By MATHEW DEARNALEY
Mobil was alone among the four main oil companies last night in holding out against a campaign for cleaner diesel in Auckland, after confirmation of support from Shell.
The pledge followed a call by Auckland Regional Council chairman Phil Warren for a motorist boycott of Shell and Mobil, and backing yesterday from the Motor Industry Association, which branded New Zealand's low-quality diesel "a national scandal."
Oil companies can sell diesel with six times the level of potentially cancer-causing sulphur allowed in Australia and the United States - 3000 parts per million - and almost nine times Europe's level of 350 ppm.
Although the Government is reviewing fuel regulations to improve air quality, the regional council is becoming impatient as Auckland's pollution levels continue to soar, and wants a voluntary two-thirds reduction in sulphur content as an emergency interim measure.
Almost 60 per cent of 27,000 smoke-spewing vehicles "dobbed in" during a campaign last year were diesel-powered.
But Shell emphasised last night that the Marsden Pt refining company would need an assurance of customer support from all four companies before it would be practical to supply low-sulphur diesel.
It also said the regional council should alert motorists to the extra cost of reducing sulphur (0.75c a litre).
Mr Warren said the council had received strong public support, showing that Aucklanders considered the extra cost a small price for removing a tonne a day of fine sulphuric particles from their air.
A Mobil spokeswoman said her company had introduced an additive aimed at reducing particulate emissions. If the refinery were to use its resources to reduce sulphur, it should do so for the whole country.
Cleaner diesel: Mobil says no
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