California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition Statement Re: CARB Proposal on Urban Bus Emissions Standard

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 19, 2005 -- The California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition issued the following statement today regarding a proposal before the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to align California's urban bus emissions standards with existing federal standards for the years 2007- 2009. All comments may be attributed to Michael L. Eaves, president.

"The California Air Resources Board can and should leave current bus emissions standards in place for 2007, but at the same time grant diesel fleet operators, or any other fleet operators, the ability to deploy buses that don't meet the '07 standard if the new buses are the best available. In taking this step, CARB should require these transit authorities to offset the difference in emissions between new buses purchased and the 2007 standard. Offsets could be accomplished by allowing fleet operators to retrofit older buses to make them cleaner.

"By granting fleet operators this ability to buy-but-offset, CARB can keep its 2007 bus emissions standards in place and keep California on the path towards better air quality through reduced transit bus emissions."