Genuinely good news on air quality:

The Bush administration announced new regulations on Monday that will significantly reduce emissions from tractors, bulldozers, locomotives, barges and other nonroad vehicles propelled by diesel fuel that altogether spew more soot than the nation’s entire fleet of cars, trucks and buses.

Among other benefits, the rules will reduce the sulfur content of fuels from 3,400 parts per million to 15. This is especially good news for people living in the I-5 corridor of Western Washington and Oregon. A few years ago, Seattle’s air was ranked among nation’s worst 5 percent for air toxics, largely the result of diesel exhaust.

Surprisingly, participants in the rulemaking process—both among industry and environmentalists—expressed high praise for the rulemaking, both in the substance and the process.