Mich.), a committee member and chief sponsor of the House bill, said the conference ver- sion is "sacrificing the consu- mer to great cost and lost fuel efficiency for no proven health benefits to be realized in the future." Dingell gave no figures on the added cost or fuel penalty that would result from the new standards. Neither Chrysler nor GM said they would not be able to meet the proposed clean air standards which toughen tail- Chrysler become law. GM, start '78 production next Mon day. I Tosoht st700&935 Tonight at 7:00 & 9:00 Open 6:45 ALL NEW THE BAD NEWS BREAKING TRAWINNG P ceoLR A A o , T ICTuaE 12 14 V erIt " y ENDS TONIGHT- "THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT" (R} Toniqht at 8:00 only STARTS TO MORROW . .. In the Tradition of "FLESH GORDON" ~t 1O COroS CATHARINE ERHARDT s ''X ao s CA AiN E HARDT) LENCE !IEA NI When someone drinks too much and then drives, it's the silence that kills. Your silence. It kills your friends, your relatives, and people you don't even know. But they're all people you could save. If you knew what to say, maybe you'd be less quiet. Maybe fewer people would die. What you should say is,"I'll coffee never made anyone sober. , Maybe it would keep him awake long enough to have an accident But that's about all. The best way to prevent a drunk from becoming a dead drunk is tostophimfromdriving. Speak up. Don't let silence be the last sound he hears. drive ohoie Or, "Let call ---------------------1 Caeyoucc , me a , DRUN KD1RiVtER, DE!PT. Y A-j cab." Or, "Sleep on my couch oxD2345tY I tonight." IRoCKVLL, I.MARYLAND 20852 Don't hesitate because your Idon't want to remain silent. #t friend may have been drinking only Tell me what else I can do. ' beer. Beer andwine can be just as tI intoxicating as mixed drinks. --.t l' And don't think that black I Addeso,. .. - - coffee will makehim sober. Black . .-.... it-. --_ -- FRIENDS DON'T LET FIENDS DRIVE DRUNK.