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Location: Blogs Dan's Blog |
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| Posted by: Dan McGrath |
4/17/2008 |
 Minnesota legislators concerned with reducing automotive emissions of greenhouse gasses have devised a drastic plan. Evidently, state lawmakers don’t trust themselves to establish pollution standards for Minnesota, because the bill they’ve crafted abdicates that authority to the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
CARB is a division of the California Environmental Protection Agency and consists of 11 members appointed by California’s governor (Arnold Schwarzenegger). They set emission standards for vehicles sold in California that are twice as ambitious as federal guidelines, requiring 30% lower emissions in less than eight years.
Representative Hortman (DFL – Brooklyn Park) wants to permanently entrust the 11-member California panel with regulatory authority over Minnesota. The bill she introduced ( HF863) directs the Minnesota’s Pollution Control Agency to adopt rules that “must be identical to and must incorporate by reference the California low emission vehicle regulations adopted by the California Air Resources Board under the California Code of Regulations, title 13.”
Not only does Representative Hortman intend to adopt current known California regulations, but she intends to do so in perpetuity, giving appointed California bureaucrats the power to enact unknown future regulations for the state of Minnesota.
The bill states that MPCA’s rules “must be amended as necessary in a timely fashion to minimize the time during which Minnesota's rules are not identical with California's regulations, as required under United States Code, title 42, section 7507. Amendments under this clause must be made under section 14.388, subdivision 1, clause (3). Any portion of California's regulations requiring a federal waiver under the Clean Air Act in order to become effective may not be enforced in Minnesota unless and until California receives the requisite federal waiver.”
In their rush to “save the planet,” they forgot to save Minnesota’s sovereignty. A UCLA student would have more influence over Minnesota’s vehicle regulations than any voter or politician in Minnesota would!
"We're talking about an 11-member panel in California, that's going to be regulating the state of Minnesota,” said Representative Tom Hackbarth (R – Cedar), “That's not the way to operate in our state. I don't think our legislature wants to give away that kind of authority."
Auto makers say the California emissions standards (which aren’t even in force in California, since they contradict federal regulations) would sharply increase the cost of automobiles, and limit the number of SUVs and trucks that could be sold in a state where they were implemented.
According to the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association, Minnesotans buy more trucks than cars, which poses a problem with California Standards. Higher demand SUVs and trucks would have to be rationed. Ford Dealers would have to sell a certain number of Focuses before they could sell an F-150, for example. If Hortman’s bill is adopted, more expensive vehicles, rationing, and an abdication of Minnesota’s regulatory power to another state’s government bureaucracy will result.
Also see: Don't Take My Truck.
Take Action: Tell your elected officials to reject the California Emissions Bill. |
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Re: Abdicating Minnesota’s Authority to California in the Name of Global Warming |
By NONA WHELAN on
4/17/2008 |
| We DO NOT want a California group Running Minnesota. We DO NOT need California emissions standards controlling Minnesota. |
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Re: Abdicating Minnesota’s Authority to California in the Name of Global Warming |
By Stephen Walther on
4/21/2008 |
We don't need to bring California's emission problems here. Nor can we afford them.
Please vote no! |
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Re: Abdicating Minnesota’s Authority to California in the Name of Global Warming |
By V Herrmann on
4/22/2008 |
Comments I received from Sen Dahle.
Thank you very much for contacting my office concerning the Clean Car
Standard, SF 481/HF 863. There has been extensive debate over this
subject. As a supporter of the environment, I tend to be in favor of
this legislation. Here are some key points I am considering:
The Governor’s Climate Change Advisory Group, which met throughout
the year, recommended that Minnesota adopt the Clean Car Standard (CCS).
Twelve other states already have adopted the standard, and several more
are currently in the process. More than 50 environmental groups back the
standard. They, among others, report that the CCS will not only reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, but also improve health, save money, and
decrease dependence on oil.
The Clean Car Standard would improve Minnesota’s air quality and
consequently would improve health. In Minnesota, 300,000 adults and
100,000 children have asthma, which can be exacerbated by smog. The
Clean Car Standard will reduce air toxics that cause smog 23% by 2020.
Adoption of the CCS would result in cost savings for consumers at the
pump. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions means greater future
efficiency. And, according to the Energy Information Administration,
the price of gasoline would decrease when states adopt the Clean Car
Standard because the demand for gasoline would decrease.
The CCS will help us attain greater economic and energy independence by
decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. A majority of oil consumed in
the United States comes from foreign sources. Americans spend $200,000 a
minute on foreign oil. More than $25 billion annually goes to Persian
Gulf states for oil imports.
The Clean Car Standard is an air emissions standard for vehicles. It is
not a fuel efficiency or fuel standards bill. Congress exclusively
regulates fuel efficiency. States regulate fuel standards in cooperation
with the EPA. For automobile air emissions, states have two choices:
they can accept the federal EPA standards or the emissions standards
used by California. We are required to be regulated by one of these
standards.
The Clean Car Standard would affect two categories of vehicles—and it
sets separate standards for each category. The first category is
passenger cars and light-duty trucks, up to 3,751 lbs. The second
category is medium duty trucks with weights up to 8,500 lbs. Commercial
trucks are excluded no matter what size they are.
For the most smog-forming pollutants, the Clean Car Standard sets a
minimum standard—meaning that all new vehicles must emit this standard
or less. For non-methane organic gases and for greenhouse gases, the
Clean Car Standards sets a fleet-wide average—meaning that sales of
heavily polluting vehicles may be offset by sales of lower emitting
vehicles.
Medium-duty trucks can be more polluting than cars and still meet the
standards— medium-duty trucks are judged in their own category and are
not judged by the same standards as cars.
The Clean Car Standard would only apply to model years 2012 and later.
It would not affect any current cars or trucks. Apparently, no one would
have to get a new car or truck to meet the standard, and we would not be
bringing back emissions testing stations. The law would require that
auto manufacturers sell cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks in the
future.
The Senate has had a spirited debate on this bill. What everyone agrees
on is that Minnesota protects its economy, its residents’ health, the
environment, and our national security. These issues are what has made
mean lean in favor on the bill, though I have not made a final
decision.
Once again, thank you for your interest in this important debate. Feel
free to keep in contact with my office.
Sincerely,
Kevin
Senator Kevin Dahle
Senate District 25
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-1279
sen.kevin.dahle@senate.mn
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Re: Abdicating Minnesota’s Authority to California in the Name of Global Warming |
By dan.mcgrath on
4/22/2008 |
| It would appear that Senator Dahle didn't see the peer reviews on the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group that he cites as a reason to support the California Emissions Standard. Perhaps someone shoud point him to this article, and the resources at the bottom: http://www.globalclimatescam.com/?p=88 |
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Re: Abdicating Minnesota’s Authority to California in the Name of Global Warming |
By Jim on
5/12/2008 |
| The only thing more depressing than a long Minnesota winter is our brainless politicians. |
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