EPA Testimony of California Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez on Fuel Efficiency Standards and Federal Waiver

In 2002, Assemblymember Fran Pavley authored Assembly Bill 1493, landmark legislation that requires tail pipe emissions standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Last year, I joined Ms Pavley in authoring AB 32 – the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, yet another "California First" which requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.

With the transportation sector is California's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, reductions are absolutely critical. AB 32 will not succeed without major reductions from the transportation sector.

The regulations being considered at today's hearing will achieve about 17 percent of the Reductions we can want to achieve with AB 32.

In order to meet our goal and address the leading environment issue facing our state and country today, California needs to be granted a waiver by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A waiver I might add that was requested 18 months ago. It is time for EPA to act and allow California to move forward.

I know that the Environmental Protection Agency has granted California's waiver requests more than 50 times in the last four decades. Each time, EPA has found that California has met the requirements under the Clean Air Act. There is no basis for EPA to treat this request differently.

The standards we are proposing are workable with technology already in the market and will save vehicle owners in lower maintenance and operating costs over the lifetimes of the vehicle. The standards give automakers flexibility to apply any technology they choose to reduce vehicles' emissions of greenhouse gases, including production of vehicles that use lower carbon fuels.

The standards were developed over four years careful and measured technical review and public input

We here in California are working to protect our children from a changing environment. The Bush administration has a choice: will it support that right the Clean Air Act gives us or continue to slow or stop any real action on global warming?

On December 21, 2005, the California Air Resources Board officially requested this waiver. Now, 18 months – almost to the day – later we are finally getting our chance to show EPA the broad national base of support for California's actions.

It's time for the Bush administration to stop dragging their feet and grant the waiver. If the Bush EPA denies the waiver, California is ready to sue and win. Waiting only makes it worse.

Thank you."