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OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE ENERGY SECURITY 

AND THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH TRANSPORTATION POLICY 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

MARCH 24, 2010 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys 
(II) 

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

BARBARA BOXER, California, Chairman 

MAX BAUCUS, Montana 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey 

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland 

BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont 

AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota 

SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island 

TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon 

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York 

ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania 

JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma 

GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio 

DAVID VITTER, Louisiana 

JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming 

MIKE CRAPO, Idaho 

CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri 

LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee 

BETTINA POIRIER, Staff Director 

RUTH VAN MARK, Minority Staff Director 
(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

MARCH 24, 2010 

OPENING STATEMENTS 

Boxer, Hon. Barbara, U.S. Senator from the State of California ........................ 1 

Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma .................... 2 

Cardin, Hon. Benjamin L., U.S. Senator from the State of Maryland ................ 28 

Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware, prepared 

statement .............................................................................................................. 115 

WITNESSES 

Porcari, Hon. John D., Deputy Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department 

of Transportation ................................................................................................. 4 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 6 

McCarthy, Hon. Regina A., Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ................................................... 11 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 13 

Responses to additional questions from Senator Boxer ................................ 16 

Response to an additional question from Senator Carper ............................ 17 

Responses to additional questions from: 

Senator Cardin .......................................................................................... 18 

Senator Inhofe ........................................................................................... 19 

Greene, Larry F., Executive Director, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality 

Management District ........................................................................................... 30 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 33 

Responses to additional questions from Senator Boxer ................................ 35 

Response to an additional question from Senator Inhofe ............................. 39 

Lovaas, Deron, Federal Transportation Policy Director, Natural Resources 

Defense Council .................................................................................................... 40 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 42 

Responses to additional questions from Senator Boxer ................................ 65 

Response to an additional question from Senator Inhofe ............................. 71 

Siglin, Douglas V., Federal Affairs Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation ....... 75 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 77 

Kolodziej, Richard, President, NGVAmerica ......................................................... 88 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 90 

Responses to additional questions from: 

Senator Boxer ............................................................................................ 99 

Senator Inhofe ........................................................................................... 102 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL 

Letter to Senator Boxer and Senator Inhofe from the American Gas Association, April 2, 2010 ................................................................................................ 118 

(1) 

OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE ENERGY SECURITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH 

TRANSPORTATION POLICY 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2010 

U.S. SENATE, 

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, 

Washington, DC. 

The full Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:05 a.m. in 

room 406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Barbara Boxer 

(chairman of the full Committee) presiding. 

Present: Senators Boxer, Inhofe, Cardin, Merkley, Carper, and 

Udall. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BARBARA BOXER, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 

Senator BOXER. Good morning, everybody. 

Senator Inhofe and I welcome our panelists, and we wanted to 

share some information. It may be that we have some objections to 

our meeting this morning due to unrelated matters that are happening on the Senate floor. Therefore, I am going to ask our panelists to just stick with the clock and get this done. 

And what I am going to do is put my full statement in the 

record. I will just summarize it in a couple of minutes if you want 

to run the clock. 

We are going to examine ways we can use the next Surface 

Transportation Bill to improve our Nation’s energy security and the 

environment. The witnesses will discuss the ways we can use 

transportation policies to promote energy security as well as cleaner air and water. 

We spend $1 billion a day to import foreign oil, and two-thirds 

of it is used for transportation. So, if we make our transportation 

system more efficient, reduced oil consumption will make our country less dependent on countries that, frankly, do not like us very 

much. 

We also know the health impacts. Diesel, for example, the exhaust from diesel, contributes to asthma attacks, bronchitis, other 

illnesses, heart disease, permanent harm to the lungs of kids, and 

causes cancer. And we know there are ways to make the diesel 

cleaner. 

As a matter of fact I visited a place in Sacramento where there 

is this incredible technology that reduces the pollutants that come 

out of the diesel by about 80 percent. So there are ways that we 

can encourage this kind of technology. 
2 

Two of my main goals for the reauthorization of our bill are to 

improve goods movement and to reduce air pollution from transportation. We have to find ways to reduce harmful emissions while we 

speed up the movement of people and goods. And there are several 

programs that provide funding for projects that will benefit the 

quality of our air. 

I will look forward to hearing from today’s witnesses as we work 

to develop a transportation bill that will help reduce pollution and 

make America more secure. 

