Complete list of press releases

(27 September 2002 — New York)  Environmental Defense today praised New York Governor Pataki and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for the announcement of their plan to reduce harmful emissions from construction vehicles being used in the reconstruction of lower Manhattan’s World Trade Center site.

“With these steps, New York will be launching a national model for clean construction that will cut emissions before they have a chance to harm health,” said Andy Darrell, New York regional director of Environmental Defense.  “Non-road engines, which include construction vehicles, are among the nation’s super-polluters.   By requiring measures to reduce pollution from these vehicles now, Governor Pataki will help restore New Yorkers’ confidence in the air they breathe.”

Nationally, nonroad engines, like construction equipment at the WTC site, emit more fine particles than the nation’s passenger cars, trucks and power plants combined.  The harmful pollutants emitted from these engines are linked to asthma, increases in emergency room visits, cancer and other health effects.  Reducing pollution from these vehicles will help protect the lives of all people downtown, including over 4,000 children who live, attend school and play in parks within blocks of the site.

“The cost-effective steps outlined in this plan are good for the economy, good for the environment and good for the health of the many New Yorkers who live, work and play downtown,” said Darrell.  “This use of affordable retrofit technology and low sulfur, low polluting fuels should serve as a nationwide example of good government and smart public health protection.”

In January of this year, Environmental Defense issued a briefing paper, Rebuilding Lower Manhattan: A Clean Air Initiative, which called for the adoption of practical steps to improve the long-term air quality of lower Manhattan.  The plan announced today contains many of those recommendations, including the required use of ultra-low sulfur fuel (15 ppm) and best available retrofit technology by all state agency and authority fleets and contracts during the reconstruction of lower Manhattan.

Cleaning the Air at Ground Zero - Watch a video report about our winning fight to enact stricter air pollution controls for construction vehicles at the rebuild site of New York’s World Trade Center, which will be a model for reducing the harmful effects of heavy duty diesel-powered machines at construction sites around the country. (Real Player required)

(26 September 2002 — Oakland)  In the wake of a controversial proposed policy change that could bring environmentally damaging projects to a coastal state’s shores without its consent, Environmental Defense today defended the longstanding right of affected states to be part of federal decisions about offshore drilling, ocean dumping, undersea pipelines, and other damaging industrial projects.  State authority over such activities could be seriously curtailed under a new federal rulemaking now being proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  Environmental Defense urges the White House to withdraw this rule.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />

“States and their citizens should be able to be sure that no oil rig, gas pipeline, or potentially hazardous industrial project is sited off their shores without their input and consent, ” said Richard Charter, marine conservation advocate with Environmental Defense.  “We join with the many members of Congress who have today opposed any effort by the administration to undermine the important role that coastal states have traditionally played in decisions affecting their shores.”

The proposed changes to NOAA’s “consistency” rules could undermine the 30 years of successful partnerships between coastal states and the federal government which have been a tradition under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).  NOAA’s proposed relaxation of its policies would exempt entire categories of permits from state review, and what the agency calls “far offshore” projects could become virtually immune from state oversight.

Offshore drilling has long been the source of major political controversy and has emerged as a prominent issue in the California and Florida gubernatorial races.  Earlier this year, the administration extinguished undeveloped offshore leases in Florida but has thus far refused to do so in California, despite long-time citizen demand for the removal of these leases.

(26 September 2002 — Oakland)  In the wake of a controversial proposed policy change that could bring environmentally damaging projects to a coastal state’s shores without its consent, Environmental Defense today defended the longstanding right of affected states to be part of federal decisions about offshore drilling, ocean dumping, undersea pipelines, and other damaging industrial projects.  State authority over such activities could be seriously curtailed under a new federal rulemaking now being proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  Environmental Defense urges the White House to withdraw this rule.

