Complete list of press releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Janea Scott c-310-728-9469, jscott@environmentaldefense.org
Sean Crowley w-202-572-3331, scrowley@environmentaldefense.org

(Seattle , WA – May 8, 2007) - A leading environmental group urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finalize overdue new standards to reduce toxic pollution from diesel trains and ships by the end of the year during the first public hearing on them in Seattle today. The emission standards would apply to the nation’s fleet of diesel locomotive engines, tugs, barges, ferries and recreational marine engines. When adopted and fully phased in, EPA’s proposal will reduce particulate pollution and smog-forming nitrogen oxides from each engine by 80-95 percent.

“Diesel exhaust contains toxic chemicals that together with diesel particulate matter pose a cancer risk greater than that of any other air pollutant,” testified Environmental Defense staff attorney Janea Scott. “State air regulators estimate that cleaning up these engines will prevent more than 4,000 premature deaths a year, so EPA needs to finalize strong clean air standards to put America on the right track in achieving healthier air. And EPA needs to finalize these standards by end of this year.”

During the hearing, Environmental Defense urged EPA to complete this rulemaking before the end of the year, tighten up the requirements for smog-forming nitrogen oxides and, since diesel engines last for decades, to clean up particulate and smog-forming pollution from both locomotive and marine existing engines when they are rebuilt.

In 2006, locomotives released as much smog-forming pollution (nitrogen oxides) as 120 coal-fired power plants and as much particulate pollution as 70 coal-fired plants each year. Commercial shipping is responsible for about 1 million tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 40,000 tons of particulate pollution. In Seattle alone, locomotives emit nearly 3,500 tons of smog-forming NOx each year and ships emit over 14,000 tons annually, comparable to the smog-forming NOx from about 3.7 million and 15.8 million of today’s new cars, respectively. Ships and locomotives covered by the proposed rule currently account for about 17% of Seattle’s diesel particulate pollution from the transportation sector, according to EPA. Left unchecked, this percentage would rise to a staggering 43% in 2020 and 60% in 2030.

The EPA also is holding a public hearing on the proposed new standards in Chicago on Thursday (May 10). In Chicago, locomotives emit about 49,000 tons of smog-forming NOx each year and ships emit about 8,500 tons annually, comparable to the NOx pollution from about 53.7 million and 9.2 million of today’s new cars, respectively. To put this in perspective there are only about 5.5 million cars in the entire state of Illinois. EPA estimates the locomotive and marine engines covered by the proposed rule currently account for almost 25% of diesel particulate pollution in Chicago’s transportation sector. Without protective emission standards, ships and locomotives will emit about 70% of the diesel particulate pollution from mobile sources in Chicago by 2030. Environmental Defense has documented the extensive air pollution from both ships and locomotives. Learn how commercial marine shipping is polluting our air here [pdf] and learn more about locomotive pollution here. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense, 202-387-3500

John DeCicco, Automotive Policy Specialist, 313-727-7429

Tony Kreindler, 202-572-3378 or 202-210-5791 (Cell)

(Washington– May 8, 2007) Environmental Defense today welcomed more than a dozen major companies from across the economy to the U.S. Climate Action Partnership and its call for Congress to put a firm cap on carbon emissions.

In a historic move that transforms the political landscape, General Motors has become the first automobile manufacturer to join the coalition, potentially breaking the long stalemate over rising emissions from the transportation sector.

Along with GM, market leaders including AIG, Alcan, Dow, Deere & Company, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo and Shell have joined with environmental groups to double the size of USCAP, creating an unprecedented alliance for the creation of a firm cap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“With this lineup of companies and environmental groups endorsing it, a carbon cap is clearly the consensus solution to climate change,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense.  “With cap and trade, we’ve found the center. Environmental groups and businesses can embrace it because it guarantees results for the climate while freeing companies to hunt for innovative, least-cost ways to lower emissions,” Krupp said.

Launched in January, USCAP is asking this Congress to adopt a mandatory, comprehensive greenhouse gas cap and trade system that reduces emissions by 60 to 80 percent from current levels by 2050.  “The addition of these new companies adds horsepower to the push for Congress to act quickly on a real solution to climate change.  There will likely be energy policy votes in the coming months, but until Congress adopts a comprehensive cap on carbon pollution – as USCAP recommends – it hasn’t led on global warming,” added Krupp.

Pioneered by Environmental Defense as a way to efficiently reduce emissions from power plants, cap and trade puts an enforceable limit on emissions and allows companies to buy and sell emissions credits to meet their obligations. The approach will provide an economic incentive for companies to reduce global warming pollution and unleash a wave of private-sector investment in low-carbon technologies.

