AUGUSTA – A proposal to lower the sulfur content of gasoline sold in Maine would make the air cleaner and cars run better, a state senator told a legislative committee Wednesday.

Sen. John Nutting’s bill, LD 328, would lower the sulfur level of gasoline sold in Maine to 400 parts per million. The American Petroleum Institute’s Maine affiliate opposes the measure.

Nutting, D-Leeds, said he was prompted to submit the bill after constituents who run a gas station became sick from pumping fuel with a sulfur content of nearly 900 parts per million. That amounts to about 2 percent by volume, he said.

High sulfur contents increase nitrogen oxides, a key component of smog, Nutting told the Natural Resources Committee. Other states, including Georgia, have imposed low gasoline sulfur limits, he said.

For that reason, Nutting does not believe low-sulfur gas would have to be specially blended just for the relatively small Maine market.

Besides reducing health risks and pollution, low-sulfur gasoline is better for cars because it avoids damage to their catalytic converters, Nutting said.

Ford Motor Co.’s Anne Fellows, who represented manufacturers of most cars and light trucks, said the Auto Alliance supports Nutting’s bill.

With lower sulfur content in fuels, manufacturers will have an easier time meeting tough emission standards that have been set by the federal government, Fellows said.

Low-sulfur legislation on the books in California is believed to be a factor in cleaning that state’s air, said Fellows.