“States and their citizens should be able to be sure that no oil rig, gas pipeline, or potentially hazardous industrial project is sited off their shores without their input and consent, ” said Richard Charter, marine conservation advocate with Environmental Defense.  “We join with the many members of Congress who have today opposed any effort by the administration to undermine the important role that coastal states have traditionally played in decisions affecting their shores.”

The proposed changes to NOAA’s “consistency” rules could undermine the 30 years of successful partnerships between coastal states and the federal government which have been a tradition under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).  NOAA’s proposed relaxation of its policies would exempt entire categories of permits from state review, and what the agency calls “far offshore” projects could become virtually immune from state oversight.

Offshore drilling has long been the source of major political controversy and has emerged as a prominent issue in the California and Florida gubernatorial races.  Earlier this year, the administration extinguished undeveloped offshore leases in Florida but has thus far refused to do so in California, despite long-time citizen demand for the removal of these leases.

(26 September, 2002 — Honolulu)  Environmental Defense expressed alarm at today’s news of an offshore oil spill at Unocal’s East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo operation and questioned a planned $350 million Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) loan for the expansion of the troubled operation, notorious for 30 years worth of environmental problems and human rights abuses  - including shootings and beatings in 2000 - associated with company operations.  The oil spill, which has apparently been allowed to continue for almost a month, was only announced by Unocal yesterday

“The spill and continuing surface oil slicks appear to be caused by the improper plugging and abandonment of a deepwater appraisal well which  is very difficult to repair,” said Richard Charter, Environmental Defense marine conservation advocate.  “Unocal has one of the worst environmental records on the U.S. West Coast, having triggered the 1969 four-million gallon Santa Barbara offshore blowout and spill, as well as the largest subterranean oil spill in the history of California.”  

“Unocal has a horrendous record in Alaska.  From 1997 to 2001, Unocal had 76% of all reported oil pipeline spills and only 39% of the pipeline mileage, giving it the worst operating record of any Cook Inlet watershed oil pipeline operator,” said Cook Inlet Keeper senior engineer Lois Epstein. 

According to the Indonesian mining advocacy network JATAM, Unocal’s environmental and human rights record in East Kalimantan includes forced seizure of land, pollution of rice fields and fishing grounds, acid rain as a result of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions and toxic chemical releases leading to the death of livestock.

“Given Unocal’s sordid history in East Kalimantan — including this most recent oil spill — and their track record elsewhere, OPIC should reconsider its support for the company’s development of 40 new wells and two 60 kilometer pipelines in East Kalimantan.  Any OPIC support for the expansion of this project should be of great concern to investors,” said Environmental Defense scientist, Dr. Stephanie Gorson Fried.

(25 September 2002 - Washington, DC)  Environmental Defense today applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) launch of the “PBT Profiler”, a new online tool (www.epa.gov/oppt/pbtprofiler) for assessing three critical properties of chemicals - persistence, bioaccumulation potential and toxicity — that help determine their impact on health and the environment.  So-called “PBT chemicals” having all of these properties are particularly dangerous, DDT, PCBs and dioxins being a few notorious examples.

“For many of the chemicals that are made and used every day, there is surprisingly little publicly available information about their hazard,” said Dr. Richard A. Denison, a senior scientist with Environmental Defense.  “By providing good estimates for some of these properties and making them widely available via a user-friendly internet tool, the PBT Profiler is another significant step forward in addressing this ‘toxic ignorance’.”  Denison noted that the toxicity element in the initial version is limited primarily to assessing potential harm to fish, but provides a solid framework to which additional health-related indicators can be added as more data become available and estimation techniques are refined.

Environmental Defense, which created the popular Scorecard website (www.scorecard.org) several years ago, assisted EPA in testing and refining the new internet-based tool. 

Denison cited a wide range of potential uses for the PBT Profiler:  “Chemical manufacturers can use it to assess new chemicals they’re developing, while consumer product companies can screen potential product ingredients and compare alternative formulations.  Institutional and individual purchasers of chemical products can evaluate their ingredients, giving preference to “PBT-free” products.  And citizens can gain a greater understanding of the hazards posed by chemicals to which they may be exposed,” Denison said.

