Clean cars bill approved

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Clean cars bill approved

— Sean R. Sedam |

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ANNAPOLIS — A bill to reduce emissions from vehicles sold in Maryland appears on its way to becoming law.

The Senate voted 38-9 in favor of the bill on Monday. Last week, the House passed the so-called clean cars bill, which would require vehicles sold in Maryland starting in 2011 to be more fuel-efficient and produce fewer carbon dioxide emissions.

The two chambers must negotiate minor revisions before the bill goes to Gov. Martin O’Malley for his signature. O’Malley (D) has said he will sign the bill, which he endorsed in both his inaugural address and the State of the State speech.

The law would tie Maryland’s standards to those set by California.

The federal Clean Air Act requires states to adopt either federal standards or the stricter California standards.

Opponents launched a last-ditch effort to derail the bill on Monday.

By passing the bill, Maryland would be ceding its authority to a regulatory board that includes California elected officials, argued Senate Minority Whip Allan H. Kittleman (R-Dist. 9) of West Friendship, who voted against the bill.

‘‘We would be allowing the mayor of Riverside [Calif.] to enact regulations that are going to be applied to the citizens of Maryland,” he said. ‘‘I don’t think that is a good idea.”

Thirty percent of the nitrogen pollution in the Chesapeake Bay is deposited by air, including vehicle emissions, and the bill is necessary to reduce that, countered Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R-Dist. 38) of Westover, one of five Republicans who voted for the bill.