Cars and light trucks are a significant contributor to U.S. carbon emissions, and GM’s support of the USCAP reduction targets and timelines is a strong signal to Congress to act quickly on a comprehensive climate bill. With an office in the Detroit area, Environmental Defense has worked with the automobile industry to find innovative approaches to solving the climate problem.

“We look forward to continuing to work with General Motors and other USCAP members to advance a national policy that engages all sectors, including transportation, in cost-effective solutions that harness technology and stimulate innovation,” said John DeCicco, Environmental Defense’s Michigan-based automotive policy specialist.

New member companies announced by USCAP today include Alcan, American International Group, Boston Scientific, ConocoPhillips, Deere & Company, Dow Chemical Co., General Motors Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Marsh Inc., PepsiCo, Shell, and Siemens. Also joining the group are the National Wildlife Federation and The Nature Conservancy.

More information on USCAP is available at http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentID=5828

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Michael Shore, 828-582-3141, mshore@environmentaldefense.org

(Raleigh, NC - May 7, 2007) - Duke Energy has filed an application with the NC Utilities Commission that would allow it to implement a “save-a watt” program that would provide incentives for both the utility company and ratepayers to save electricity. The following statement may be attributed to Michael Shore, senior air policy analyst with the NC office of Environmental Defense.

“Under today’s rules, it does not make good business sense for North Carolina utilities to invest in energy efficiency. The save-a-watt program would provide incentives to save electricity, and that’s promising.”

“Duke Energy proposes to change the rules so that the company gets a good return on its investment in efficiency programs, which will enable North Carolina to take advantage of the state’s tremendous energy efficiency potential. At the same time, the program must be fair to rate payers. Duke Energy’s proposal should be scrutinized carefully to ensure it finds that balance.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Tony Kreindler, 202-572-3378 or 202-210-5791

(Washington – May 7, 2007) Environmental Defense President Fred Krupp today applauded Sen. Barack Obama for proposing legislation that would help promote America’s energy independence while protecting the climate by expanding the use of low-carbon fuels.

The bill introduced today would establish a national baseline for greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels and set an initial target of reducing emissions by at least 15 percent over the next two decades.

“Senator Obama’s bill could be the starting gun in the race for low-carbon fuels,” Krupp said. “We can’t pursue energy independence without looking at all of our energy options, and we can’t have national security unless we fix the climate problem.”

Senator Obama has already cosponsored the Lieberman-McCain bill (S. 280), and the Sanders-Boxer bill (S. 309) that would cap greenhouse gas emissions. Promoting low-carbon fuels within that context is an important component of meeting an emissions cap, and the bill introduced today puts us on a path toward that goal.

“This bill is a step toward making sure that all fuels can be part of the climate solution. We look forward to working with Senator Obama and others in the months ahead on refining the language in the bill so as to lead to maximum reductions, and work well with an overall cap on greenhouse gas emissions.” Krupp said.

Greenhouse gas emissions from traditional gasoline use in the transportation sector accounts for roughly 30 percent of global warming pollution in the U.S.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Kathryn Phillips 916-492-7072-w, 916-893-8494-c, kphillips@environmentaldefense.org
Meg Little 202-572-3387-w, (802) 598-6462-c, mlittle@environmentaldefense.org

(California – May 4, 2007) – Citing public health concerns, a leading environmental group today urged state officials to reject a request by a California construction industry coalition, the Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition, to delay a long-overdue decision on a proposed rule that would reduce deadly emissions from construction equipment in California. Emissions from California construction equipment are estimated to cause 1,100 premature deaths a year, more than a thousand hospitalizations for heart and lung disease, and tens of thousands of asthma attacks.

“The public’s health can’t afford to go without this proposed rule any longer and the construction industry can afford to pay for it because it gets billions of dollars in public contracts in California,” said Kathryn Phillips, manager of the California Clean Air for Life Campaign at Environmental Defense. “Everyone has been sensitive to balancing the industry’s ability to clean up with the public health demands, yet this proposed rule has been delayed too many times because the industry keeps demanding more analysis. Clearly, their goal is paralysis by analysis. Enough is enough.”

The Proposed Regulation for In-Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicles would dramatically improve California air quality and public health by enforcing the use of cleaner diesel equipment. It was crafted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) with input from the construction industry to minimize the cost of implementation. The proposed rule would phase in over 15 years, ensuring a steady decline in pollution from construction equipment at an annual cost of less than one half of one percent of construction value in the state. CARB estimates that the entire industry will have to spend only 4 billion dollars over the full 15 year period to comply with the proposed rule – a fair and cost-efficient price compared to the 9 billion dollars in annual public health costs caused by construction emissions.

