Clear Air in the House

An agreement in the House of Representatives to make all cars meet California’s new pollution control standards in the 1990s is a step forward toward clean air for every state. But for California, one clause in the proposed legislation could also be a lurch sideways.

In other respects, the deal that may end 10 years of deadlock over revisions to the Clean Air Act seems memorable so far. It represents the first time that Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) have agreed on a clean-air issue, and that is important because Dingell is chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee that must clear any bill approved by Waxman’s subcommittee on Health and the Environment. The agreement was so long coming because Waxman’s district is in Los Angeles, where the air is dirtier than any other city. The biggest factories in Dingell’s home district make automobiles, and automobiles account for half of most urban smog.

California’s move to tighter controls, with eight northeastern governors saying they would follow suit, clearly helped shape Dingell’s decision to give a little. The new California standards, which go into effect in 1993, are designed to cut hydrocarbon emissions by 39% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 60%, both of which are key ingredients of smog. California standards would be imposed nationally over the years 1994 and 1995.

Waxman also gave ground to hold votes; how much remains to be seen. As of today, all states, including California, would be preempted from setting standards for off-road engines, a class ranging from diesel generators to locomotives and tractors, with jurisdiction turned over to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The California Air Resources Board, which has been working toward standards for off-road engines, estimates that they account for as much as 15% of air pollution.

What California would get in return is protection against more-polluting automobiles that are bought in other states and move to California when their owners migrate. The air board says that as many as 25% of cars on California roads are in that category. If clean-air politics mean that California must settle for that or no new bill at all, it may be worth doing. But it is a question that state smog control leaders must take their time examining.