And I would yield the time to Senator Inhofe. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Boxer was not received at 

time of print.] 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES M. INHOFE, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA 

Senator INHOFE. Madam Chairman, I will also cut back because 

it could be that we will have to leave in about 45 minutes. So, we 

will get to the panelists. 

Senator BOXER. OK. 

Senator INHOFE. I will say this. I always have to say this when 

I am at one of these meetings. If we really are serious about wanting to be independent from other countries, all we have to do is develop our own resources. As we all know, now, no one questions, 

the CRS came out and showed the United States of America is No. 

1 in terms of reserves of recoverable resources. So, we are talking 

gas, oil and coal. 

The main thing I was trying to get across on this is I have introduced a lot of legislation. Back when gas was over $4 a gallon, natural gas was, the equivalent to a gallon was 98 cents. And that just 

made sense. 

We know about the obstacles, the bureaucratic obstacles that are 

out there. I have introduced the Drive America on Natural Gas Act. 

I have been joined by Democrats, Senator Pryor, and one of the 

strongest proponents of my position is Dan Boren, a Democrat in 

the House. So, we are working on this together. 

There are all kinds of reasons, environmental reasons as well as 

other reasons, cost reasons. And now that we know what the reserves are out there, every time, every week that goes by, in the 

shale, in the deposits, all of these things are out there, and we 

want to be sure that we are able to do that. 

And knock down some of the bureaucratic obstacles in terms of 

certification of engines. It is ridiculous to have to recertify something if the same engine has already been certified but used in a 

different vehicle. 

We are going to work all together on this and try to make this 

a reality, Madam Chairman. 

And I will put the rest of my statement in the record. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Inhofe follows:] 

STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES M. INHOFE, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA

Thank you, Madam Chairman, for holding this hearing, and thank you to all the 

witnesses for joining us this morning. The purpose of today’s hearing is to explore 

some of the policy recommendations that benefit the environment while making us 
3 

less dependent on foreign oil. One innovative way to achieve that goal is through 

greater use of natural gas powered vehicles. 

In 2008, when gasoline prices were above $4 per gallon, I was the first in Congress to introduce a comprehensive bill to promote the use of natural gas as a realistic alternative for the many Americans who were looking for price relief. The bill 

I introduced was called the ‘‘Drive America on Natural Gas Act.’’ Today, I’m encouraged to see that several members on Capitol Hill have introduced similar bills promoting the use of both natural gas and propane as a transportation fuel. Last summer I joined with Senator Pryor to once again introduce a comprehensive bill to promote these fuels for America’s drivers. In October Senator Wicker and I introduced 

legislation to simplify the EPA emissions certification process for aftermarket fuel 

conversion systems. I’m glad to report that Senator Landrieu is now a cosponsor of 

that bill. 

The bipartisan support for both natural gas and natural gas vehicles speaks to 

its potential to strengthen energy security and serve as a viable alternative to gasoline powered vehicles. But to achieve these goals we must take advantage of our 

abundant, domestic supply of natural gas for use as a transportation fuel. 

There is no question about the supply of natural gas—we have plenty of it, and 

we can develop it. Last year the Potential Gas Committee released its latest assessment showing that America possesses 2,047 trillion cubic feet of natural gas—an increase of more than 35 percent just since the Committee’s 2006 estimate. At today’s 

rate of use this is enough natural gas to meet American demand for nearly 90 years. 

Just this January the Department of Energy released new statistics showing that 

the United States had eclipsed Russia as the world’s largest producer of natural gas. 

The advent of horizontal drilling is fueling an economic boom. A recent study from 

the Pennsylvania College of Technology estimates that drilling for natural gas in the 

Marcellus Shale alone will create 98,000 Pennsylvania jobs and inject more than 

$14 billion into Pennsylvania’s economy in 2010. Multiply these numbers across several emerging natural gas plays nationwide, and the potential economic impact 

equates to millions of jobs and trillions of dollars. 

We have the natural gas supply and proven NGV technology, which has existed 

for decades. Therefore its promise as a mainstream transportation fuel is achievable 

today—not 15 or 20 years from now. 

As we work across the aisle to promote the development and use of our abundant 

natural gas supply, members on both sides of this Committee are also working together to pass a reauthorization of the Nation’s transportation bill. I won’t get into 

the details of the reauthorization debate, but I want to make clear that we need 

to avoid weighing down the bill with environmental regulation. For example if members favor reducing greenhouse gas emissions or establishing stormwater regulations for the transportation sector then they should do so in the context of climate 

legislation or the Clean Water Act. 