“Some important limitations also apply to the PBT Profiler,” said Denison.  “Chemicals estimated to be persistent and bioaccumulative (PB) but not toxic to fish can still be harmful due to toxicity to humans or other organisms.  Similarly, persistent and toxic (PT) or bioaccumulative and toxic (BT) chemicals are of concern especially in situations of frequent or continual exposure.  The Profiler cannot provide definitive assessments either of chemical hazard or of safety, and is best used to flag chemicals that need to be examined further.  And the estimates provided by the Profiler should not be used when reliable, measured data are available, nor do they reduce the need to develop such data.  Only then will we have fully confronted the challenge of toxic ignorance.”

(20 September 2002)  Environmental Defense announced today that Joyce H. Newman will direct its newly reorganized Internet and Media Services operations.  Ms. Newman was previously acting chief Internet officer.

“We are very excited about Joyce’s new role.  She brings valuable skills and management experience in broadcasting and new digital media to the organization, which will help us increase our visibility and impact,” said Environmental Defense executive director, Fred Krupp.

Joyce Newman’s many years of experience with Consumer Reports Television, HBO, public television, cable and the commercial networks will help Environmental Defense work effectively with the media industry.  “We have an opportunity to reach important audiences with our messages through broadcast and other digital media,” said Thomas Belford, Marketing and Communications deputy director for Environmental Defense.

Newman will be responsible for all broadcast media programming such as video and audio news releases, satellite tours, informational programs and documentaries, as well as the organization’s web sites and online content.

(19 September 2002 -Washington, DC)  Environmental Defense today voiced support for an Executive Order on Environmental Stewardship and Transportation Infrastructure Project Reviews issued by President Bush last evening. 

“We appreciate the President’s support for enhanced environmental stewardship by transportation agencies.  The Federal Highway Administration has encouraged a cooperative approach to expediting project delivery on a case-by-case basis in recent years, but this Executive Order can foster further effective interagency cooperation promoting stewardship,” said Michael Replogle, transportation director of Environmental Defense.

“We urge the Secretary of Transportation to give great weight to the environmental benefits and impacts of projects when designating high-priority transportation infrastructure initiatives for expedited review, consistent with all applicable laws,” said Replogle.  “Expediting reviews for projects with large adverse impacts on the environment, environmental justice, public health, or communities would be counterproductive.”

“The Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Don Young (R-Alaska), has pressed for legislation to speed up project reviews.  Such legislation is unnecessary since environmental reviews generally account for little or no delay in project delivery.  However, the President’s action now makes it even clearer that there is no need for such Congressional action,” said Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense executive director.

Environmental Defense and others have been critical of project review streamlining proposals that would establish arbitrary deadlines for agency action, curtail public involvement, limit the role of resource agencies in determining project purpose and need or reasonable alternatives, or curb judicial review of final decisions.

(13 September, 2002 — Colorado)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to issue new emission standards later today for “nonroad” recreational and industrial engines including snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, and recreational diesel-powered boats.  Environmental Defense expects the standards for snowmobiles, which are responsible for hundreds of thousands of tons of harmful pollutants each year, will fail to protect human health and the environment, and fail to meet clean technology requirements established by the federal Clean Air Act.  

“Unfortunately, the EPA is moving forward with emission standards for snowmobiles that are a snow job,” said Environmental Defense senior attorney Vickie Patton.  “EPA is squandering an important and highly cost-effective opportunity to cut pollution from these very dirty engines.  The result is bad public policy that violates EPA’s duty under the Clean Air Act to establish rigorous clean air standards.”

EPA is expected to rollback already weak emission standards proposed last year, due to pressure from the snowmobile industry.  Last year, EPA proposed a 30% emission reduction in hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions to be by 2006 and a 50% reduction by 2010.  Current four-stroke snowmobile engines are already able to achieve substantially greater emission reductions than the new standards require, and a modified 2-stroke engine developed by students at Colorado State University reduces hydrocarbons by 88% and carbon monoxide by 99%.  

