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For Immediate Release
July 14, 2006
DEP Distorts Lancaster County Air
Improvements to Impose California Emission Rules on PA
Motorists
Harrisburg – A group of lawmakers today
criticized an effort by the state Department of
Environmental Protection to use Lancaster County's air
quality improvements as an argument for imposing California
emission rules on Pennsylvania motorists.
DEP announced Wednesday that air
quality in Lancaster County has improved and is now meeting
the federal government's health-based requirements for
ground-level ozone. However, DEP is using the good news to
undermine one of the most significant factors in Lancaster's
improving air quality: the ability of citizens to purchase
newer, cleaner vehicles, according to Lancaster County
Senator Gib Armstrong (R-13). Senator Armstrong is joined by
Senate Transportation Committee Chair Roger Madigan (R-23)
and Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee
Chair Mary Jo White (R-21) in questioning DEP's attempt to
use air quality improvements to argue for imposing
California emission standards on Pennsylvania motorists.
"The air quality improvements in
Lancaster County, which DEP is touting, were facilitated in
large measure by fleet turnover, currently occurring at
about 7% per year. Pennsylvanians were able to afford to
buy newer, cleaner vehicles. The DEP plan to impose
California standards on Pennsylvania vehicles would have the
exact opposite effect. People would have to keep driving
older vehicles longer because DEP's plan would drive up
vehicle costs," said Senator Madigan. "I don't see the logic
in the DEP plan, and I am frustrated that they are using the
improvements in Lancaster County to mislead the public."
Senate Bill 1025, sponsored by Senators
Madigan, White and Armstrong, would keep in place until 2014
the federal Tier II clean air standard that helped improve
Lancaster's air quality. The bipartisan bill would give the
state time to determine the cost of the DEP plan, which
would impose standards set by the California Air Resource
Board. Senate Bill 1025 was approved by the Senate and sent
to the House of Representatives.
DEP's statement also repeats a claim
that the Ridge Administration endorsed a move to impose
California standards on Pennsylvania motorists. In fact, the
Ridge Administration did not adopt and endorse the
California vehicle emission standard. More to the point DEP,
in 1998 and again in 2004, expressed its intent to utilize
the federal Tier II standard. Any statements that
Pennsylvania intended to adopt California standards are
indisputably false, the senators noted.
"Efforts to improve air quality in
Pennsylvania have required us to spend an inordinate amount
of time correcting the misleading statements issued by this
DEP," said Senator White. "The fact is, Lancaster County
was slated to be moved into the compliance standard for
ozone air quality before this administration even proposed
its California plan. The improvements in Lancaster County
have nothing to do with this administration's plan, other
than being endangered by it."
The senators stressed that fleet
turnover and cleaner federal car standards, adopted by the
Clinton Administration, are responsible for Lancaster
County's air quality improvement, along with tougher
standards for stationary sources, such as power plants and
refineries.
"The fact that DEP is citing Lancaster
County's improvement as a need to change course is
puzzling," said Senator Madigan. "DEP's California plan will
do nothing but snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."
"DEP can't take credit for air quality
improving in Lancaster County. It could, however, take
credit for halting improvements if the department is
successful in blocking passage of the bipartisan Senate Bill
1025 and instead turns the issue over to the California Air
Resource Board," said Senator Armstrong.
CONTACTS:
Craig Shuey (Sen. Madigan) 717-787-3280
Pat Henderson (Sen. White) 717-787-9684
Chris Latta (Sen. Armstrong) 717-787-6535 | 