While we all share the important value of environmental protection it should be 

a value considered on par with the energy, economic, safety, mobility and other benefits of proposed transportation projects. In short we need to devise ways to balance 

our transportation needs with our environmental goals. 

Thank you, Madam Chairman. I look forward to discussing these issues with our 

witnesses. 

Senator BOXER. Thank you so much. Senator, would you agree 

that we should keep our question time to 3 minutes instead of 5? 

Senator INHOFE. Sure. I think particularly on the first panel because they may shut us down—— 

Senator BOXER. Yes, I know. 

Senator INHOFE. And we want to get to the second panel. 

Senator BOXER. I know. 

So, with that, and speeding along, we are honored to welcome 

our first two panelists, Hon. John Porcari, Deputy Secretary of 

Transportation, United States Department of Transportation. He 

will be followed by Hon. Regina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. EPA. 

So, why don’t you start? And we give you 5 minutes. 
4 

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN D. PORCARI, DEPUTY SECRETARY 

OF TRANSPORTATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Mr. PORCARI. Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Inhofe, thank 

you for the opportunity to testify today. This is an important topic, 

and protecting our Nation from the risks associated with our reliance on foreign oil and the destabilizing effects of a changing climate is one of the President’s highest priorities. 

We have to commit ourselves to an economic future in which the 

strength of our economy is not tied to the unpredictability of oil 

markets. We need to improve the energy and environmental performance of the transportation sector so that we can continue to 

provide mobility for the public and for the economy. 

Today I would like to highlight some of the innovative transportation and energy programs of the Obama administration that we 

are pursuing with the support of Congress. These initiatives address the energy transportation nexus on all fronts—better vehicles, clean fuels and transforming our infrastructure. 

One of the President’s earliest actions on taking office was to direct the Environmental Protection Agency and our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop a joint fuel economy 

and tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions standard for cars and light 

trucks, covering the model years 2012 through 2016. In September 

of last year the two agencies issued a joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. NHTSA issued an Environmental Impact Statement in 

February of this year, and we expect to issue a final rule in the 

near future. 

Our colleagues, meanwhile, at the Department of Energy are ad- ministering $7.5 billion of loans under the Advanced Technology 

Vehicle Manufacturing Improvement Program. This helps make 

possible the commercial deployment of U.S. built electric and plugin hybrid vehicles, which will set the stage for a transformation of 

the light duty vehicle sector. 

In clean fuels my colleague, EPA Assistant Administrator 

McCarthy, will tell you about EPA’s new final rule for the revised 

Renewable Fuel Standard issued on February 3rd. This new rule 

lays the groundwork for vastly expanding the output of low carbon 

renewable fuels such as cellulosic, ethanol and biodiesel. 

Our main focus at the Department of Transportation lies in 

transforming our transportation infrastructure. Large scale transportation infrastructure investments inevitably require a Government role. We believe that these initiatives will change the face of 

the U.S. transportation system. I would like to highlight six key 

DOT initiatives undertaken with the support of Congress and especially this Committee. And we thank you for that support. 

First, high speed rail. On January 28th the President announced $8 billion in Recovery Act grants to States across the country to develop America’s first nationwide program of high speed intercity 

passenger rail service. These Recovery Act dollars are a historic investment in our transportation infrastructure. They will create jobs 

and transform travel in America. 

Second, transit grants. The Federal Transit Administration has used Recovery Act funding to award $8.6 billion in grants for more 

than 965 transit projects across the country. These Recovery Act 
5 

funds have supported the purchase of nearly 11,000 buses, vans 

and rail vehicles, and also supported the construction or renovation 

of more than 850 transit facilities across the country. 

Third, our TIGER Program, Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery. On February 17 Secretary LaHood announced $1.5 billion in awards for 51 projects across the country, 

including improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit and 

intermodal facilities. The TIGER grants include activities that are 

difficult to fund under our existing programs, and many of the 

grants will help alleviate some of our key freight, rail and goods 

movement bottlenecks. 

Fourth, livable communities. DOT is partnering with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and EPA to better integrate regional housing, transportation and land use planning and 

investment. We are helping redefine affordability to reflect the rising transportation costs, harmonize the HUD and DOT programs 

so they work in concert, and undertake a joint research data collection and outreach program. 

