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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM TO HOLD NOVEMBER 16TH PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED REGULATIONS ADOPTING THE CALIFORNIA LOW EMISSIONS VEHICLE STANDARD IN RHODE ISLAND PROVIDENCE -The Department of Environmental Management will hold a public hearing on November 16 on proposed amendments to air pollution control regulations. The proposed amendments would adopt the latest California Low Emission Vehicle II (LEV II) new vehicle emission standards for new vehicles sold in Rhode Island beginning with model year 2008.The California LEV II program requires reductions in tailpipe and evaporative emissions from new passenger cars, light-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles sold in the state. The new regulation will only apply to new vehicles. Most car dealerships in Rhode Island currently stock vehicles that adhere to this new standard. Under the federal Clean Air Act, individual states must adopt either the federal Environmental Protection Agency's national auto emissions standards or the California Low Emissions Vehicle emissions standards. Rhode Island currently adheres to the national emissions standard. However, California's standards provide additional emissions reduction benefits over and above what the federal program is expected to achieve. Rhode Island joins Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and New York in implementing the program currently in place in California. Connecticut and New Jersey are in the process of adopting the federal standard. The California LEV II program will provide substantial reductions in new vehicle exhaust emissions over the next two decades. It will reduce hydrocarbon emissions in Rhode Island by 16 percent, air toxics emissions by 25 percent, and greenhouse gas emissions by two percent, by the year 2020. Governor Donald Carcieri said, "Rhode Islanders have always demonstrated a deep commitment to protecting our environment. These tough new emissions standards will significantly improve the health of our environment, and the health of our citizens. Air pollution erodes our quality of life and our quality of place. While it is true that much of Rhode Island's air pollution emanates from outside our state, we must take the economically feasible steps necessary to reduce homegrown sources of pollution." The California LEV II standards require that 10 percent of the autos and light trucks be so-called zero-emission vehicles, such as fuel cell vehicles and hybrid-electric vehicles that have no or nearly no emissions. The proposed amendments would offer a voluntary compliance option, giving manufacturers an incentive to place zero emission vehicles in Rhode Island before that sales requirement takes effect in model year 2008. Vehicles in Rhode Island contribute more than 80 percent of the air toxics that are currently at levels above health benchmarks, according to DEM's air quality monitoring data. Hydrocarbons contribute to Rhode Island's ozone non-attainment problem. The public hearing will be held at 1 p.m. on November 16 in Conference Room A at the Department of Administration located at 3 Capitol Hill in Providence. Written comments on the proposed regulations will be accepted until 4 p.m. on November 16, and may be sent to DEM's Office of Air Resources, 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908. For more information or copies of the proposed amendments, call Thomas Barry, Principal Air Quality Specialist in the Office of Air Resources at 222-2808 ext. 7021. The proposed amendments and a fact sheet on the California LEV II regulations can also be found on DEM's website, www. state.ri.us/dem, by clicking on "Air Resources" under "Programs", then "Proposed Amendments to Air Pollution Regulation 37". -30- |
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rev. 12/21/04