The “nonroad” recreational vehicles and industrial engines that are the subject of the new emission standards due today have never before been subject to regulation under the federal Clean Air Act.  According to EPA, each year pollution from these engines produce about 4.9 million tons of carbon monoxide, nearly 1 million tons of hydrocarbons, 340,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 8 thousand tons of particulates.  This reflects about 13% of the hydrocarbon emissions from all mobile sources and about 6% of the mobile source carbon monoxide emissions.   Further, according to the California Air Resources Board, today’s typical 2-stroke snowmobile engine produces as much harmful pollution in seven hours as a passenger car driven for 100,000 miles.   Earlier this year, the Bush Administration reversed the Clinton Administration’s ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. 

Extensive background information on the snowmobile controversy is available on Environmental Defense’s website: www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentid=2210

(10 September ,2002 — Oakland) Environmental Defense praised the action of the U.S. Senate as it today adopted an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that it hopes will enable the extinguishment of 36 undeveloped offshore drilling leases near Point Conception on the Central California coast.  The leases became a subject of controversy, and an issue in the California gubernatorial campaign, earlier this year when President Bush extinguished offshore leases in Florida, where his brother Jeb is governor, but refused to do so in California, despite long-time citizen demand for their removal. 

The amendment, authored by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), emphasizes the “Sense of the Senate” as supportive of coastal protection measures successfully carried earlier this summer in the House by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA).  The House version of the Interior bill would prevent the expenditure of appropriated funds by the Interior Department for granting any permits for exploration, delineation, or development drilling on the contested federal lease tracts offshore California.  Today’s “Sense of the Senate” amendment, as adopted, also encourages the Interior Department and the oil industry to continue their negotiations over extinguishing the offshore leases in question.  A joint House-Senate conference committee deliberation over the content of the final version of the Interior Appropriations bill will occur in Congress later this fall.  Today’s “Sense of the Senate” amendment increases the likelihood that the conferees will ultimately adopt the House language in their final deliberations.

“Senator Boxer accomplished an important victory for the California coastline in the Senate today, and we applaud her efforts,” said Richard Charter, marine conservation advocate with Environmental Defense.  “When the State of California, the conservation community, and the oil industry all agreed that new offshore drilling should not go forward in the sensitive waters off Point Conception, the Senate listened.”

Governor Davis, the California Coastal Commission, the state attorney general and numerous conservation groups (including Environmental Defense) are suing the Department of Interior to prevent drilling on the same undeveloped offshore leases subject to today’s Senate action.

(4 September 2002 ? Raleigh)  Environmental Defense and the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) today applauded members of the N.C. House for passage of a measure that removes negative property tax consequences for landowners who choose to place farm and forest lands under conservation easements.  The provision, known as the Hartsell Amendment after its sponsor Senator Fletcher Hartsell, is included in SB 1161: An Act to Amend the Present Use Value Statutes and now returns to the Senate for a final vote.

Under current law, landowners who are receiving a property tax break for farm and forest lands lose that favorable tax treatment once they place a conservation easement on the property.  Three years of back taxes are imposed on these conservation landowners, and in the future the lands are routinely assessed at higher property tax rates than lands used for crop and timber production.

“This measure levels the playing field for landowners who choose to protect woodlands for wildlife habitat and other conservation purposes,” said Dan Whittle, senior attorney for the North Carolina office of Environmental Defense.  “In some North Carolina counties, landowners choosing to conserve woodlands receive tax bills up to 10 times higher than landowners who designate forests for timber production.  This serves as a real disincentive to protect valuable forests and other lands.”

“Loss of forests spells trouble for North Carolina’s economy and environment,” said Whittle.  “This win-win provision is an important first step in updating state policies that protect all the benefits of forest land, not just the economic values.”