The construction industry’s arguments that the proposed rule will be too expensive and detract from production quality are unfounded. CARB has already implemented similar requirements for transit buses and garbage trucks, among others with great success. These cleaner requirements have proven to effectively reduce pollution without being financially or logistically crippling.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Keith Gaby, Environmental Defense, 202-572-3336

Tony Kreindler, Environmental Defense, 202-210-5791

(Washington – May 4, 2007) The worst effects of global warming can be avoided with minimal impact on the economy if steps are taken now to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, a panel representing 2,500 international scientists said today.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, how much we cut emissions in the coming decades will determine whether we will face the most dangerous impacts of climate change.  With quick action, the worst consequences can be avoided with readily available technologies and at a modest cost, the IPCC said.

“We have a window of opportunity, but it won’t stay open forever,” said Steve Cochran, national climate campaign director at Environmental Defense. “Anyone pushing for delay is pushing for higher costs and longer odds.”

The IPCC outlined a broad portfolio of commercially available technologies capable of stabilizing greenhouse gas levels, ranging from more efficient lighting and vehicles to carbon capture and alternative fuels. The report also suggests market-based emissions trading as a way to spur their development and use.

A cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases would set an enforceable limit on emissions and let the market determine the best technologies. Cap-and-trade is the centerpiece of several climate bills pending in the Senate and the preferred approach of leading companies that have joined the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) with Environmental Defense.

Other approaches suggested by the IPCC, such as taxes, subsidies, and inflexible regulations, either fail to guarantee emissions reductions or would not unleash the cash and creativity of the private sector to find and fund solutions to the climate problem.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Betin Santos, Environmental Defense, 713-942-5821

               Jennifer Dickson, 512-691-3442

(Austin - May 3, 2007)  More than 1 million Texas children stand to benefit from bills pending in the state legislature that would retrofit diesel school buses to remove harmful emissions from inside the bus. Soon the House of Representatives could vote on SB 529 to enhance the Clean School Bus program that was created during the 79^th session, but left unfunded. A House and Senate Conference Committee must also set aside necessary funding for the next biennium.

“Funding the Clean School Bus program will allow children throughout Texas to benefit from the clean air fees paid by their families,” said Betin Santos, manager of the Clean Air for Life campaign of Environmental Defense. “Cleaning up the state’s school buses offers the best bang for the state’s air quality improvement buck. It’s up to our elected officials to choose to protect children’s health, or leave them to breathe dirty air.”

Children riding school buses are exposed to high concentrations of fine particulates and other toxic substances from the buses’ own emissions that enter the cabin.  In addition, school district’s without a “no idling” policy subject teachers and staff whom spend time on “bus duty” to high levels of diesel pollution. While school buses are the safest way to transport children, the emissions from their diesel engines contribute to a host of health effects including increased asthma, heart disease, and increased cancer risk. 

Environmental Defense and the Conroe Independent School District partnered last year to conduct a demonstration project to evaluate just how much diesel pollution enters the school bus during an  average trip.  Conroe ISD is the first in Texas to conduct such a project. 

“The District felt it was important to accurately test the levels of diesel emissions both inside and outside of our buses.  It is also important to recognize that these emissions are present in buses throughout Texas which is why there needs to be statewide funding to make Texas school buses safer for our students,” said Sam Davila, Director of Transportation for CISD. “Using a $750,000 grant we obtained, our District was able to retrofit 112 buses. Cleaning up this many buses would not have been possible without external funding.  We found that by outfitting buses with diesel particulate filters and reducing the amount of time buses idle we can reduce the health implications, improve air quality in Montgomery County, and save the District money in fuel costs.”

Measuring Pollution Levels Inside Texas School Buses is a comprehensive study that details actual pollution levels in CISD buses and includes testing of technologies available to clean up the state’s entire school bus fleet. The report found that diesel particulate filters and closed crankcase filtration systems reduce diesel pollution by 95% bringing it to the level of a clean, 2007 diesel bus.

“We have worked hard with state officials to develop a strong program to clean-up our buses knowing already that these risks were real, and serious,” said Santos.  “To ensure the program is successful you have to dedicate the funds needed. Texans paid their dues and now we need to ensure the money is used for the reasons the State collected it— to improve air quality.”

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s budget projections show that more than $150 million in unspent clean air funds will be available in 2008-2009 from the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP).  Most of this dedicated funding comes from fees paid by everyday Texans each time they transfer a vehicle title.

Texas parents expect when their child rides a school bus they will be entering a safe environment,” said Casey Magnuson, Environmental Chair for the Texas Parent Teacher Association. “Without argument the school bus is the safest way to transport our students; however it is important we also think about the quality of the air inside those buses. This report shows Texas has a significant but solvable public health problem on its hands.  The risk is real and documented, the fix is simple, and the funding is available. When parents see these numbers, and see there’s a problem and a very reasonable solution, they wonder why it hasn’t been solved already.”

