Maryland Healthy Air Coalition: Clean Cars Act Passes in Senate Committee

Maryland Healthy Air Coalition

Press Release

Contact: Dawn Stoltzfus,
For Immediate Release                                                              Maryland League of Conservation Voters
February 15, 2007                                                                     

410-280-9855, 410-562-5655 (c), dstoltzfus@mdlcv.org

Clean Cars Act Passes in Senate Committee

Strong Votes in Senate and House Committees Indicate Likely Passage of Bill to Clean up Air Pollution

(ANNAPOLIS, Md.) – Today the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee voted in favor of the “Clean Cars Act” (SB 103 and HB 131) by a vote of 9 to 2. Voting for the bill were Senators Frosh, Gladden, Brochin, Forehand, Jacobs, Muse, Raskin, Simonaire, and Stone. Voting against the bill were Senators Haines and Mooney. Two years ago a version of the Clean Cars Act died in the same Senate Committee that passed it today. On Tuesday, the House Environmental Matters Committee voted in favor of Clean Cars 17 to 4. Floor debate in the House of Delegates began today and is expected to continue tomorrow.

“The governor and our legislative leaders really came through for the environment on this one,” said Brad Heavner of Environment Maryland. “The fact that this bill moved so fast shows what a great policy it is, and we look forward to floor votes soon. I hope the auto industry will now get back to their work and stop fighting this good bill.”

Maryland League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Cindy Schwartz said: “Politics in Maryland have finally caught up with the science—we commend all the committee members, both Democrat and Republican, who voted in favor of Clean Cars for taking a stand to fight global warming, clean up the Bay, and protect our health. We’re enormously gratified that one of Governor O’Malley’s first acts as Governor was to come out in strong support of Clean Cars and give this bill the boost it needed.”

Ms. Schwartz continued: “The committee votes this week demonstrate the impact of the 2006 elections—electing conservation candidates does make a difference in Maryland.”

Josh Tulkin of Chesapeake Climate Action Network, which has been organizing grassroots efforts in support of the Clean Cars Act, said: “Global warming is an issue whose time has come, and the Clean Cars Act is one obvious solution. The citizens of Maryland realize this, and their efforts are finally paying off.”

The Clean Cars Act is a state-based policy that would address global warming pollution while also reducing pollution that causes cancer, smog, and the dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay.  The bill:

• Strengthens the standards for emissions that form smog and other health-damaging pollution.
• Adds carbon dioxide—the main cause of global warming—to the list of pollutants that are covered by vehicle emission standards.
• Requires that a percentage of new cars sold each year are advanced technology vehicles such as hybrids.

Eleven other states have already adopted the Clean Cars Program.  Carmakers are currently gearing up to meet the stricter standards in 30 percent of the new car market.  This bill would require them to put advanced technology components in the cars they ship to Maryland as well.

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Clean Cars Act Contacts

Sen. Brian Frosh, 410-841-3124

Del. Elizabeth Bobo, 410-841-3205

Andrew Fellows, Clean Water Action, 202-895-0420

Betsy Johnson, Sierra Club - Maryland Chapter, 301-656-4948

Brad Heavner, Environment Maryland, 410-227-8949

Brenda Afzal, Maryland Nurses Association, 410-706-1778

Cindy Parker, Physicians for Social Responsibility, 443-287-6734

Cindy Schwartz, Maryland League of Conservation Voters, 240-535-6050

Ed Osann, Potomac Resources, 301-535-4013

Eric Schaeffer, Environmental Integrity Project, 202-263-4440

Erin Fitzsimmons, Waterkeeper Alliance, 410-280-8525

Gary Skulnik, Clean Energy Partnership, 240-514-0189

Josh Tulkin, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 301-891-6726

Julie Erickson, Presbytery of Baltimore, 410-268-4122

Lee Hudson, Lutheran Office on Public Policy, 410-935-3696

Liz Martin, Natural Resources Defense Council, 202-289-2419

Lorne Garrettson, American Academy of Pediatrics, 301-260-8835

Chesapeake Climate Action Network Citizen Activists:

Liz Entwisle, 410-527-0891, lizent@comcast.net

Steve Kane, 301-441-3809, sr.kane@verizon.net

Maryland Healthy Air Coalition

Making Maryland’s dirtiest polluters clean up their air pollution for the health

of our children, communities, and environment.

American Academy of Pediatrics, Maryland Chapter  -  Am Kolel -  Chesapeake Climate Action Network -  Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance -  Clean Energy Partnership -  Cleanup Coalition -  Clean Water Action -  Community Ministries of Prince George’s County -  Environment Maryland  -  Environmental Integrity Project -  Episcopal Diocese of Maryland -  Global Warming Action Alliance -  Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light -  Johns Hopkins Students for Environmental Action -  Lutheran Office on Public Policy -  League of Women Voters of Maryland -  Maryland Conservation Council -  Maryland Interfaith Coalition for the Environment -  Maryland League of Conservation Voters -  Maryland Nurses Association -  Montgomery County Student Environmental Activists -  National Parks Conservation Association -  National Wildlife Federation -  Natural Resources Defense Council -  Baltimore Physicians for Social Responsibility  -  Presbytery of Baltimore -  Progressive Maryland -  Sierra Club, Maryland Chapter - Southern Christian Leadership Conference – Prince George’s County Chapter -  Waterkeeper Alliance, Chesapeake Programs -  UMBC Climate Initiative -  Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry for Maryland -  Univ. of Maryland School of Nursing Environmental Health Education Center