Lung Health News, Spring / Summer 2003
As the California Air Resources Board (CARB) again considers regulatory changes to weaken the state’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) program, the American Lung Association of California will continue to advocate for a strong program that forces progress in new ZEV technology and protects public health. A strong program will produce increasing numbers of battery, fuel cell and hybrid electric vehicles in this decade.
The ZEV program is working in California and shouldn’t be weakened. Twelve years after it was adopted, hybrid vehicles are approaching commercial success, thousands of electric vehicles are on the road across the state, and a handful of fuel cell vehicles have entered special fleet trials in California. Even automakers, who have long fought against the ZEV program, admit it has spurred technology development.
As part of its ongoing campaign to weaken the ZEV program, General Motors and other car companies have filed lawsuits challenging CARB’s regulation authority. The American Lung Association of California has joined with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, and others in filing an amici curiae (friend of the court) brief in support of the ZEV program. In an unprecedentedaction, the federal government (Department of Justice) has joined the automakers’ suit against CARB and the ZEV program. CARB’s regulatory changes are being proposed, in part, to address language in the ZEV regulations that sparked litigation and could present further legal challenges.