Measuring Pollution Levels Inside Texas School Buses is available for download at: www.cleanbuses.org or by linking here, http://www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/6153_bus_findings.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Meg Little, mlittle@environmentaldefense.org, 202-572-3387
Sharyn Stein, sstein@environmentaldefense.org, 202-572-3396
Brian Moore, National Audubon Society 202-861-2242 ext 3028

(Washington, DC – May 3, 2007) – Three leading environmental groups praised the introduction today of a bill that proposes to dramatically increase funding for voluntary conservation programs in this year’s Farm Bill. U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) introduced The Farm, Nutrition and Community Investment Act that rewards farmers, ranchers and forest landowners when they take steps to solve some of our most pressing environmental challenges, such as providing clean air and water, wildlife habitat, wetlands restoration and developing renewable energy sources. Farmers, producers and private forest owners manage millions acres of the Northeast landscape; these landowners play an important role in protecting the quality of the region’s air, water and wildlife habitat. With other significant farm bill reform legislation, such as the Healthy Farms, Foods and Fuels Act and the EAT Healthy America Act already cosponsored by more than 178 House members, this bill further strengthens the call for Congress to expand conservation in the next Farm Bill.

The bill would:
• Double incentives for better water quality to $2 billion a year;
• Provide farmers $300 million a year to enhance wildlife habitat;
• Help farmers restore 5 million acres of wetlands;
• Increase funding to help protect forest lands from development;
• Promote development of renewable energy sources.

“We applaud Congresswoman DeLauro and Congressman Gilchrest for this comprehensive proposal to give more Americans access to the important conservation programs offered by the Department of Agriculture,” says Brian Moore of the National Audubon Society.

“I applaud these members of Congress for introducing this legislation that will help make health, energy, equity and the environment a central focus of the 2007 Farm Bill,” said Scott Faber, farm policy campaign director for Environmental Defense, “Our farmers, ranchers and forest landowners are anxious to solve America’s environmental challenges. They can help provide clean air, clean water, and clean energy, but only if we reward – rather than reject – their offers to help.”

“This innovative legislation from Representatives DeLauro and Gilchrest is a major addition to the bi-partisan momentum that has been building since 2002 to fix the unfairness, the inequities, and the misplaced priorities of America’s broken, wasteful system of farm subsidies. The call for reform is coming from virtually every progressive organization in America, from the religious community, and from moderates and conservatives in Congress. The farm policy fraternity is tuning it all out. They prefer the status quo, which funnels the majority of America’s investment in agriculture to a handful of commercial operations growing a half-dozen crops in two-dozen Congressional districts. It’s time for that system to go,” said Ken Cook, President of the Environmental Working Group.

As a result of inadequate conservation funding of the current Farm Bill that took effect in 2002, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) turns away thousands of landowners in the Northeast who are eligible for conservation payments. Unlike subsidies, conservation payments flow to all farmers, ranchers and landowners regardless of what they grow or where they live.

Read the bill summary here.

Read the bill section-by-section here.

Read the regional fact sheet here [pdf].

Click here for more information about farm and food policy reform.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jim Marston, Environmental Defense, 512-691-3402, jmarston@environmentaldefense.org

(Austin, TX- May 1, 2007) The following statement may be attributed to Jim Marston, Regional Director, Environmental Defense:

CSSB 1317 is nothing but a May Day gift to polluters, and we applaud Senators Whitmire, Gallegos and Ellis for standing up and trying to stop it with a filibuster today.

Air pollution doesn’t recognize city limits or county lines, but Senator Mike Jackson’s bill strips local elected officials of their authority to protect their citizens from pollution generated just across their borders. Currently local leaders are allowed to restrict pollution if the source is within 5000 feet of the city limits due to the pollution’s affect on neighboring communities and the citizens who reside in those areas.

The city of Houston – after careful study by an independent scientific panel – had begun to act to reduce cancer-causing chemicals coming from sources immediately adjacent to its city limits, as they are authorized to do under current law. Now, with Sen. Jackson’s bill, their citizens are left to rely on the understaffed and sometimes disinterested TCEQ that for years has been unable or unwilling to protect citizens in Houston and other parts of the state against dangerous levels of toxins in their air.

