Clean Air In the News

Updated: 12/19/2006 9:57 AM
By: Hermelinda Vargas

The guys at Eddie's Auto Electric Shop worry how a proposed bill on tighter emissions standards might affect their business.

"People don't like to do the repairs on emissions. A lot of people doubt that they need a repair so it just makes it tougher to do," shop manager Brian Shaw said.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, wants Texas to adopt California's emission standards, which are tougher than the federal standards now in place in Texas.

Luke Metzger with Environment Texas said the changes would be good for clean air.

"More than half of Texans live in places where, literally, the air is unsafe to breathe certain times of the year," he said.

Those pushing for the bill, SB 124, say the new standards would not affect existing vehicles, but would force manufacturers to build cars that produce less emissions.

"This is not going to require consumers to do upgrades," Metzger said.

The idea is to lower the amount of pollutants beginning with new cars and light trucks. If approved, the new standards would lower auto carbon dioxide emissions by about 30 percent in the next 10 years.

Show over at Eddie's Auto Electric agree with what lawmakers are trying to do, in theory. The problem is what happens if counties also approve California standards.

"The customer's the one that doesn't know a lot about it. It surprises them when they fail an emission and it's going to make it harder in the future," he said.

"Right now it's estimated that the costs of improvements to make these cars cleaner will increase the cost by about $300. However, the savings from fuel, consumers that finance the car, are actually saving money from day one," Metzger said.

Car manufacturers are not as enthusiastic. They are expected to put up a big fight against SB 124.

Meanwhile, pollution is a major issue for the upcoming legislative session. Another bill calls for the state to reconsider some proposed Texas coal plants.