RIPIRG Says Standard Would Improve Air Quality and Consumer Access to Cleaner Cars
As the new home of RIPIRG's environmental work, Environment Rhode Island can be contacted regarding this news release.
PROVIDENCE—Advocates
representing the environmental, public health and automotive services community
testified today in support of proposed regulations that would require Rhode
Island to follow California’s stringent auto-emissions standards instead
of the standards set by the federal government.
At a press conference before the hearing advocates praised the benefits California’s
standards.
“Adopting California’s Clean Cars Standard would be a huge victory
for the environment, public health and consumers,” said Matt Auten, an
advocate with the Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group (RIPIRG). “The
standard will reduce air pollution from the largest of pollution in Rhode Island
and give consumers better access to today’s cleanest cars,” Auten
said.
According to RI PIRG, the proposed “Clean Cars Standard” will reduce
emissions of smog precursors and cancerous air 25 percent more than federal
standards by 2020. The reductions come from strict emission standards for new
cars and by setting a mandate for the sale of ultra clean advanced technology
vehicles.
“It is no secret that automobile pollution is a major part of Rhode Island’s
air pollution problems,” said Auten. “All you need to do is look at
the traffic on I-95 and I-195 to see evidence of that. Right now Rhode Island
has air pollution problems ranging from asthma, to elevated cancer risks to
global warming. Reducing pollution from our cars is a necessary first step if
we want to begin to solve any of those problems,” Auten continued.
Since 2000, Rhode Island has had 50 days when the air was deemed unhealthy to
breathe. On these unhealthy air days, children, the elderly, and people with
respiratory problems are encouraged to stay indoors.
“Over 100,000 Rhode Islanders have asthma, including 19,000 children, “said
Molly Clark of the American Lung Association of Rhode Island. “Adopting
the Clean Cars Standard will reduce ozone precursors by 25 percent over the
next 15 years. Ozone is a key component of summer smog, which can trigger asthma
attacks and cause new cases of asthma to develop,” Clark continued.
“As a result of the problems air pollution causes the automotive industry
should be taking steps to reduce air pollution,” said Stan Morrin of the
Massachusetts/Rhode Island Alliance of Auto Service Providers. “Massachusetts
has already moved forward with the Clean Cars Standard and there is no reason
why Rhode Island shouldn't join them,” Morrin said.
“When this standard goes into place, it will be easier for people in our
state to get hybrids and other low emission cars and will make certain that
all of us can breathe a little easier,” said State Representative Arthur
Handy of Cranston.
The advocates also pointed out that the Clean Cars Standard is an important
step for Rhode Island's to reach its commitment of reducing climate change emissions.
The Clean Cars Standard is expected to reduce carbon dioxide pollution, a key
global warming gas, by 32 metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE) by 2020. Cars
and power plants are the two main sources of greenhouse gas emissions in New
England.
“It is clear that we cannot wait for the federal government to take action
to prevent global warming. Rhode Island is taking an important step by requiring
cleaner cars here in our state.” said Sheila Dormody, Rhode Island Director
of Clean Water Action. “Global warming puts the Ocean State’s densely
populated coastline at risk because it causes sea levels to rise, beach erosion
and more extreme weather patterns.”
Adopting the Clean Cars Standard will bring us closer to meeting the New England
Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers goal of reducing climate change emissions
to 1990 levels by 2010 and 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
Last April the EPA announced that the entire state of Rhode Island fails to
meet health- based standards for ozone levels. The American Lung Association
of Rhode Island has given Kent, Washington and Providence Counties failing grades
for ozone levels (there are no monitoring stations in either Bristol or Newport
Counties) for the past two years. The Lung Association estimates that costs
the state of Rhode Island more than $40 million a year.
A number of organizations endorsed a letter circulated by RI PIRG supporting
the Clean Cars Standard including public health groups like the American Heart
Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and Rhode Island Medical; environmental
groups such as Save the Bay, Conservation Law Foundation and the Environment
Council of Rhode Island; and automotive groups like Toyota of Newport, the Massachusetts/Rhode
Island Alliance of Auto Service Professionals and Rhode Island branches of New
England Tire.
Over 1,000 citizens of Rhode Island wrote Governor Carcieri asking him to support
the Clean Cars Standard and several hundred sent comments to DEM about the proposed
regulations.
