Lung Health News, Fall 2000 / Winter 2001
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously voted to uphold California's landmark zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) program after a two-day hearing in September to review the program. Californians overwhelming support clean air measures, including the ZEV program, evidenced by the more than 50,000 letters sent to the Governor and the Air Resources Board.
"We need these vehicles," says Alan Lloyd, chairman of the Air Resources Board. "We need them to meet our air quality standards. We need them for our health."
Representatives from the American Lung Association testified at CARB's Biennial Review of the ZEV mandate, telling Air Board members that it plays a critical role in reducing ozone and other air pollution, which contributes to lung disease. Those who spoke included American Lung Association of California volunteer Eric Sletten, MD, a Ventura resident and Cal State Northridge employee.
Car manufacturers have been trying to weaken the ZEV program for more than a decade, claiming program costs are too high and consumer demand too low, despite continued evidence to the contrary.
"This mandate is a train wreck waiting to happen," says David Hermance, executive engineer of environmental engineering at Toyota Technical Center. "If they make us build the vehicles, we'll build them. But they'll just end up sitting on the lots."
The fact is there are waiting lists at dealerships across California for electric cars, which are currently the only ZEVs produced for public consumption, although other zero-emission technologies are in the works such as hydrogen fuel cells.
Up until now, the auto industry had been successful at watering down the ZEV program, which was supposed to require 10 percent of all cars sold in California to be zero-emission vehicles by 2003. But in 1998, ultra-low-emission vehicles powered by gasoline were included in that 10 percent, which means only about 4 percent will need to be zero-emission by 2003.
But some in the auto industry do understand Californians want low-polluting transportation. "No vehicle manufacturer will be able to thrive in the future with 100 percent dependency on the internal combustion engine,'' says General Motor's Vice Chairman Harry Pearce.
The American Lung Association has fought long and hard to protect the landmark public health policy, launching its ZEV Air Quality Project last year, which is funded by grants from the W. Alton Jones Foundation and the Energy Foundation.
The lung association is also working with California cities and counties to encourage the adoption of local ZEV ordinances, which have already been signed into law in San Francisco and Fresno.