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the area of natural forests in North Carolina has declined for decades, and the remaining forests increasingly come under intensive management for timber production.  Harvests of softwood species already exceed new growth, and by 2005 the same will be true of hardwoods across the state.

“North Carolina is facing a crisis in forestry management that is fueled in part by obsolete tax incentives,” said Lark Hayes, SELC senior attorney.  “Most importantly, there is no coordinated public policy that provides fair criteria for protecting forests both for timber value and for conservation purposes such as clean water, wildlife habitat, aesthetic beauty and green space.  North Carolina has a long way to go.”

“The study commission that is established by the bill provides a foundation for the development of more forward-looking forestry management policies that can ensure North Carolina continues to enjoy all the benefits of its world class natural forests.”

An estimated 27.7 million drivers traveled 50 miles or more over Labor Day weekend, 2001.  As Labor Day 2002 approaches, Environmental Defense is providing tips to make travel impacts lighter on the environment and the pocketbook.  Driving contributes to air pollution, smog and greenhouse gas pollution, exacerbating respiratory problems, obscuring scenic vistas and contributing to global warming.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />

“Drivers can save between $200 and $400 a year by just taking a few simple steps,” said Dean Menke, engineer at Environmental Defense.  “Protecting the environment doesn’t need to be difficult or costly.  Simple adjustments by drivers nationwide can have a dramatic impact on air quality, while reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil.”

Check the tires.  An estimated 32 million cars and trucks in the U.S. have at least two tires that are underinflated.  If these tires were properly inflated, it would result in savings of nearly 560 million gallons of gas each year, which equates to more than $777 million.  For an individual, that’s an estimated savings of 19 gallons, or $26 per year.

Slow down and drive less aggressively.  In highway travel, exceeding the speed limit by a mere 5 mph results in an average fuel economy loss of 6%.  Also, conservative estimates show that aggressive driving can result in a 10% impact on fuel economy and cost drivers more than $80 per year. 

Keep your engine tuned properly.  Checking spark plugs, oxygen sensors, air filters, hoses and belts are a few examples of maintenance that can save a vehicle owner up to 165 gallons of gas per year, resulting in potential savings of $230. 

Travel light, pack smart and park it, once there.  Extra weight decreases fuel economy and increases pollutant emissions.  Place luggage inside rather than on the roof or trunk to maintain an aerodynamic profile, minimize drag and increase mileage.  Once you arrive, consider parking the car and using other transportation.  Walk to dinner, rent bikes, or take the bus. 

Support cleaner cars.  Sign the Clean Car Pledge and express your support for cleaner technologies.

Environmental Defense today praised the America’s Wetland campaign, a new national outreach effort unveiled by the State of Louisiana at the Southern Governor’s Association meeting in New Orleans, as an important step toward informing Americans about the value of vast but threatened coastal wetlands created by the Mississippi River

“More than one million acres of Mississippi River delta wetlands have already been lost, and until action is taken, 20,000 more acres will disappear each and every year,” said James Tripp, Environmental Defense general counsel. “This kind of loss is a national tragedy. The Mississippi and its communities are a wonderful part of America’s rich heritage, and restoring the health of the delta should be the highest possible national priority.” Tripp is a member of Governor Mike Foster’s Committee on the Future of Coastal Louisiana and the Framework Development Committee charged with providing advice to the state and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers on Mississippi delta restoration.

“Instead of being dumped off the continental shelf, river sediment should be diverted and used to rebuild wetlands,” Tripp said. We support the Governor’s efforts to raise awareness about the plight of the wetlands and the federal funding needed to develop and implement a comprehensive, science-based restoration plan.”

Restoration of coastal wetlands would greatly aid wildlife habitat and reduce polluted runoff now affecting the Gulf.

