Clean Air In the News

    New Mexico could join a dozen other states next month by adopting strict low-emission standards for new cars and trucks.
    The proposal, backed by Gov. Bill Richardson and Mayor Martin Chávez, would make New Mexico the first Rocky Mountain state to approve the "Clean Car" program, which originated in California.
    Supporters say the regulation would help address global warming and cut smog, which can cause health problems.
    Opponents say it could boost car prices, reduce the selection of vehicles sold in New Mexico and spur some people to buy their cars in Texas.
    The state Environmental Improvement Board and the Albuquerque air-quality board have scheduled a joint hearing on the regulation Nov. 26. It could last several days.
    Starting with 2011 models, new cars and trucks sold at New Mexico dealerships would have to meet stringent "Clean Car" emission standards.
    The vehicles would look the same as regular ones, but they might have different engines or other fuel-efficient features. Some vehicles already meet the standards and wouldn't need any changes.
    The debate will play out before the city-county Air Quality Control Board, which issues pollution regulations in Bernalillo County, and the Environmental Improvement Board, which handles the rest of the state.
    The local board is appointed by the city and county governments; the governor appoints the state board. Each has seven members.
    The proposal was developed after Richardson's climate-advisory group determined it was the most cost-effective way to fight global warming.
    Lauren Ketcham, an advocate with the nonprofit Environment New Mexico, said the program is a "critical component" in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
    "The program has significant public-health benefits by reducing toxic emissions like benzene, as well as smog-forming pollutants," Ketcham said in an interview.
    Opponents say the proposal could have unintended consequences.
    Charles Henson, president of the New Mexico Automotive Dealers Association, said his group supports "clean air" but wants more time to comply with the regulation.
    The association is also concerned that some trucks would have to meet the same emission standard required of cars, even though trucks are expected to haul materials and handle other high-performance duties.
    Legal challenges have been filed in other states, Henson said, and it makes sense to let those conclude before adopting the program here.
    "What we'd like to see is an implementation date well beyond 2011," Henson said. "That doesn't mean we're trying to drag our feet."
    It can take five to seven years to incorporate changes into car manufacturing, he said.
   
Consumer impact?
    The regulations could also affect consumers.
    It's "probable" there would be an increase in prices and a reduction in the availability of some vehicles, Henson said.
    The proposal "will cause a shortage in trucks and may cause manufacturers to make motor vehicles the public doesn't want," Henson said.
    The proposal has different emission standards, depending on vehicle weight.
    But Henson said the categories are broad enough that some trucks are included in the standard for regular cars.
    Charles Territo— spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers— said the California regulations are very aggressive.
    As a result of the proposal, he said, the average fuel efficiency of all new vehicles sold in New Mexico would have to be 37 miles a gallon by 2016.
    To meet that average, manufacturers might reduce the horsepower and engine size of some vehicles, Territo said. That could be a problem for New Mexico, where people buy a higher percentage of trucks than do consumers in California, he said.
    "It will have some very profound impacts on the types of vehicles available to consumers," he said.
    Supporters of the program say it has worked elsewhere.
    Ketcham said the regulations allow for heavy trucks to meet less-stringent standards, ensuring they can still perform as they're expected to.
    Consumers aren't likely to notice much difference, as the new vehicles will look the same as they would otherwise, she said. A price increase isn't likely either, she said. If there were, it would be offset by lower operating costs, because the new vehicles would need less fuel.
    "There is no indication that vehicle availability has been hurt nor that prices have increased in 'Clean Car' states compared with (other) states," Ketcham said.
    In a fact sheet, the Environment Department said clean vehicles "may cost several hundred to several thousand dollars more per vehicle for manufacturers to produce, which may translate into slightly higher vehicle prices for some new cars and trucks."
   
Pollution targeted
    Arizona and Colorado are also considering Clean Car regulations, Ketcham said.
    Under the proposal, the average "Clean Car" in 2011 would be 50 to 98 percent cleaner than the average 2003 car, according to the city.
    Richardson said last month that with current technology, "car manufacturers could reduce vehicle pollution by 30 percent in less than a decade."
    In an interview Tuesday, Chávez said he is "sick and tired of our country being addicted to foreign oil, and more fuel-efficient vehicles mean less addiction."
    Cleaner cars also address global warming and reduce health-care costs, he said.
    Sarah Cottrell, the governor's energy and environment adviser, said there is still time for the Legislature to pass a bill that would close the loophole allowing New Mexicans to buy new vehicles in other states.
    By 2020, Cottrell said, the state could save about 1.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.