HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell announced that proposed changes to Pennsylvania’s clean vehicles program – which saves drivers money at the pump and promises cleaner, healthier air across the commonwealth – have been approved by the state attorney general, the final regulatory hurdle.
The rule will be published as final in the Dec. 9 edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
“These changes are good news for Pennsylvanians,” Rendell said. “The clean vehicles program saves drivers money, increases vehicle choice for consumers, cuts harmful pollution and makes our commonwealth more competitive economically.”
Pennsylvania’s clean vehicles program locks in model year 2008 as the compliance date for new emission standards for new passenger cars and light-duty trucks in the commonwealth. The program also requires automakers to make their overall fleet cleaner than would be required by the federal government. Sticker prices of the cleaner vehicles are identical to the “dirtier” versions.
The Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved the plan Nov. 2 and the state’s Environmental Quality Board, also an independent regulatory review panel, voted in favor of the plan Sept. 19 after receiving 4,829 responses during the public comment period. Nearly all commentators supported the state program, which at the time was a record number of responses for a rulemaking in Pennsylvania.
“This is a landmark victory for the environment and our economy, and it is another important step in ensuring greater energy security for all of us at home,” Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said. “The auto lobby opposed this regulation and tried to push second-class vehicles on Pennsylvania consumers. This regulation says that we’re not a dumping ground for second-best — send us the very best.”
Cars contribute about a third of the state’s smog-producing emissions. They also emit toxic pollutants like benzene. Because people are driving more — Pennsylvanians increase their vehicle miles driven by some 2 percent every year — improving vehicle technology through this program will preserve mobility while protecting public health and the environment.
Pennsylvania’s clean vehicles program will cut volatile organic compounds as much as 12 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions 9 percent more than the less stringent federal standards, and result in a 5-percent to 11-percent greater reduction of six toxic air pollutants, including benzene, a known carcinogen.
Two-thirds of Pennsylvanians live in the 37 counties that failed to meet the more protective eight-hour ozone standards and were designated as being in “nonattainment” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2004. Heart problems and respiratory problems, including asthma, are exacerbated by unhealthy air, which also can cause damage to crops, forests and wildlife.
Failure to meet clean-air standards also hinders economic growth. New businesses face steeper environmental hurdles to operate in places designated as being in nonattainment. Fewer emission reductions from mobile sources mean more reductions would need to be mandated for factories, power plants and manufacturers.
The federal Clean Air Act gives individual states the choice of adopting federal emission standards or the tougher rules used in California. A growing number of states in the Northeast and the West Coast have been opting to follow California’s lead. Pennsylvania adopted the California standards in 1998.
Tailpipe standards cost little or nothing in the short term and, overall, save consumers money. Vehicles meeting the California standards are sold on the market today at the same price as those meeting the less strict federal standard. Moreover, in the coming years, consumers will save money over the life of these vehicles because they operate more efficiently.
The savings to consumers are estimated at about $3.50 to $7 per month in 2016 when the full program is implemented. These estimates were done with gasoline prices averaged at $1.74 per gallon.
California rules also include provisions to reduce a vehicle’s greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming. These California greenhouse gas provisions will apply to new passenger cars and light-duty trucks beginning with the 2009 model year. This provision, which automaker are challenging in federal court, also would pertain to cars sold in the commonwealth.
