But Green Light Needed from EPA; Hearing Tomorrow
Philadelphia, PA—Tailpipe standards already in place in Pennsylvania
and 11
other states would reduce global warming pollution by nearly 400
million metric tons by 2020 – a reduction level equivalent to taking 74
million of today’s cars off the road for an entire year, according to a
new report released today by PennEnvironment. The report comes as the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prepares to hold a public
hearing on whether to give states the green light to reduce global
warming pollution from cars and SUVs. Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Kathleen McGinty is scheduled
to speak at the hearing.
“Cars and SUVs are a massive source of global warming pollution,” said
PennEnvironment Energy & Clean Air Advocate Nathan Willcox. “As
the Bush administration spins its wheels and delays action on global
warming, the states are putting real solutions to work. States must be
allowed to fight global warming."
PennEnvironment’s new report, The Clean Cars Program: How States Are
Driving Cuts in Global Warming Pollution analyzes government data and
non-profit studies to estimate the reduction in global warming
pollution, reduction in oil consumption, and consumer savings that
would result from the global warming emission standards for cars and
SUVs that have been adopted by 12 states. The report also looks at the
benefits from the additional six states that are considering the
policy. Key findings include:
• The 12-state standards will cut global warming pollution from
cars, light trucks, and SUVs by 392 million metric tons by 2020, the
equivalent to taking 74 million of today’s cars off the road for an
entire year.
• The 12-state standards could reduce gasoline consumption by as
much as 8.3 billion gallons per year in 2020—as much as is consumed by
all the vehicles in Florida in a year—and enable consumers to save up
to $25.8 billion annually at the pump in 2020.
• If the six additional states that are considering the policy adopt
the standards, the total global warming pollution reductions would grow
to 536 million metric tons by 2020, the equivalent to taking 101
million of today’s cars off the road for an entire year.
“It’s a win-win situation. Reducing global warming pollution from cars
and SUVs will also start to reduce our dependence on oil and save
consumers money at the gas pump,” said Willcox.
In late 2004, California adopted first-of-their-kind standards
requiring cars and light-duty trucks to limit emissions that contribute
to global warming. Since then, 11 other states—including Connecticut,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington—have adopted the
tailpipe standards. Pennsylvania finalized adoption of the standards
as part of the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program. EPA has been
sitting for 18 months on California’s
request for a waiver under the Clean Air Act, which EPA has routinely
issued more than 50 times in the last four decades, in effect blocking
implementation of the emission standards in California and other
states. Passenger vehicles are the second largest source of global
warming pollution nationwide.
EPA is holding two public hearings on the waiver request – one tomorrow
in the Washington, DC metro area and the second next week in Sacramento, California. EPA
scheduled the hearings and opened a public comment period on the issue
after the Supreme Court ruled in April that the Clean Air Act gives EPA
the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other global warming
pollutants from cars.
“The Bush EPA’s failure to give the states the stamp of approval to put
cleaner cars on the road is more than just bureaucratic delay. It
marks a clear decision to cater to powerful corporate interests instead
of protecting the public from very real risks,” said Willcox.
Earlier this year, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that global warming will lead to more
droughts, floods, heat waves, water shortages, forest fires, and coastal
flooding in the U.S., but that “many impacts can be avoided, reduced,
or delayed” by cutting global warming pollution levels.
Tomorrow’s public hearing starts at 9 am at the EPA Potomac Yard
Conference Center in Arlington,
Virginia, and Pennsylvania DEP
Secretary Kathleen McGinty is scheduled to speak.
“The Bush EPA should immediately give Pennsylvania and the other states the
green light to put clean cars on the road,” Willcox concluded.