Senators Whitmire, Gallegos and Ellis were doing what was best for their constituents and the entire state. Sadly, two-thirds of the Senate voted against efforts to reduce cancer-causing pollution and instead are letting the big polluters continue with business as usual.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contacts:
Bill Bobier, Earthscape Resource Management, (517) 484-4928
Terry Noto, for Environmental Defense, (585) 383-0358, or 585-455-7671 (mobile)
Scott Piggott, Michigan Farm Bureau, (517) 323-7000, ext 2021
Stephen May, Lenawee County Drain Commissioner Office, (517) 264-4696

(Michigan – May 1, 2007) – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture Farm Services Agency announced today a significant expansion of a key Michigan farmer-focused initiative to improve water quality and restore wildlife habitat in Michigan and benefit Lake Erie. The expansion opens up the program to farmers in critical portions of the Lake Erie Watershed in the southern Michigan counties of Branch, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe. In addition to expanding the program geographically, the recent revisions will enable the Michigan Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (MI CREP) to assist farmers in tackling the flow of suspended sediment and nutrients into more of southern Michigan’s rivers and streams and ultimately into the Western Basin of Lake Erie, the shallowest, warmest and most productive lake in the Great Lakes system. This change comes at a critical time – as Congress is deciding whether to provide additional funding for conservation programs in the 2007 farm bill. View map here [pdf].

“This enhanced Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program will provide farmers in the region with a voluntary, incentive-driven opportunity to implement practices that make real progress towards improving water quality in southern Michigan and ultimately Lake Erie,” explained Scott Piggott, manager of the Michigan Farm Bureau Agricultural Ecology Department. “This effort demonstrates Michigan’s and USDA’s strong commitment to working cooperatively toward improving water quality.”

This program could represent a combined federal, state and non-profit organizational investment of over $200 million dollars in Michigan. The public-private partnership implementing the MI CREP includes the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Michigan’s Department of Agriculture (MDA), the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Michigan Farm Bureau Federation, Environmental Defense, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, the land conservancies, and The Nature Conservancy.

“This project will not only deliver critical water quality benefits, but also dramatically increase federal investment in this area of Michigan,” said Bill Bobier, a farmer and former Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives who owns a conservation consulting firm, Earthscape Resource Management, in Hisperia. “It demonstrates just how important federal farm bill conservation programs are to Michigan’s farmers and our environment.”

Congress will reauthorize the federal farm bill later this year. Two bills have been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would expand funding for farm bill conservation programs and target more resources toward the MI CREP and similar projects in other states. These bills, the Healthy Farms, Foods and Fuels Act and the EAT Healthy America Act, have over 140 cosponsors, including Michigan Reps John Dingell, Thaddeus McCotter and five other Michigan members of Congress.

“The changes announced today will offer farmers more and better options and financial incentives to help improve water quality and wildlife in the region, as well as helping combat climate change,” said Terry Noto, a conservation consultant for Environmental Defense.

Farmers who participate in this program will help stem the flow of pollutants by implementing key water quality practices such as planting grass and trees along side streams to slow and filter water and restoring wetlands that collect water during storms, thereby reducing the highest stream flows during storms and reducing the risk of flooding downstream. These practices can help water quality in local rivers and streams, such as the St. Joseph River, improve drinking water quality, improve fisheries and benefit Lake Erie itself. Wildlife will also benefit, and the program will help address climate change, potentially sequestering almost one million metric tons of carbon over 15 years.

“These changes announced today will not only benefit water quality and wildlife, they will also help reduce the need for maintenance of drainage ways and improve structural integrity of drainage ditches and stream bank stability,” said Stephen May, Lenawee County Drain Commissioner.

“The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program has been a fantastic demonstration of partners working together to get conservation on the land,” said Steve Shine, Conservation Programs Manager, Michigan Department of Agriculture. “This new relationship with Environmental Defense and the Joyce Foundation will help us take this success farther by expanding our partnerships, resources on the ground and watersheds.”

Through generous support from the Joyce Foundation, Environmental Defense will provide additional funding for outreach and implementation in the new target area.

Click here for more information about the revised MI CREP, practices and incentives, and eligible counties.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Will McDow, 919-881-2926 or 919-414-5293 (cell)

(Raleigh, NC — April 27, 2007) More than 80 members of the NC House of Representatives have signed on as sponsors to a bill that would give property tax relief to private landowners who want to manage their lands for wildlife and conservation benefits. House bill 1889 is expected to be introduced Monday, April 30.

The bill will help protect the state’s forests and farmland by reducing the higher tax bills that landowners now pay when they manage land for conservation benefits, rather than agriculture or commercial forestry. High tax bills can be a crucial factor in a landowner’s decision to sell.