Sustainable development that is transit oriented and friendly to 

pedestrians and bicyclists will help foster economically competitive, 

healthy, opportunity rich communities throughout the country and 

will also have a positive impact on fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Fifth, managing demand peaks. Transportation demand fluctuates by time of day and by season, as you well know. Network 

congestion adds hidden—and sometimes not so hidden—costs for 

travelers, infrastructure providers, and the environment. The costs 

include wasted time, additional greenhouse gas emissions, urban 

air pollutants, excess fuel consumption and infrastructure costs. 

We are working with our State and local partners to create better 

choices for travelers including bicycle and pedestrian options and 

transit innovation such as bus rapid transit. 

And then sixth and finally, NextGen. We have a transformational opportunity with the Federal Aviation Administration 

in our Next Generation Air Transportation System. NextGen, as 

you know, is a comprehensive multi-year overhaul of the national 

airspace system that will improve performance, enhance safety, 

and reduce aviation fuel usage and greenhouse emissions through 

improved and more direct routing and reduced congestion and 

delay. 

These are some of the many transportation infrastructure related 

activities that we are pursuing. In the long run transformational 

initiatives such as the ones I have described here today will have 

a powerful, positive effect on our society by creating more attractive, economically competitive communities and enhancing the 

overall performance of our system. 

Thank you, and I look forward to answering your questions. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Porcari follows:] 
6 

STATEMENT OF 

THE HONORABLE JOHN D. PORCARI 

DEPUTY SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION 

BEFORE THE 

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT 

AND PUBLIC WORKS 

U.S. SENATE 

Opportunities to Improve Energy Security and the Environment through Transportation Policy 

MARCH 24,2010 

Chairman Boxer, Ranking Minority Member Inhofe, and Members of the Committee: 

I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify today on the opportunities to improve 

energy security and the environment through transportation policy. Protecting our Nation from 

the serious risks associated with our reliance on foreign oil and the destabilizing effects of a 

changing climate is one of the President's highest priorities. Our reliance on oil poses a threat to 

our economic security. Over the last few decades, we have watched our economy rise and fall 

along with the price of a barrel of oil. We must commit ourselves to an economic future in which 

the strength of our economy is not tied to the unpredictability of oil markets. 

As the President has said: 

"So we have a choice to make. We can remain one of the world's leading importers 

of foreign oil, or we can make the investments that would allow us to become the 

world~~ leading exporter of renewable energy. We can let climate change continue 

to go unchecked, or we can help stop it. We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created 

abroad, or we can create those jobs right here in America and lay the foundation for 

lasting prosperity. " 

Transportation systems are on the front lines in the struggle to make our Nation's economy more 

sustainable. According to the Energy Information Administration, transportation accounts for 71 

percent of U.S. petroleum consumption, and about 28 percent ofU.S. greenhouse gas emissions. 

Petroleum, in tum, accounts for 98 percent of the sector's energy consumption. 

The transportation sector is essential to the U.S. economy. The value of final demand for 

transportation services (including vehicles) in 2007 was $1.5 trillion, more than 10 percent of the 

Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with commercial "for hire" transportation exceeding $400 

billion. 

We need to improve the energy and environmental performance of the transportation sector, so 

that it can continue to provide mobility for the public and the economy. If we implement 

measures that are economically attractive, then we can simultaneously improve the 

1 
7 

environmental and economic performance of the transportation sector and the broader economy, 

while creating the basis for American leadership in high performance industries of the future. 

There are three broad areas where we can improve the performance of the transportation sector: 

• Efficient Vehicles; 

• New Fuels; and 

• Transforming Infrastructure. 

Today, I would like to highlight for you just a sampling of the many innovative initiatives that 

the Administration and DOT are pursuing with the support of Congress. 

Efficient Vehicles. One of the President's earliest actions on taking office was to direct the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration (NHTSA) to develop a joint fuel economy/tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions 

standard for cars and light trucks covering model years 2012-2016. In September 2009, the two 

agencies issued a joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. NHTSA issued an Environmental 

Impact Statement in February, and we expect to issue a final rule in the near future. We 

anticipate that the joint National Program, if adopted, will save 1.8 billion barrels of petroleum 

and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a cumulative 950 million metric tons over the life of the 

regulated vehicles. 