“Coastal marshes are an important home to animals and sea life and once restored, these wetlands can help filter the runoff that has contributed to the massive dead zone along the Gulf coast. The goal of this project should be to restore natural movement of sediment through the delta as a way to replenish wetlands that have been destroyed to make the Mississippi navigable,” said Environmental Defense water resources specialist Scott Faber

(27 August 2002—Oakland)  Environmental Defense today released Smaller, Closer, Dirtier: Diesel Backup Generators in California, a study which for the first time quantifies the threat to air quality and human health posed by diesel back-up generators (BUGs), which are commonly used by businesses and institutions during blackouts and other times of power shortage.  During last year’s power outages many of these older, diesel-fired generators, which number more than 11,000 throughout the state and lack even basic pollution controls, generated significant air pollution in major California cities.

The study presents evidence showing that both the number of BUGs and their usage hours increased dramatically throughout the state during last year’s power crisis.  The study also highlights how the health risks from BUGs are exacerbated by their tendency to be clustered in the state?s most populous areas. BUGs are also found more often in poorer neighborhoods and communities of color, and many are located near schools, where they are a contributing source to California’s soaring juvenile asthma rate. More than 150,000 children in California are at increased risk of exposure to hazardous diesel engine emissions as a result of the existence of BUGs near their schools.  Diesel exhaust presents 70% of cancer risk of air toxins within the United States, and as many as 60,000 people nationwide die each year because of fine particulate emissions, which BUGs emit at an extremely high rate.

“Back-up generators are California’s hidden air quality menace,” said Nancy Ryan, deputy regional director of Environmental Defense’s California office. “They are in our schools and our offices, our hospitals and our banks. But the good news is that this is an air-quality problem that we know how to solve?we just need to set stringent health-based standards and free up the funds to implement them.”

Smaller, Closer, Dirtier examines four air quality districts in detail: Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and Fresno, and presents some analysis of San Francisco as well.   The report is currently available at www.environmentaldefense.org.  Also available online are an atlas showing the location of BUGs in major California cities and a BUG mapper showing the locations of BUGs near a user-supplied address.

“Unfortunately, in the recent Sacramento budget battles, California may cut the funding that would finance enforcement and speed the retrofit and replacement of these dirty engines. This funding should be included in the final budget, for the health of our citizens and the quality of our air,” Ryan said.

(13 August 2002—Los Angeles)  Environmental Defense’s Los Angeles environmental justice project office today released the report Walking to the Park: Recommendations for the formation of an Urban Land Trust to serve the City of Los Angeles, a study which represents a two-year effort between Environmental Defense, local community groups and City officials.  At a press conference this morning announcing the release of the report and his endorsement of its recommendations, L.A. Mayor Jim Hahn joined L.A. City Council members Eric Garcetti and Ed Reyes, and members of the Verde Coalition in celebrating the new initiative.  The Verde Coalition, coordinated by Environmental Defense, is a diverse group of 13 economic development organizations, environmental justice groups, local unions, and community organizations working to improve the quality of life in the dense, urban core of Los Angeles.

The report’s conclusions concerning the structure of a land trust, to be called the Neighborhood Oasis Land Trust, have now been endorsed by community stakeholders and City officials, paving the way for the implementation phase of the project.  Millions of dollars will eventually be applied toward land purchases and park maintenance through the land trust, one of the first of its kind in the nation.

“The realization of our vision of a park in every neighborhood would provide every resident of L.A. the chance to experience the simple joy of walking to the park  - a pleasure currently denied to many of our citizens,” said Misty Sanford, policy analyst at Environmental Defense.

L.A. residents currently have only a fraction of the park space per person that is recommended by the National Recreation and Parks Association.  The NRPA recommends 10 acres per 1000 residents while the 5 poorest of L.A.’s 15 city council districts have just .455 acres of park space per 1000 residents, less than 1/20th of the recommended space per person.  Numerous studies have shown the introduction of park space to have a number of social benefits such as crime reduction, greater business activity and community pride.

“By utilizing a community-based planning model to create local parks, the trust will tap into considerable local knowledge and energy, which in turn will stimulate community interaction and neighborhood revitalization,” said Luis Flores, a policy analyst for Environmental Defense.