“Having so many sponsors reflects broad support for giving conservation the same tax rates as commercial forestry and agriculture,” said Will McDow, forestry specialist with the NC Office of Environmental Defense. “Equitable property tax treatment gives landowners across the state something to cheer about. These are landowners who are reducing their income to protect land that provides all of us with benefits, such as clean water. These landowners should not be penalized for doing the right thing.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Karen Douglas, 916.492.7076
Jennifer Witherspoon, 510.457.2250 or 415.216.9598 (cell)

(California – April 25, 2007) Governor Schwarzenegger announced today that a letter will be sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday, April 26, 2007 demanding action on California’s request to implement its Clean Cars law (AB 1493, Pavley, 2002). The governor intends to give EPA six months to act on the waiver before a lawsuit would be filed.

 “We applaud Governor Schwarzenegger for using his muscle to challenge EPA’s inaction in the courts,” said Karen Douglas the California climate initiative director of Environmental Defense. “With the urgency of global warming it is indefensible that EPA would not act immediately to grant California’s waiver request given the authority that the Supreme Court says EPA has to regulate global warming under the Clean Air Act.”  

California in 2002 passed the groundbreaking legislation to limit global warming pollution from tailpipes. Since then 12 other states have adopted clean car laws, including the passage of such a law in Maryland yesterday. California set a precedent of strong clean air standards that go further than the federal government, and it has a right to pass strong state laws as long as EPA grants it a waiver under the federal Clean Air Act.

Even though California requested the waiver from EPA in December of 2005, the agency has refused to grant California’s waiver, even when requested by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), claiming it had no authority to regulate carbon dioxide from automobiles. Just this month EPA’s logjam was broken by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on April 2nd, 2007 when the Supreme Court ruled that carbon dioxide was a pollutant that could be regulated by EPA under its Clean Air Act authority.

For more information, please visit: http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?ContentID=6083

For more on California’s Clean Cars law please visit: http://www.calcleancars.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Katharine Burnham, Environmental Defense, 202-572-3335 kburnham@environmentaldefense.org

(Washington, DC- April 24, 2007) Today the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans, and Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a joint oversight hearing on “Renewable Energy Opportunities and Issues on the Outer Continental Shelf.” The following statement may be attributed to Douglas Rader, Ph.D., Principal Scientist for Oceans and Estuaries at Environmental Defense:

“Meeting America’s energy needs while addressing the global warming challenge will require a new age of energy conservation and the tapping of sustainable options for eco-friendly energy production. It is very likely that the sea will be part of the ‘greening’ or in this case ‘bluing’ of our energy production portfolio.

“However, ocean sources like wind, tide, wave and current energy may only become a positive energy alternative if we adhere to certain fundamental principles:

• Ocean energy development should be based on clearly defined criteria and consistent with a national policy of protecting and restoring healthy ocean ecosystems, including cumulative impacts;
• The public should benefit from the use of public resources, and appropriate incentives should be in place to encourage green energy development; decision processes should encourage public engagement, and meet the highest standards of transparency;
• The federal government should support the research needed to develop cutting-edge “green” technologies, to understand and mitigate their potential impacts and to accelerate technologies for sustainable oceans; and
• The federal government should invest in the science needed to manage marine ecosystems effectively; government decisions should be based on the best peer-reviewed science.

“The potential benefits of ocean energy to curb global warming should be analyzed against the potential risks of harming the ocean environment. Getting the management right is a critical first step in achieving ‘blue’ energy alternatives.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Karen Douglas, 916.492.7076
Vickie Patton, 720.837.6239
Jennifer Witherspoon, 510.457.2250 or 415.216.9598 (cell)
Tony Kreindler, 202.572.3378 or 202.210.5791 (cell)

(Washington, DC – April 24, 2007) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it would begin a public process to take input on California’s request for a waiver to implement its 2002 Clean Cars Law to reduce global warming pollution from automobiles. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson made the announcement during a hearing led by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

“Icebergs are moving faster than EPA,” said Karen Douglas, California Climate Initiative director of Environmental Defense. “The U.S. Supreme Court just overturned EPA’s refusal to regulate global warming pollution under the Clean Air Act, yet EPA has made no indication that it will grant California’s request or by when.”

Even when pressed by Senator Boxer, Administrator Johnson declined to give an indication of when his agency would decide to grant California’s waiver, committing only to a public hearing on May 22nd in Washington D.C. and a public comment period to end on June 15th.

California in 2002 passed the groundbreaking legislation to limit global warming pollution from tailpipes. Since then 12 other states have adopted clean car laws, including the passage of such a law in Maryland today. California set a precedent of strong clean air standards that go further than the federal government, and it has a right to pass strong state laws as long as EPA grants it a waiver under the federal Clean Air Act.