The Department of Energy (DOE) has been charged with administering $7.5 billion of loans 

under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Improvement Program, authorized by 

the Energy Independence and Security Act of2007 (EISA). DOE has been using these funds to 

invest in a range of advanced vehicle manufacturing and battery facilities. This is helping make 

possible the commercial deployment of a range of US-built electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles 

built by multiple current and new entrant manufacturers, that sets the stage for a transformation 

of the light duty vehicle sector. DOE also continues their research and development program for 

advanced vehicle and truck technologies. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is supporting research and development of 

environmentally sound engine, aircraft and fuel technologies through the Continuous Lower 

Energy Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) program. 

Even in the absence of current Federal programs, transportation operators and equipment 

vendors are recognizing the economic impact of higher oil prices. We are seeing more fuel 

efficient locomotives, hybrid tugboats, and improved heavy duty diesel engines. In the aviation 

sector, Boeing has finally resolved many of the development issues with the advanced 

technology Boeing 787. Boeing says that this aircraft will use 20 percent less fuel per flight than 

comparable existing aircraft. The prototype made its first flight in December, and there are now 

four aircraft in t1ight test. Boeing expects to begin delivering this advanced aircraft to airlines in 

the fourth quarter of 20 I 0. 

New Fuels. Our colleagues at the EPA released the final rule for the revised Renewable Fuel 

Standard on February 3, which laid the groundwork to significantly expand output of!ow carbon 

2 
8 

renewable fuels such as cellulosic biofuel and biodiesel. By 2022, production of renewable fuels 

is set to increase to 36 billion gallons, with 16 billion gallons coming from low-carbon cellulosic 

biofuels. 

In addition, the Department of Defense (DOD) and the FAA are carrying forward research and 

development work on alternative and renewable fuels in the aviation sector. The DOD is 

working through requests to procure approved alternative jet fuels; while FAA is sponsoring a 

joint industry-Government partnership, the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, 

facilitating new alternative fuel standards at ASTM and supporting alternative fuel testing. 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is testing and deploying alternative fuel and hybrid 

transit buses through its Clean Fuel Grant Program, and Research and Innovative Technology 

Administration (RITA) is pursuing research on a range of new fuel approaches through our 

University Transportation Centers. DOT has also been adding alternative fuel vehicles to the 

fleet ofvehieles we use to conduct business. Within DOT's own facilities and vehicle 

operations, we are putting sustainable concepts into practice. For example, we are in the process 

of making greenhouse gas reduction commitments, adding new alternative technologies and fuels 

to our fleet, pursuing renewable energy projects, and new sustainable designs for our facilities. 

It is likely that the Department's most important contribution to new fuels is developing safety 

codes and standards for new vehicles and new fuel transportation systems. An effective safety 

regime is critical to public acceptance of new transportation technologies and systems. In 

cooperation with the DOE and other agencies, our operating Administrations are researching 

how Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards might better accommodate hydrogen and electric 

vehicles. We are also examining the safety and operating issues raised by ethanol and hydrogen 

pipelines. 

Transforming Infrastructure. Our main focus at the DOT lies in transforming our 

transportation infrastructure. Transportation infrastructure development inevitably has a 

substantial Government role. DOT's biggest job over the past year has been undertaking our 

responsibilities under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), including 

deploying $26.6 billion made available to the States for highway projects, $1.3 billion for 

aviation-related improvements, and $98 million for small shipyards. I would like to highlight 

several particularly transformative infrastructure investments: some funded under the Recovery 

Act, some using existing funding: 

• High-Speed Rail. On 28 January, the President announced $8 billion in grants to States 

across the country to develop America's first nationwide program of high-speed intercity 

passenger rail service. Funded by the Recovery Act, these dollars represent an historic 

investment in the country's transportation infrastructure, which will help create jobs and 

transform travel in America. In addition to high speed rail, the Federal Railroad 

Administration was allocated $1.3 billion for capital grants to Amtrak. 

• Transit Grants. The FT A has used Recovery Act funding to award $8.6 billion in grants 

for more than 965 transit projects across the country. Included within this amount was 

funding tor $100 million for the competitive Transit Investments in Greenhouse Gas and 

3 
9 

Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program, awarded on October 14,2009 to 43 projects. So 

far, Recovery Act funds have supported the purchase of nearly II ,000 buses, vans, and 

rail vehicles, the constmction or renovation of more than 850 transit facilities, and the 

performance of more than $620 million in preventive maintenance, which has helped to 

save transit service and jobs, and enhance service reliability. 

• Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. On 

Febmary 17, Secretary LaHood announced $1.5 billion in Recovery Act grants for 51 

transportation projects including improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit and 

intermodal facilities. TIGER grants include activities that are diflicult to fund under 

existing transportation programs, such as multi-state and multi-modal projects, and 

alleviating some key freight rail bottlenecks. 

• Livable Communities. DOT is partncring with the Department of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD) and EPA in an interagency task force to enhance integrated regional 

housing, transportation, and land use planning and investment; redefine afTordability to 

reflect rising transportation costs; develop livability measures; harmonize HUD and DOT 

programs, and to undertake joint research, data collection and outreach. As part of this 

initiative, HUD will be funding Sustainable Communities Planning Grants for 

communities to improve regional planning efforts that integrate housing and 

transportation decisions. EPA has created a new Ot1icc of Sustainable Communities that 

will, among other activities. help States usc Clean Water Funding to support efforts to 

make their communities more sustainable. 

DOT has proposed to create a counterpart office within the Office of the Secretary. Our 

Office of Livable Communities will lead DOT's efforts throughout the Department and 

with HUD and EPA. We propose, within our FY20ll budget request, that the 0!1ice 

would coordinate the distribution of $200 million for capacity enhancement at state and 

local transportation agencies. Through this support, state and local agencies could be 

better equipped with the tools. data and training needed to understand how transportation, 

housing, economic development and other infrastmcture investments impact one another. 

Planning and capacity enhancement grants to State and Local governments may, at first 

glance, appear to involve small sums of money, but they leverage far larger sums of 

private and public transportation and real estate investment over periods of many years. 

Because transit-oriented development requires private investment spurred by the 

cooperation of multiple Governmental bodies, we cannot depend on markets alone to 

create these communities. Sustainable development that is transit -oriented and friendly 

to pedestrians and bicyclists will help foster economically competitive, healthy, 

opportunity-rich communities, while reducing petroleum consumption, increasing energy 

security, and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. 

• Managing Demand Peaks. Transportation demand fluctuates by time of day and by 

season, as anyone who has driven a morning commute can testify. Network congestion 

adds hidden and not-so-hidden costs for both travelers, infrastmcture providers, and the 

environment. Costs include wasted time, additional greenhouse gas and urban air 

4 
10 

pollutant emissions, excess fuel consumption, excess infrastructure costs. The brute force 

approach to congestion is simply to add capacity: put in another lane. Sometimes, that is 

what is necessary. Often, though, we can be smarter. At DOT, we arc working with 

State and Local Governments to create better choices for travelers, including bicycle and 

pedestrian options, transit innovations such as dedicated-lane bus rapid transit. We can 

apply advanced technology to vehicles and roadways. We can use market forces where 

appropriate. And, we encourage employers and employees to participate in livabilityenhancing initiatives such as telecommuting, ride-sharing, and flexi-place. 

• NextGen. Equally transformational is the FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation 

System (NextGen). NcxtGen is a comprehensive multi-year overhaul of the national 

airspace system to improve performance, enhance safety, and reduce aviation fuel use 

and greenhouse gas emissions via improved routing and reduced congestion and delay. 

• Marine Highway. DOT is investing $59 million in the new America's Marine Highway 

Program this spring. This program will seek, wherever possible, to move freight on the 

Marine Highway- to save fuel, reduce green house gases, and build system capacity. A 

comparison oflong haul freight movement concluded that inland towing can move a ton 

of freight more than three and a half times further than trucking on the same gallon of 

fuel. 

These are just a few of the many transportation infrastructure-related activities the 

Administration is pursuing. In the long run, transformational initiatives such as those I have 

described here today will have a powerful long run effect on our society by creating more 

attractive, economically competitive communities, increasing the overall performance of the U.S. 

economy, improving the functioning of the transportation system, and fostering the industries of 

the future while steadily reducing transportation's energy and environmental impacts. 

Thank you and I look forward to answering your questions. 

5 
11 

Senator BOXER. Thank you very much. 

Regina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation. Welcome. 

STATEMENT OF HON. REGINA A. MCCARTHY, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR, OFFICE OF AIR AND RADIATION, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

Ms. MCCARTHY. Thank you very much. 

Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Inhofe, members of the Committee, I want to thank you for the invitation to testify today on 

opportunities to improve energy security and the environment 

through transportation policy. I am pleased to be on the panel with 

Deputy Secretary Porcari. 

