Sacramento Standard

WASHINGTON D.C. – On July 13, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09) and Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) led 91 colleagues in a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging the EPA to finalize the strongest feasible multi-pollutant vehicle emission standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles before the end of this year.

In 2021, passenger cars and light-duty trucks contributed more than half of all transportation emissions in the United States. The strongest proposal in the EPA’s rulemaking is projected to increase market share for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) to 69 percent of new vehicle sales by 2032.

“Given the urgency of and benefits from addressing threats to public health, including climate change, the unprecedented resources supporting zero-emission vehicle purchases, manufacturing and infrastructure, and the dramatic advances in clean vehicle adoption, we urge the EPA to adopt the strongest vehicle emission standards supported by the technical record, as necessary to protect public health and the environment, before the end of the year,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to EPA Administrator Regan. In their letter, the lawmakers note that investments for ZEV manufacturing, purchasing, and charging stations in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act have made strong rulemaking more viable. The lawmakers also called on the EPA to eliminate loopholes that would weaken the rule and to work with environmental justice communities to ensure they are included in decision-making through a robust and responsive stakeholder engagement process.

Specifically, the lawmakers highlighted that the final rule should:

1. Result in standards that achieve a 61 percent reduction of carbon dioxide in Model Year 2032 compared to existing Model Year 2026 standards, a reduction in criteria air pollutants including 37 percent reduction in particulate matter, 44 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides, and 55 percent in volatile organic compounds—a standard which is projected to increase the market share for zero-emission vehicles to an estimated 69 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales in 2032;
2. Close loopholes in how compliance is calculated, including by phasing-out off-cycle carbon dioxide and air conditioning credits, which weaken the proposed rule; and,
3. Further strengthen durability and warranty requirements for zero-emission vehicles, which will provide benefits to drivers and enhance the likelihood that expected emissions reductions will be achieved.

The full letter is available HERE.

The letter is cosigned by Representatives Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Greg Casar (TX-35), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Cori Bush (MO-01), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Costa (CA-21), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey (MD-4), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) Ro Khanna (CA-17), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Grace Meng (NY-06), Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Donald Payne (NJ-10), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Katie Porter (CA-47), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), John Sarbanes (MD-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Adam Schiff (CA-30), Adam Smith (WA-09), Robert Scott (VA-03), Darren Soto (FL-09), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), David Trone (MD-06), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Frederica Wilson (FL-24) and Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren, (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

As co-chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), Congresswoman Matsui has long been a champion of bold climate action and the adoption of ambitious vehicle emission standards. 

In March, Congresswoman Matsui, Congresswoman Clarke and Senators Markey and Padilla led 54 of their colleagues in urging the EPA to swiftly issue the strongest possible vehicle greenhouse gas emission standards for both cars and trucks by the end of March, and to finalize those rules by the end of the year, speeding up its deadline of March 2024. In November 2021, Congresswoman Matsui and Senators Markey, Padilla and Feinstein led a letter to EPA to strengthen vehicle emission standards for passenger cars and light trucks for Model Years 2023 through 2026. In March of 2021, she led a letter with 70 of her colleagues urging the Biden Administration to take action to reinstate California’s Clean Air Act waiver and restore the Obama-Biden tailpipe emission and fuel economy standards.

Original source can be found here