Even though California requested the waiver from EPA in December of 2005, the agency has refused to grant California’s waiver, even when requested by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), claiming it had no authority to regulate carbon dioxide from automobiles. Just this month EPA’s logjam was broken by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on April 2nd, 2007 when the Supreme Court ruled that carbon dioxide was a pollutant that could be regulated by EPA under its Clean Air Act authority.

AB 1493 (Pavley), or the California Clean Cars law, requires reductions of global warming pollution by 30 percent from new automobiles starting with the model year 2009. Implementing the Clean Cars law is considered a vital component for reaching the goals of AB 32, another sweeping California law to limit global warming pollution. Passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks represent the largest sources of global warming pollution in California, and are responsible for approximately 40 percent of California’s total global warming emissions.

Lawsuits are also pending in the states of California and Vermont where some automakers are trying to prevent the implementation of Clean Cars laws despite the clear body of scientific evidence that global warming is real and poses significant threats to humanity and the natural world if swift and decisive actions are not taken to reduce global warming emissions.

Eleven states have adopted California’s Clean Cars law, including: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Maryland. Many other states such as Texas may also adopt the clean cars rules.

A March 2006 National Academy of Sciences study closely reviewed and broadly affirmed California’s time-tested role in adopting breakthrough emission standards for motor vehicles. Now EPA needs to clear the way for California to continue its pioneering work on global warming pollution.

For more information, please visit: http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?ContentID=6083
For more on California’s Clean Cars law please visit: http://www.calcleancars.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact:
Gene Russianoff, (917) 575-9434 
Neysa Pranger, (917) 532-0567

(New York, Ny - April 23, 2007) – A broad coalition of civic, business, labor, environmental, religious, public health and community groups today announced their support for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “bold and visionary” PlaNYC 2030 goals. The plan’s recommendations were unveiled by the Mayor yesterday and seek to address the growing menace of global warming.

The new coalition is named the “Campaign for New York’s Future.” The coalition’s diverse membership – now more than 70 groups and growing – is listed below.

PlaNYC contains 127 initiatives to make progress on “10 goals for 2030,” including such aims as “improving travel times by adding transit capacity,” “ensuring that all New Yorkers live within a 10-minute walk of a park,” and “reducing global warming emissions by more than 30%.” One major proposal is a three-year pilot of “congestion pricing,” charging vehicles for coming into Manhattan’s Central Business District during rush hours.

The Campaign for New York’s Future, according to its mission statement, “is a coalition of civic, business, environmental, labor, religious, public health and community organizations that support the goals and strategic direction of PlaNYC. Our goal is to make every neighborhood in NYC a great place to live and work, as well as make a significant contribution to fighting climate change. The coalition aims to encourage public debate – as well as fair and effective action – now and in the years to come. We recognize the need to both seize the opportunity for immediate action and to insure that this long-term plan evolves with continued dialogue and changing conditions.”

“We believe this is a bold and visionary plan that will benefit New York’s working families for generations. We are enthusiastic about continuing this process and congratulate Mayor Bloomberg on making the informed decisions that will benefit all of us,” Ed Ott, executive director of the New York City Central Labor Council. 

The Campaign for New York’s Future is formulating plans to build support for PlaNYC, such as a speaker’s bureau, meetings with key city and state decision-makers and advertising.

“PlaNYC recognizes the need to redefine the City’s environmental agenda broadening it to include energy and transportation policy, infrastructure development and affordable housing. In doing so, it positions New York to be a truly sustainable city,” said Marcia Bystryn, executive director of the New York League of Conservation Voters.

Transport Workers Union Local 100 President Roger Toussaint endorses “congestion pricing” as part of a comprehensive improvement of New York’s mass transit and as a sound environmental policy that responds to global climate change. “We also call on the City, State and the MTA to freeze the fares and implement fare reductions during the hours congestion pricing would be in effect,” Toussaint said. “There has tobe a significant increase in the number of buses on the streets to take up the slack.”

“The groups in our coalition may have some differences on the issues of the day,” said Gene Russianoff, senior attorney for NYPIRG. “But we’ve all come together around PlaNYC’s aim that our children inherit a city that has healthy air to breathe and clean water to drink and safe streets to cross and the space and economy to grow responsibly. We think the plan has the promise to get New Yorkers the subway and bus service they deserve and the traffic relief they want.”

Peggy M. Shepard, executive director, WE ACT For Environmental Justice, and a member of the mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, said: “I think the mayor has understood the depth of the challenges before us and developed a plan that has engaged communities and resonates throughout all of our neighborhoods which welcome improved air quality, reduced asthma prevalence, increased access to open space, and reliable clean energy.”

