White House Follows Vermont’s Lead on Clean Cars

Congress Urged to Protect New Standards by Rejecting Efforts to Weaken Clean Air Act

>CONTACT:
CLF — Chris Kilian, 802-223-5992 x15, ckilian@clf.org
VPIRG – Paul Burns, 802-793-1985

MONTPELIER, VT (April 1, 2010)– In a huge win for Vermont’s environment, public health and energy security, the Obama administration today announced new standards for automobile fuel economy and global warming emissions.  An analysis done by VPIRG and its national affiliate Environment America found that these new federal standards – based on the “clean cars program” developed by California and adopted by 13 other states, including Vermont – will save Vermonters 29 million gallons of gasoline by 2016 as compared to the previous federal standards, while reducing emissions of global warming pollutants and providing a net economic savings to consumers.

“Thanks to Vermont’s leadership, the cars and trucks of tomorrow will be cleaner and cost less to fuel than the vehicles of today,” said Paul Burns, executive director of VPIRG.  “VPIRG applauds the efforts of state legislative leaders, the administration and its environmental agencies, and the Office of the Attorney General because had it not been for the leadership demonstrated by each of these state officials, this historic victory would not have been possible.”

In addition to the significant expected gasoline savings, the new standards will also mean a reduction in global warming pollution in Vermont equivalent to eliminating the pollution from 52,775 of today’s cars for a year, as compared with the previous federal standards.

VPIRG was joined by Lt. Governor Brian Dubie, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, House Speaker Shap Smith, Attorney General Bill Sorrell and Chris Kilian of Conservation Law Foundation in applauding today’s announcement.

“In a state like Vermont, where virtually all of our emissions come from transportation, we need to do everything we can to push the technology to a new level. In fact, a green revolution is coming to our roadways, and some smart Vermont companies are taking the lead with lighter, better materials and new energy storage technology – like Plasan and Vermont Composites, GS Precision, Dynapower and SB Electronics,” said Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie.  “We need to support them in every way we can.”

“Vermont’s clean car program is yet another example of Vermont’s ability to lead the rest of the nation,” said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin.  “I am proud that our small state helped pave the way for today’s White House announcement.  This announcement will save Vermonters millions of dollars and help break our dependence on foreign oil.”

“Vermont has a great tradition of forward thinking in regards to the protection of our environment,” said Speaker Shap Smith.  “Today’s announcement by the Obama administration is an example of how a little state like Vermont can make a difference on the national level.”

“This is a proud moment for Vermont,” said Chris Kilian, Vermont Director of the Conservation Law Foundation, which actively participated in the Vermont Federal Court litigation. “The Clean Cars effort led by Vermont and others shows that states can provide innovative solutions that lead to broader efforts needed to bring about progress on climate change.  To maintain and build on the gains we have made, it is critically important that state authority be kept intact as Federal climate legislation is drafted.”

Vermont adopted the clean car standards in 2005, but the push for cleaner cars has been happening for decades.  In the late 1960s, state officials in California responded to horrific air pollution in cities like Los Angeles by adopting the first-ever tailpipe emission standards for cars.  This paved the way for federal adoption of vehicle standards in the Clean Air Act, though the Act allowed California to continue setting its own, tougher emission standards for cars, and enabled other states to adopt these standards.

In 2002, California enacted legislation designed to reduce global warming pollution from automobiles. This resulted in rules to reduce global warming pollution from new cars and light trucks by 30 percent by 2016 compared with 2002 levels – a step that would result in improved vehicle fuel economy.

Frustrated with federal inaction to address automobile emissions and fuel economy, 13 states – Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington – soon moved to adopt the program.

Automakers and auto dealers took special aim at Vermont in attempting to kill the clean cars program.  They challenged it in federal court while Attorney General Sorrell and state officials joined with environmental organizations to defend the state’s right to demand cleaner cars. In a landmark decision in September 2007, Judge William Sessions found that the industry had failed to show that it could not meet the tougher tailpipe standards, that the standards would endanger drivers, or that Congress had preempted states from adopting the California standards.  Even then, obstruction by the Bush administration EPA kept the states from moving forward immediately.

In early 2009, as one of his first acts in office, President Obama instructed the EPA to reconsider California’s waiver request, which later resulted in EPA granting the waiver. In May, the Obama administration announced an agreement with the automakers and the state of California that enabled the creation of a single, national fuel economy/global warming emissions program for cars based on the California standards.  The just-announced standards are the result of that effort.

The new standards are expected to reduce gasoline consumption by as much as 11.6 billion gallons per year in 2016 nationally – nearly as much as is consumed by all the vehicles in Texas in a year – and save consumers up to $31.8 billion annually at the pump in 2016.  The new standard will also reduce global warming pollution from vehicles by 108 million metric tons per year in 2016, or as much global warming pollutions as is produced by 28 500-MW coal-fired power plants.

Despite the agreement between the Obama administration, automakers and California – and the fact that 80 percent of the public approves of stronger fuel economy standards for vehicles – the clean cars program still faces attacks. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s Dirty Air Act (S.J.Res. 26), for example, would effectively veto EPA’s scientific finding that global warming pollutants threaten human health and the environment – thereby blocking the standards. The companion resolution in the House – introduced by three separate sets of members, including the Republican leadership (H.J.Res. 77), Democrats Ike Skelton (MO) and Collin Peterson (MN; H.J.R. 76), and Republicans Jerry Moran (KS) and Marsha Blackburn (TN; H.J.Res. 66) – and three additional House bills (H.R. 391, H.R. 4396, H.R. 4572) also would block the clean cars program and otherwise undermine the Clean Air Act.

“Weakening the Clean Air Act would be one of the worst moves Congress could make for Vermont’s environment,” said Burns.  “We know we can count on Vermont’s federal delegation oppose any and all efforts to weaken the Clean Air Act.”

The Conservation Law Foundation (www.clf.org) works to solve the most significant environmental challenges facing New England.  CLF’s advocates use law, economics, and science to create innovative strategies to conserve natural resources, protect public health, and promote vital communities in our region.  Founded in 1966, CLF is a nonprofit, member-supported organization with offices in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.