On Thursday, which was Earth Day, the Connecticut Assembly passed clean cars legislation, and the state Senate passed the bill last week. There was broad bi-partisan support in both houses for the bill, in part because Connecticut's air is some of the most polluted in the country, and tailpipe emissions are the single largest source of air pollution in the state.
The Clean Cars Bill requires automakers to meet the toughest tailpipe emissions standards in the nation and offer increasing numbers of advanced, "Clean Cars" in the state beginning with the 2008 model year.
"Ready to Roll" a 2003 report by the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group (ConnPIRG), estimates the law will get more than 300,000 new clean cars on the road in Connecticut by 2012. Similar legislation has been adopted in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey and New York. "The cars we drive pollute the air we breathe. Getting clean cars on the road is an effective common-sense way to clean our air and protect the public health," said Christopher Phelps, legislative advocate for ConnPIRG. "This legislation will clean our air and make every community in the state a healthier place to live and raise a family."
ConnPIRG partnered with an unusual alliance of public health, environmental and business advocates – including an auto dealer – to form the CT Clean Cars Alliance to push for swift passage of the bill.
Phelps says the groups will be vigilant to attempts by the auto industry to weaken the bill through other legislative means. There is active discussion of adoption of the same program in Rhode Island, Maryland and Maine.
"This is crucially important as a major environmental issue for the 2004 session," said State Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, a New Haven Democrat. "We need to be particularly sensitive to the public health effects of pollution."
Ten percent of children in Connecticut, over 75,000 children, have asthma, almost double the national average of six percent. Asthma attacks are one of the main reasons for missed school days in Connecticut. Smog pollution from cars and trucks causes thousands of asthma attacks each summer and is suspected as a cause of the disease.
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