Clean Cars coalition sign-on letter

From: "Holly Binns" <holly@environmentflorida.org>

Dear Colleagues,

Right now, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is developing a rule to implement the Clean Cars Program in Florida. The Clean Cars program would significantly reduce tailpipe emissions of global warming and other harmful air pollutants from cars and trucks, and is an important component of Governor Crist's goal of making Florida a leader in reducing global warming pollution. An Environment Florida analysis found that implementing the Clean Cars program in Florida will reduce global warming emissions by an amount equal to removing 13.8 million of today's cars from the road for a year, and save consumers over $4 billion at the gas pump when it is fully implemented in 2020.

Unfortunately, the auto industry is lobbying hard to convince Governor Crist and the DEP to back off of their commitment to join twelve other states in implementing the Clean Cars program here in Florida. That's why we need your help. Pasted below is a sign-on letter to DEP Secretary Sole, encouraging the DEP to move forward with adopting the Clean Cars program. Our plan is to submit this letter to the DEP as part of the official public comment record in order to demonstrate the broad support for Clean Cars from environmental, public health and consumer groups.

Please take a moment to read the letter, and email me at holly@environmentflorida.org to sign onto the letter with your name, title and the name of your organization. I would like to have all signers on the letter by Friday, April 18^th. For more information on the Clean Cars program, visit our website at http://www.environmentflorida.org/issues/global-warming/cleaner-cars-for-florida or the DEP website at http://www.floridadep.org/air/rules/ghg/california.htm.

Thanks for your consideration.

Holly Binns

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Holly Binns

Environment Florida, Field Director

Holly@EnvironmentFlorida.org

850-224-5944 Office

850-322-7845 Cell

www.EnvironmentFlorida.org

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March 28, 2008

To: Secretary Mike Sole, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Official Public Comments Regarding:

Rule Title: Adoption of California Motor Vehicle Standards

Rule #: 62-285.400

__________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Secretary Sole,

We, the undersigned organizations, strongly support the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's proposal to adopt the California Motor Vehicles Standards, also known as the Clean Cars program.

Scientists have said we need to reduce the pollution that causes global warming by 80% over the next 50 years. Governor Crist has taken a bold first step by laying out a plan that makes Florida a leader in that effort. One of the most important parts of that plan is the adoption of the Clean Cars Program, which sets limits on global warming pollution from cars, light trucks and SUVs. In adopting the Clean Cars Program, Florida will join 12 other states—California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

Transportation is Florida's second largest source of carbon dioxide pollution—responsible for more than 42% of the state's emissions in 2004.^[1] And because there are more cars on the road and people are driving more, the problem is only getting worse. In Florida, the Clean Cars program would cut global warming pollution 54.4 million metric tons by 2020—the equivalent of removing 13.8 million of today's cars from the road for a year.^[2]

In addition, vehicle exhaust creates ground-level ozone, an air pollutant that impacts public health conditions like asthma and lung disease. Nationally, cars, pick-up trucks, vans and SUVs are responsible for nearly one-half of all smog emissions, exposure to which has been linked to increased hospital emergency room visits, asthma attacks and perhaps to the onset of asthma itself.^[3] The Clean Cars program is not only an effective tool to curb global warming pollution, but will also reduce harmful air pollution, particularly in congested urban areas.^[4]

On behalf of our members and supporters, we thank you and Governor Crist for your leadership in addressing this issue.

Sincerely,

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________

Title: ______________________________________________________________________________

Organization: __________________________________________________________________

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^[1] "The Carbon Boom: State and National Trends in Carbon Dioxide Emissions Since 1990," Environment Florida Research & Policy Center, April 2007.

^[2] Calculated assuming 19.654 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon of gasoline, per U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program, Fuel and Energy Source Codes and Emission Coefficients, downloaded from www.eia.gov/oaif/1605/coefficients.html, 10 January 2006.

^[3] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act", downloaded from http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/peg/carstrucks.html, 25 March 2008.

^[4] "Adoption of California Motor Vehicle Emissions Standards"; presentation by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Division of Air at the public workshop on Adoption of California Motor Vehicle Standards, Rule #: 62-285.400, 23 August 2007.