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Texas legislators to review emissions bill AMARILLO, TEXAS (hppr) - Mark Haslett: Changes in federal Environmental Protection Agency policy could have a ripple effect on Texas auto emissions standards. Last week the Obama administration ordered the E-P-A to review a Bush administration policy that prohibited states from setting emissions standards different from those set by the federal government. Could Texas enact rules stricter than the E-P-A? State Representative Mark Strama of Austin hopes so. (:25)

Mark Strama: I believe that we ought to drive the cleanest cars with the best fuel economy that we can- and if they're going to be driving them in 14 other states, we ought to be able to drive them in Texas. (:09)

Haslett: The list of states wanting stricter standards has actually grown to 17. California heads that list- in 2007 the E-P-A denied California's application to toughen its emissions limits. California had routinely been granted such requests in the past. Strama has introduced a bill in the Texas House that would bring Texas standards up to California's. In the Senate, Houston Senator Rodney Ellis has introduced an identical bill. (:28)

Rodney Ellis: By implementing the stricter mileage standards the initial cost of a car would go up slightly. And it would be more than compensated for over the life of the vehicle because of the reduced cost that one would have to shell out for buying gasoline. (:18)

Haslett: Ellis says that adopting the California standard in Texas would cost new-car buyers about seven dollars more per month if they financed a car over five years. He also said drivers would save up to 18 dollars in monthly fuel costs based on current gas prices. The rule would apply to new cars starting with model-year 20-12. Auto manufacturers generally oppose the California standards. So does State Representative David Swinford of Amarillo. (:28)

David Swinford: California- if you've been to California, their gas is 15 to 20 cents a gallon higher. And the reason it is, is because they have required a- I call it a boutique fuel. It costs about 15 or 20 cents a gallon more to do everything that they want under their legislation. (:19)

Haslett: California Air Resources Board spokesman Stanley Young says that California does mandate special blends of gasoline- but that Texas would not have to follow California fuel standards in order to adopt California new-car emissions standards. (:15)

Stanley Young: It will not require any newly reformulated fuel- that's not a requirement. What we're looking at is essentially a more efficiently designed and engineered engine and vehicle. (:14)

Haslett: State Representative Warren Chisum of Pampa also opposes the bill. (:04)

Warren Chisum: That would require that we have 40% of our automobiles be zero-emissions cars, which would be electric cars. That just won't work in the State of Texas. Nor can the market supply 40%- for all of the United States- of new automobiles. So that's one of the reasons I don't think we'd be able to do that here. (:19)

Haslett: Spokespersons for both Ellis and Strama said that the bill would not mandate that 40% of new vehicles be zero-emissions vehicles. Amarillo Representative John Smithee said he would be reluctant to endorse stricter standards, but that he hadn't studied Strama's proposal closely. As for the apparent confusion about what the law would actually entail, Smithee said that the details would be known soon enough. (:23)

John Smithee: At this point, we're not getting concerned about what bills say- that will become relevant once they show up in committee or once it ends up on the House floor. So I really don't know where the bill or the bill drafters are on any of those issues right now. It's really too early to get too excited about that. (:21)

Haslett: Strama's proposal is House Bill 7-76. In the Senate, it's Senate Bill 1-19. This is Mark Haslett, High Plains Public Radio News. (:09)
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