Illinois Joins Lawsuit Against EPA on Clean Car Standards
On January 2, 2008 Illinois joined California and 17 other states (Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington) on a lawsuit to compel the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to grant the waiver needed for states to implement clean car standards. This includes four states that, like Illinois, have yet to commit to the clean car standards (Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, and Minnesota).
Illinois and Minnesota have gone a step further, and are making strides toward adopting the clean car standards in their legislatures. Having passed through relevant house committees in both states, both bills appear targeted for an initial vote in May, with movement to the state senates shortly thereafter. UCS activists have sent thousands of letters to house members in both states, and UCS analysts continue to work with state organizations to rebut the flawed, but persistent automaker arguments.
In addition, UCS has been keeping the pressure on EPA Administrator Johnson to ensure that federal agencies do not further attempt to undermine state authority. In February, UCS activists went directly to the EPA's "Flow of the River" blog and voiced their feelings over Administrator Johnson's rejection of the waiver states need to implement the clean car standards. The results were extraordinary. More than 700 people took the time to make heartfelt and eloquent comments about the need for sound science to guide EPA policy making, and the contribution our vehicles must make to solve global warming. (As a comparison, the blog averages about a dozen comments per post.) The message came in so clear that the effort was covered by US News & World Report, and Marcus Peacock, deputy administrator of the EPA and author of "Flow of the River," actually posted a response on the UCS HybridBlog. This endeavor was not just seen by the media, but truly heard by decision makers. Our efforts continued the drumbeat of public dissatisfaction, augmenting the ongoing stories about the depth of dissatisfaction EPA staff have for Administrator Johnson's ill-advised decision. UCS also worked with Free Range Graphics and our coalition partners at SaveOurEnvironment.org to create a new online video and community action alert to bolster state efforts toward protecting and expanding the clean car standards nationwide.
UCS will continue to use its combination of science-based analysis and effective citizen action to continue the momentum toward cleaner cars in the Midwest and around the country.
