On July 15, Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Lehigh Valley community leaders gathered for a press conference in Allentown to oppose the proposed rollback of America’s clean car standards by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Deputy Administrator Heidi King.
America’s federal clean car standards were finalized in August 2012, increasing fuel efficiency and reducing pollution from the transportation sector. Supported by automakers, unions, public health groups, and environmentalists, these federal fuel economy and pollution standards for new cars and light trucks have been highly effective in protecting our health and our economy, spurring innovation, job creation, and consumer savings in Pennsylvania and in other states.
Speakers stressed the importance of protecting the authority of states established under the Clean Air Act to adopt stronger than federal tailpipe standards in order to protect the health of their residents, a right exercised by 14 states and the District of Columbia – including Pennsylvania – representing over 118 million Americans. Additionally, Pennsylvania is a party to the lawsuit defending the existing clean cars program.
“The clean car standards are common sense: they save consumers money, they reduce pollution, and they create new jobs,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “But the Trump administration is attempting to roll back these standards that are working economically and environmentally. Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to clean air and pure water, and as Attorney General, I am committed to defending that right. That’s why I filed formal comments with my colleague attorneys general opposing these changes in October, and that’s why I’m proud to stand with our partners today to reiterate my opposition.”
Attorney General Shapiro and Lehigh Valley community leaders noted how the clean car standards have spurred innovation in the U.S. automotive industry, creating new manufacturing and engineering jobs in Pennsylvania and across the country.
If these standards remain in place, Pennsylvania can expect 26,400 new jobs by 2030, and drivers in Pennsylvania can expect to save $1,650 by 2030. Furthermore, Pennsylvania has already saved $1.2 billion to date due to these standards.
“The Trump administration's rollback of the clean car standards will force American families to spend billions more at the pump. The clean car standards have saved American drivers more than $86 billion and counting, and have saved Pennsylvanians $1.2 billion to date,” said Ed Perry, National Wildlife Federation, Pennsylvania Outreach Coordinator.
Speakers also pointed to the public health benefits of the clean car standards. With the transportation sector serving as the largest source of carbon pollution in the country, these standards are the best policy we have on the books to fight climate change.
In Pennsylvania, there are over 236,000 children and over 1 million adults who suffer from asthma. The clean car standards help improve air quality for families across the Lehigh Valley.
“Pennsylvanians deserve clean air. Rolling back the clean car standards will allow automakers to make dirtier cars that pollute the air and harm our health, especially for the over 7,000 children and 28,000 adults suffering from asthma in Lehigh County,” said Walter Tsou, MD, MPH, Interim Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Pennsylvania.
The event was concluded by thanking U.S. Representative Susan Wild for her continued support for climate change action in the U.S. House of Representatives and urging her to oppose the EPA and NHTSA proposed rollback of the successful, money-saving clean car standards.
“Representative Susan Wild is a vocal advocate for Pennsylvania’s public health and environment. We thank her and hope she’ll continue to fight for our public health by opposing EPA and NHTSA’s dangerous rollback of the clean car standards,” said Andrea Wittchen, Founder, iSpring Associates and member of Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).
Click Here to watch a Facebook video of the press conference.
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