As the new home of MASSPIRG's environmental work, Environment Massachusetts can be contacted regarding this news release.
State Law Required Agency to Act
BOSTON—Massachusetts
today took the final step in enacting new regulations limiting global
warming pollution from cars and light trucks. The move means
Massachusetts is joining California and a group of northeast states in
acting to address a problem largely ignored by the federal government.
Secretary
of State William Galvin published the new regulations in the
Massachusetts Register, formally adopting limits crafted by the state
Department of Environmental Protection over the last several months.
The rules are modeled on first-in-the-nation standards adopted by
California in 2004, and they will require approximately 22% reductions
in global warming pollution from automobiles by 2012 and 30% reductions
by 2016.
The
rules are the result of a 1990 clean air law that requires the state to
adopt strict pollution standards for cars and trucks.
“Really
the legislature gets credit for this, not the Governor,” said Frank
Gorke, Energy Advocate for MASSPIRG. “He’s just doing what they told
him to do, which is to protect public health and the environment by
adopting the strongest available clean air standards for cars and
trucks.”
Maine,
Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey have also
adopted the same limits. In those states, there is no similar law in
place.
“This
is an important step to reduce pollution, and it’s good for consumers,”
added Gorke. “Adopting the global warming standards is expected to
benefit the Massachusetts economy, because the standards will create
modest operating cost savings for new car models, meaning that
consumers will have more money to spend in the local economy instead of
at the gas pump.”
Technologies
to reduce global warming gases are already being used in some models
and can be used on any car model. The current generation of
hybrid-electric vehicles—such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda
Civic—are approximately 90 percent cleaner than today’s average vehicle
and are approximately 30 percent more efficient at using gasoline.
Scientists project that average temperatures in Massachusetts could
increase two to ten degrees over the next century if no action is taken
to reduce global warming emissions. In Massachusetts global warming
could lead to hotter and more intense summer smog seasons, more intense
storms and hurricanes, increased coastal flooding and beach erosion,
and ecological changes throughout the state.
