Clean Air In the News

    A New Mexico environmental advocacy organization is calling for the state to adopt the Clean Cars program that would increase the use of cleaner or more efficient vehicles to cut air pollution emissions and reduce the state's contribution to global warming.
    Transportation is the state's second largest source of carbon dioxide pollution, making up about one-quarter of the state's emissions in 2000, according to the advocacy group, Environment New Mexico. Those emissions are expected to grow by 52 percent over the next two decades.
    The Clean Cars program, started in California under special authority granted through the Clean Air Act, has been adopted by 12 states representing about 36 percent of the car market in the United States, said Environment New Mexico associate Lauren Ketchum.
    The program has the support of Gov. Bill Richardson's Climate Change Advisory Group and the state Environment Department.
    Automakers often make two versions of the same kind of car— one for the states with the Clean Cars program and one for non-participating states, Ketchum said. The differences in cost and appearance of the two types of cars is usually negligible, she added, but vehicles adhering to Clean Cars standards are more environmentally friendly.
    Environment New Mexico presented its report Thursday at Beaver Toyota of Santa Fe. The Clean Cars Program would:   

Set stricter standards for emissions of traditional automobile air pollutants, reducing volatile organic compounds by 5 percent and nitrogen oxide by 11 percent;

Set a fleetwide average global warming emission standard for automakers. By doing so, in 2016 new cars would emit 34 percent less global warming gases and light industry trucks would produce 25 percent less, according to Environment New Mexico;

Require automakers to invest in researching and producing advanced-technology vehicles.

Adoption of the program in New Mexico was a unanimous recommendation of Richardson's Climate Change Advisory Group.

The group's report estimates that Clean Cars will save $117 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2007 and 2020.

The New Mexico Environment Department will be holding a series of public meetings to educate the public on the program, Ketchum said. The next step is to draft regulations and present them for approval to the Environmental Improvement Board and the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Air Quality Board.

The hope is that both boards will adopt the regulations by January, Ketchum said, and full implementation of the program will take place in New Mexico around 2011.