After two
days of joint hearings, the Albuquerque-Bernalillo Air Quality Control
Board (AQCB) and Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) voted to adopt
Clean Car standards to reduce air pollution and global warming
emissions from new cars, trucks and SUVs beginning in Model Year 2011.
“Last
night’s decision is a major victory for New Mexico consumers, public
health and the environment,” said Environment New Mexico advocate,
Lauren Ketcham. “We applaud the members of both boards for adopting
these Clean Car standards that will cut toxic air pollution, slash
global warming emissions, reduce our dependence on oil and save New
Mexico’s drivers money at the pump.”
Directed
by Governor Richardson and Albuquerque Mayor Chavez, the New Mexico
Environment Department and the Albuquerque Environmental Health
Department drafted the Clean Cars regulations.
Twenty-three
environmental, health, faith, consumer and science groups presented
technical testimony in support of the regulations and more than 2000
members of the public provided written and oral comment at the hearings
in support of the program.
“The
Clean Cars Program is a key part of our state’s effort to reduce global
warming emissions to the levels necessary to avoid the worst effects of
a warming planet,” said Governor Richardson. “Today’s decision by the
EIB means New Mexico along with 12 other states can implement the
cleanest standards for vehicle emissions in the country. New Mexico is
again taking action, when Washington won’t.”
“There
is broad public support for taking decisive action to address global
warming,” said Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez. "Cars, trucks and SUVs
are the largest source of global warming emissions in the City of
Albuquerque. If we bring cleaner cars to our roads, we can make a big
dent in these emissions."
The
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade association representing
ten car and truck manufacturers—BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General
Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota and
Volkswagen—opposed the regulations.
The
Clean Cars program, initially started in California under special
authority granted through the Clean Air Act, has been adopted by twelve
states: Maine, California, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington
and Oregon. Other states are currently in the process of adopting the
standards, including Arizona, Colorado and Florida.
The
transportation sector is the second largest source of carbon dioxide
pollution in New Mexico, making up nearly one-quarter of the state’s
emissions in 2000. Global warming, left unchecked, could substantially
impact the frequency of heat waves, increase the risk of wildfires in
the state and decrease mountain snowpacks and available water supplies.
Cleaner
cars can help to reduce the state’s global warming and air pollution
emissions. First, the low emission vehicle (LEV II) program sets strict
standards for traditional air pollutants. Under the program, volatile
organic compounds and nitrogen oxide would be cut by 5 percent and 11
percent respectively. Second, the global warming pollution standards
set a fleet-wide average global warming emission standard that the
major automakers need to achieve. By 2016, new cars would emit 34
percent less global warming gases, while light-duty trucks would
produce 25 percent less. Third, the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) program
helps to drive further technological development by requiring
automakers to invest in researching and producing advanced-technology
vehicles.
“We
applaud the continued leadership of the State of New Mexico and the
City of Albuquerque on global warming. The Clean Cars Program is major
success for all of us who care about clean air, protecting public
health and solving global warming,” concluded Ketcham.
The
twenty three organizations represented by the Clean Air Advocacy Groups
are: 1000 Friends of New Mexico, American Lung Association of New
Mexico, Conservation Voters New Mexico, Consumer Federation of America,
Environment New Mexico, Environmental Defense, Land of Enchantment
Clean Cities Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, New Energy
Economy, New Mexico Chapter of the American College of Physicians, New
Mexico Conference of Churches, New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light,
New Mexico Medical Society, New Mexico Pediatric Society, New Mexico
Physicians for Social Responsibility, New Mexico Public Interest
Research Group, New Mexico Thoracic Society, New Voice of Business,
Renewable Energy Partners of New Mexico, Sierra Club, Southwest Energy
Alliance, Union of Concerned Scientists and Partnership for Earth
Spirituality.
Representing
the groups at the hearings were: David Bookbinder of the Sierra Club;
Lauren Ketcham of Environment New Mexico; Dr. Steve Pilon, an emergency
room physician at Presbyterian; Dr. Gerald Geernaert of Los Alamos
National Laboratories and Eric Skelton of Northeast States for
Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).