(30 July, 2002 — Washington)  A new report issued today by Environmental Defense appraises for the first time the carbon dioxide (CO₂) produced by the new vehicles sold each year by major auto manufacturers.  General Motors’ fleet imposes the largest “carbon burden,” producing 6.7 million metric tons per year.  GM is followed closely by Ford, whose fleet produces 5.6 million tons.  The carbon burden is the total CO₂ emitted by a group of vehicles each year and represents their lifetime average global warming impact.  A copy of the report is available at www.environmentaldefense.org. 

“Each year automakers roll out fleets of cars and trucks that add increasing amounts of CO₂ to the atmosphere,” said Environmental Defense senior fellow John DeCicco, the report’s lead author.  “Over the past decade, they have put their design and marketing talents into anything but addressing their products’ harm to the planet and liability for oil dependence.”

“The U.S. emits more CO₂ than any other country in the world.  Transportation is America’s largest source of global warming pollution, and cars and trucks are the largest part of that equation,” said Environmental Defense executive director Fred Krupp.  “As the top producer of CO2-spewing vehicles, GM is ‘global warmer’ number one.  Market success brings with it a proportionate responsibility to apply clean and efficient technology as part of auto industry corporate strategy.” 

While GM and Ford clearly head the pack in terms of total global warming pollution, third-place DaimlerChrysler’s carbon burden at 4.1 million tons has grown more rapidly.  But it is Toyota, whose product line produces 2 million metric tons of carbon annually that posted the most rapid growth in global warming pollution.  Toyota’s carbon burden grew 72% since 1990, compared to 33% growth for the market as a whole.  Entitled Automakers’ Corporate Carbon Burdens, the report uses government data to project the oil consumption and CO₂ emissions from each firm’s new vehicle sales and analyzes how these figures evolved between 1990 and 2000. 

“The ‘carbon burden’ concept provides a new way for automakers and policy makers to assess the bottom line of corporate responsibility for protecting Earth’s climate,” DeCicco said.  “Unless there is a change in stance, automotive carbon burdens will continue to rise and so will the risks of unchecked oil demand.  It’s high time for U.S. automakers to take a more constructive approach on this issue.” 

(25 July 2002 — Washington) Environmental Defense submitted comments for today’s congressional hearing on a new bill proposing that the Department of Interior be granted broad new authority for permitting of terminals, conversion plants and pipelines for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities in federal waters as well as for all future wind and wave energy installations offshore.

Today’s hearing before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources is to consider a bill, HR 5156, authored by Subcommittee Chair Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY).  This hearing is being held at 2 pm Eastern, July 25, in 1334 Longworth HOB, Washington DC.  HR 5156 would delegate permitting authority over LNG facilities, wind-electric generators, and wave power projects to the Minerals Management Service of the Department of Interior.

“There is no evidence of a need to centralize all control over Liquefied Natural Gas, wind and wave permitting under the Department of Interior,” said Richard Charter, marine conservation advocate with Environmental Defense.  “Any of these industrial facilities can have a range of documented adverse impacts on the shoreline, the sea and the economically-important biological resources.  Coastal states and local communities need to be kept in the decision making loop, and existing laws, which protect the environment should not be circumvented.”

HR 5156 would, in the near term, primarily benefit the petroleum industry by providing sponsors of new LNG projects with a shortcut mechanism by which to avoid the existing federal jurisdictions.  Major LNG projects are currently being proposed for the Bahamas/Eastern Florida region, the Oxnard and the San Francisco Bay Area in California, and the other major West and East Coast port cities.  States and localities have expressed legitimate concerns over the substantial explosion hazards posed by LNG tankers, terminals and conversion plants.  HR 5156 has been proposed for inclusion in the now pending House-Senate Conference deliberations on the Energy Bill and thus could be enacted into law with little oversight by the committees of jurisdiction in the Congress.