Yesterday, the Clean Vehicles Coalition sent the below letter urging the Senate to vote “no” on S. 4072, a bill which would prohibit the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce certain rules of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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Wednesday, April 10

Opposing S. 4072, which Roll Backs EPA’s Clean Car Standards

Dear Senator:

We, the twenty-eight organizations signed below, on behalf of our millions of members and supporters, urge you to reject S.4072 (Crapo) which aims to block funding from being used to implement the Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Light- and Medium-Duty Vehicles (clean car standards) finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These clean car standards tackle the climate crisis, clean up our air, protect public health, and save drivers money at the pump. They must remain intact as we move towards a zero-emission future.

The transportation sector accounts for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions—more than any other sector in the US.¹ This latest rulemaking continues EPA’s decades-long practice of using the agency’s Clean Air Act authority to set standards that successfully reduce vehicle pollution and improve public health and welfare. For this latest round of rulemaking, the EPA engaged in a years-long, multi-stakeholder, comprehensive rulemaking process that engaged industry and civil society alike.

The clean car standards are performance-based and technology-neutral. Neither of these rules is an “EV Mandate” as opponents of clean cars have claimed. Automakers and manufacturers are not required to make or sell electric vehicles (or any particular type of vehicle) and have a lot of flexibility to choose a compliance strategy that works for them. The standards will help to increase the choices consumers and companies have when purchasing a new vehicle that meets their needs. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an association representing all major auto manufacturers in the United States, joined EPA Administrator Michael Reagan at the announcements and publicly said the standards “should give the market and supply chains a chance to catch up” to decarbonization targets.²

The clean car standards have massive benefits in addressing climate change, improving public health, and saving consumers money. The rule will reduce fine particulate matter and ozone, preventing up to 2,500 premature deaths in 2055 as well as reducing heart attacks, respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, aggravated asthma, and decreased lung function.³ Long-term, they provide $240 billion in health benefits between 2027 and 2055.⁴ The standards will result in 7.2 billion metric tons of climate pollution reduction by 2055, the largest reduction in climate pollution by any administration in U.S. history. The number of clean/cleaner vehicles available will increase. EPA’s estimates show that the standards will result in approximately $6,000 in savings over the life of a model year 2032 vehicle.⁵ Supporting any efforts to repeal these rules will have serious implications for consumer savings and public health, especially for the millions of Americans living near high-traffic areas who are most burdened by the impacts of pollution.

As a diverse set of organizations representing environmental, public health, industry, and consumer protection interests, we find that strong vehicle emission standards protect public health, save consumers money, and help position the United States as a clean transportation leader. Many of the organizations signed below called for more stringent standards during the EPA rulemaking process but now that they are finalized, we oppose any attempt to repeal the final rules. We strongly urge you to vote against S.4072 or any other legislative mechanism that aims to roll back EPA’s car and standards.

Sincerely,

Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments

CALSTART

Center for Biological Diversity

Clean Energy for America

Coltura

CURE

Dream.Org

Earthjustice

Ecology Center (Michigan)

Electric Vehicle Association

Environmental Defense Action Fund

Environmental Law & Policy Center

Environmental Protection Network

Evergreen Action

EVHybridNoire

Fresh Energy

GreenLatinos

League of Conservation Voters (LCV)

MN350

Moms Clean Air Force

National Consumer Law Center,

Plug In America

Public Citizen

Sierra Club

Southern Environmental Law Center

Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

Voices for Progress