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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 WELCOMES NRC RECOMMENDATION THAT STATES BE ALLOWED TO SET CALIFORNIA AIR POLLUTION STANDARDS FOR VEHICLES PROVIDENCE -- The Department of Environmental Management today said it strongly supports a report issued by the National Research Council (NRC) that reaffirms the importance of states having the ability to adopt California's stringent air pollution standards for automobiles and trucks.The NRC issued the report, entitled State and Federal Standards for Mobile Source Emissions, in response to a request by Congress to evaluate how California sets air pollution standards for automobiles and trucks and how other states adopt the California standards. The NRC rejected arguments from vehicle manufacturers wanting to curtail state authority to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles, and did not recommend any legislative or regulatory changes that would prohibit states from adopting California's cleaner vehicle emission standards. The federal government sets national air pollution standards for automobiles and trucks under the Clean Air Act. The Act also grants California the authority to set its own, more stringent standards, which other states may adopt in lieu of the federal standards. Rhode Island is one of 15 states that have adopted the strict California standards for either automobiles or trucks. In 2004, Rhode Island adopted the latest California Low Emission Vehicle II (LEV II) new vehicle emission standards for new vehicles sold in the state 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 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. In December 2005, Rhode Island went a step further by adopting California's greenhouse gas emissions standards. The new standards will significantly lower the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted from new vehicles purchased in the state. The new emissions standards limit the amount of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and certain air conditioning refrigerants emitted by the fleets of vehicles sold by auto manufacturers, including medium-duty weight class vehicles. The standards will be phased in over the 2009 through 2016 model year period, and when fully implemented, will result in a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. "We adopted the California LEV II and greenhouse gas emission standards based on sound scientific data," Governor Donald L. Carcieri said. "The report issued today by the NRC reaffirms the importance of allowing states to maintain the responsibility for meeting air quality standards." Vehicles in Rhode Island contribute more than 80 percent of the pollutants in our air, which pushes the toxic levels above health benchmarks, according to DEM's air quality monitoring data. "California's stringent emission standards are a key element in Rhode Island's strategy to improve the quality of our air and the health of our environment," said DEM Director W. Michael Sullivan, Ph.D. "Although much of Rhode Island's air pollution emanates from outside our state, it is imperative that we have the ability to implement the best, most stringent emissions standards necessary to reduce homegrown sources of pollution. Rhode Island and other states will continue the battle against air pollution by implementing California's strict standards." -30- |
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