WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 1, 2010) Following today’s Notice of Intent to Issue a Proposed Rule from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to extend car and light truck fuel-efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions standards to cover model years 2017 and beyond, as well as a technical assessment to guide the development of these standards, the BlueGreen Alliance released the following statement from Executive Director David Foster:

“We commend the Obama administration and Administrators Jackson and Strickland for their efforts to reduce transportation sector emissions. The light-duty vehicle sector is already providing more greenhouse gas emissions avoidance than any other sector – a result of the historic 2012-2016 fuel-efficiency and tailpipe emissions regulations promulgated by the Obama administration in 2009. These forward-thinking efficiency standards will result in a cleaner, more fuel-efficient light-duty vehicle fleet and create good jobs along the way.

“This program will allow us to take aggressive steps, harmonized with state efforts, to improve efficiency, reduce pollution and build a single, national fleet of new clean vehicles. The technical assessment released today offers multiple strategies to guide this endeavor, and we hope the approaches that best maximize efficiency, develop advanced technology, strengthen the U.S. auto industry, and create opportunity for American workers are implemented to guide this historic effort.

“We call on Congress and the Obama administration to renew the funding for the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturers’ Incentive Program. This program is a proven job creator and is crucial for maintaining the positive momentum of the auto industry as it commits billions of dollars to retool its plants to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.

“It is also important that we move forward with medium- and heavy-duty vehicle standards, and that EPA and NHTSA continue to develop complementary programs that account for the trucking industry’s unique market structure to support drivers and workers, and accelerate the deployment of cleaner medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

“Today’s rules take us a big step further down the road to a clean energy economy by building more fuel-efficient vehicles in America. Doing so will help us create good jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, protect workers and leave a cleaner environment for future generations.”