PennFuture condemned the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 17, 2006 -- Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) today condemned the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee for moving to hijack and kill the clean cars program after an extensive citizen involvement process showed the overwhelming popularity of the program. The final regulations requiring cars sold in the Commonwealth to meet more protective pollution standards beginning with the 2008 model year were passed by a 16-2 vote of the Environmental Quality Board on September 19, following public comments of nearly 5,000 citizens in favor of the new rule.

The approval of Senate Bill 1025 today comes just after a full-page ad paid for by out-of-state special interests appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot- News, and less than 24 hours after the committee leadership suddenly announced the consideration of the bill, which was believed dead by most observers.

"This is a classic example of inside-the-beltway politics, where lobbyists play the tune and some legislators dance," said John Hanger, president and CEO of PennFuture. "With absolutely no public support for the bill, it is truly outrageous that most members of the Transportation Committee would so blatantly violate the wishes of the citizens and cater to out-of-state special interests.

"How much more damage to the public trust must be done by some legislators," asked Hanger rhetorically. "It is astonishing - after everything that has happened this year - that some members of this committee still don't understand that they are responsible to the citizens of Pennsylvania, not the hired gun lobbyists of the polluters."

"But five honorable legislators recognized their duty to the people and cast no votes," continued Hanger. "Representatives Michael Gerber (D- Montgomery), Kate Harper (R-Montgomery), Anthony Melio (D-Bucks), John Siptroth (D-Monroe and Pike) and Katharine Watson (R-Bucks) all deserve our thanks for standing up for our children, the elderly and the one million Pennsylvanians with respiratory illnesses, whose lives and health are put at risk by the air pollution the new rule would stop."

The House Transportation Committee's vote today to approve Senate Bill 1025, a bill previously passed in the Senate to kill the clean cars program, could put this bill on the fast track if the House remains in session next week. Absent House action, only approval by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission next month must occur to finalize adoption of the clean cars program.

If the rule is fully implemented, Pennsylvania will join Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Oregon, Washington and California in opting for the clean cars program.

The clean cars program requires automakers to ensure that sales of vehicles that emit more pollution are balanced out by sales of those that emit much less pollution. For new car sales beginning with the 2008 model year, only those vehicles certified by the California Air Resources Board could be sold and registered in Pennsylvania. The list of cars certified by the California Air Resources Board and available for sale this year makes a list 14-1/2 feet long in a tiny 7.5 font. It includes American-made and foreign SUVs, luxury sedans and compacts.

In 1998 during the Ridge Administration, Pennsylvania adopted the California car program in order to be able to participate in the National Low Emission Vehicle (NLEV) Program. Under the terms of the NLEV program, the state was supposed to fully implement the program starting with model year 2006. But changes to the clean car program and other considerations made it necessary for Pennsylvania to move implementation back to the 2008 model year.

"We urge the members of the House of Representatives to defeat this bill and respect the wishes of their constituents by letting the program become law," concluded Hanger. "The citizens want clean cars and they expect their legislators to reflect their wishes, not those of the polluters."

PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership organization that advances policies to protect and improve the state's environment and economy. With offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and West Chester, PennFuture's activities include litigating cases before regulatory bodies and in local, state and federal courts, advocating and advancing legislative action on a state and federal level, public education and assisting citizens in public advocacy.