Environmental Defense Commends Mayor Bloomberg For Signing Bills For Clean Air

Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign today a set of bills that will help clean up New York City’s air by curbing pollution from city owned vehicles.  The New York City Council passed these bills in April.

“The bills the Mayor will sign today represent the most comprehensive commitment New York City has yet made to bring clean car and truck technology to New York City streets,” said Janea Scott, staff attorney at Environmental Defense.  “Existing city fleet rules are over a decade old and are missing out on the cleanest and best technologies the market has to offer.  The Mayor’s signature today will set a precedent for the country and help drive the market for clean vehicles.”

The bills require clean air technology for cars, diesel trucks, school buses, sanitation trucks and sight-seeing buses controlled by city fleets or contracts.  In each case, the bills require the best available clean air technology to reduce fine particulate matter (soot) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), a key precursor to smog.   They also require improvements in fuel efficiency over time, to help cut greenhouse emissions, which lead to global warming.

“Tailpipe pollution produces over 80% of the cancer risk in the ambient air New Yorkers breathe, yet the technology exists to solve the problem”, said Scott.  “Cost effective technology exists to cut tailpipe pollution from school buses, trucks and buses up to 90%.  We thank the Mayor for building on the success of Local Law 77, enacted in 2003, and signing these bills into law quickly.”