ENVIRONMENT

ARB Disputes University’s Electric Car Study: The California Air Resources Board took issue with a controversial report by researchers at Carnegie-Mellon University that predicts lead pollution would dramatically increase with the use of electric vehicles driven by lead-acid batteries. The study overestimates lead released by smelters and battery production between 44 and 1,000 times, according to Tom Cackette, ARB chief deputy executive officer. The study, which has been widely publicized by auto companies and opponents of electric cars, was funded in part by the Green Design Consortium, whose members include Exxon Corp., Mobil Corp., General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co.