Elizabeth C. Yeampierre, executive director of UPROSE said: “We are thrilled that the Mayor has included the cleanup of brownfields in his sustainability vision. Environmental Justice communities have been waiting a long time for cleanups. It is crucial that the brownfields be re-used to accommodate both the needs of existing residents and businesses as well as the needs of newcomers. We look forward to seeing brownfield redevelopment integrated with community planning and the Sustainability Plan. In a city like New York, sustainability , community planning and equity are necessary partners. The Mayor’s plan is a historical first step in this direction.”

Bob Yaro, President of Regional Plan Association said: “PlaNYC 2030 is a bold and much-needed vision for the future of New York City and the entire metropolitan region. This coalition is intended to help seize this historic opportunity as well as insure that public dialogue and action continue beyond the terms of Mayor Bloomberg and other public officials.” 

“Pollution from chronic traffic congestion is like second-hand smoke on our city sidewalks,” said Andy Darrell, Director of the Living Cities Program at Environmental Defense, a national non-profit organization, and a member of Mayor Bloomberg’s Sustainability Advisory Board. “More than 2 million New Yorkers have higher risks of cancer, asthma attacks and reduced childhood lung development because they live near a congested road. By reducing traffic, investing in mass transit, and cleaning up the dirtiest diesel engines on our city streets, this plan sets a new international standard for how to achieve healthy air in one of the world’s largest cities.”

Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives said: “Congestion pricing means less traffic and less traffic means healthier neighborhoods, a more sustainable City and a stronger transportation network. Congestion pricing will reduce traffic for those who need to drive, help clean the air and raise funds for better subway, bus and commuter rail service.”

Peter Kostmayer, president of Citizens for New York City said “Congestion pricing will benefit the vast majority of New Yorkers – from all five boroughs - in many ways. It will shorten their commutes, improve the air they breathe, and raise millions for the mass transit that most of them use.”

Diana Fortuna, president of the Citizens Budget Commission said:“The PlaNYC initiative is a bold step in addressing the needs of a growing city. The forward-thinking planning process it represents deserves broad public support.”

Ashok Gupta, Air and Energy Program Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council said: “Energy efficient homes, offices and power plants are the key to meeting our growing energy needs, lowering energy bills, and reducing global warming pollution. The detailed blueprint that Mayor Bloomberg has proposed is exactly what is needed to meet the goal of 30% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. And, the sooner we start the sooner we can improve the lives of every New Yorker and set the standard for every other city around the world.”

Campaign for America’s Future Member Groups

• AARP
• American Institute of Architects, New York Chapter
• American Lung Association
• American Planning Association
• Association for a Better New York
• Better Hood Pacific Street Block Association
• Bryant Park Group
• Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York
• Building Trades Employers Association
• Chinese Chamber of Commerce of New York
• Citizens Budget Commission
• Citizens Budget Committee
• Citizens Committee for New York City
• Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
• Crow Hill Community Association
• District Council 9, Painters
• District Council 1707, AFSCME
• Drum Major Institute
• Environmental Defense
• General Contractors Association
• Gowanus Stakeholders Group
• Industrial Retention Network
• Iron Hills Civic Association
• Latin American Chaplains Association
• Lin Sing Association
• Mason Tenders District Council
• Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance
• Midland Beach Civic Association
• Morningside Heights Coalition
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• New York AREA
• New York Building Congress
• New York City Central Labor Council
• New York City District Council of Carpenters
• New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
• New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• New York City Healthy Schools Network
• New York Immigration Coalition
• New York League of Conservation Voters
• New York Urban Land Institute District Council
• New Partners for Community Revitalization
• Nos Quedamos
• Partnership for New York City
• Pratt Center for Community Development
• Prospect Park 300 Association
• Regional Plan Association
• Rev. Anne Grant – Triumphant New Destiny
• Rev. Luc Gurrier – Sanctified Church of God
• Rev. Cecil Henry – Calvary Community Church
• Rev. Robert Lowe- Mt. Moriah AME Church (Cambria Heights)
• Rev. Timothy Mitchell- Antioch Baptist Church (Jamaica)
• Rev. Les Mullings- Church of Nazarene (Far Rockaway)
• Rev. Eddie Okyere – Miracle Church of Christ
• Rev. Gregory Roberson Smith -Mother Zion AME
• Rev. Carlene Thorbs- Baptist Ministers Conference
• Rev. Jerry West – Mt. Moriah Church of God in Christ
• Riverkeeper Alliance
• SEIU 32BJ
• Soho Alliance
• South Beach Civic Association
• Straphangers Campaign, NYPIRG
• Transport Workers Union Local 100
• Transportation Alternatives
• Tri-State Transportation Campaign
• UPROSE
• West Harlem Environmental Action (WEACT)
• Western Jackson Heights Alliance
• Women’s City Club
• Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
• 600 Grand Block Association