Today the U.S. transportation system accounts for about 57 percent of all nitrogen oxide emissions and 34 percent of volatile organic compound emissions, the two major ozone forming pollutants. 

The transportation sector also accounts for 16 percent of the total 

emissions of fine particulate matter. 

More than 126 million Americans, nearly half of the population 

of the United States, live in areas where air quality does not meet 

our national health based standards. In addition all transportation 

sources contribute about 28 percent of the total U.S. greenhouse 

gas emissions. 

While stringent vehicle emission regulations have significantly 

reduced emissions from traditional criteria air pollutants, from 

1990 to 2007 transportation greenhouse gas emissions rose by 29 

percent, due in large part to increased demand for travel and the 

stagnation of fuel efficiency across the U.S. vehicle fleet. 

This Administration has committed to moving forward on transportation policies that can address both energy security and the environment. In May 2009 President Obama set in motion a new national program that would dramatically reduce greenhouse gas 

emissions and improve fuel economy for new cars and light trucks 

sold in the United States. 

In September 2009 EPA and DOT announced the proposal for 

this new national program, and we are soon to be finalizing that 

proposal. Under the proposed program the average greenhouse gas 

emission standard in 2016 would be set at 250 grams per mile, 

which is equivalent to 35.5 miles per gallon if manufacturers meet 

the standard entirely through fuel economy improvements. 

The environmental and security benefits from the national program will be significant. Together the proposed EPA and DOT 

standards would cut greenhouse gases by an estimated 950 million 

metric tons and about 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of 

the vehicles sold under this program. Because of the increased fuel 

efficiency of these vehicles we estimate that the average American 

family that purchases a 2016 new car will save $3,000 in fuel costs 

over that vehicle’s lifetime, even after taking into account the increased up front vehicle costs. 

We expect to establish the final standards, as I said, no later 

than April 1st. 

In February of this year EPA will also establish new requirements for the Renewable Fuel Standard, which is an important 

step for the environment, U.S. energy policy, and the economy. The 
12 

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandates our 

transportation fuel include 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 

2022. We estimate that in 2022 the program should displace about 

7 percent of our annual gasoline and diesel consumption with renewable fuels produced primarily right here in the United States. 

While renewable fuels and more efficient vehicles and engines 

are crucial to reducing transportation emissions, we also have to 

take steps to cut emissions from the millions of vehicles currently 

navigating America’s highways, railways and waterways. 

In the past 2 years alone EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign has awarded more than $350 million to help reduce exposure to 

harmful diesel exhaust. Through EPA’s SmartWay Transportation 

Program we have joined with 2,600 partners to reduce fuel consumption in the freight sector. The SmartWay Transport Program 

has been able to assist the freight industry in adopting cost effective technologies and practices that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money for truck owners and operators. 

In July 2009 President Obama said, ‘‘For too long Federal policy 

has actually encouraged sprawl and congestion and pollution rather than quality public transportation and smart, sustainable development.’’ EPA has been working over the past year with DOT and 

HUD in this partnership that is advancing communities’ ability to 

make smart development decisions. 

I would like to acknowledge Secretary LaHood and Deputy Secretary Porcari for their leadership, along with Secretary Donovan 

and Administrator Jackson, on this effort. Their strong voices for 

better coordination of land use, housing transportation investments 

and air quality planning represents a bold new vision for the transportation system in this country and the relationship between our 

agencies. 

And let me wrap up by saying that at the request of Senator 

Kerry we have developed some data that is now on the Web and 

that I believe the Committee has, that looks at how we can reduce 

greenhouse gases through new technologies and efficiency improvements in the transportation sector. 

I am happy to walk through that data analysis and answer any 

questions. 

Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. McCarthy follows:] 
13 

STATEMENT OF REGINA A. MCCARTHY 

ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR 

OFFICE OF AIR AND RADIATION 

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

March 24, 2010 

Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member lnhofe, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the 

opportunity to testify today on opportunities to improve energy security and the environment through 

transportation policy. I am pleased to offer this testimony together with Deputy Secretary Porcari from 

the Department of Transportation. Our two agencies have developed a strong partnership and we look 

forward working together to align our transportation, climate and air quality goals. 

Today, transportation accounts for about 28% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and 57% of nitrogen 

oxide and 34% of volatile organic compound emissions, the major ozone forming pollutants. More than 

126 million Americans-nearly half the population of the United States-live in areas where the air 

quality does not meet our national standards. 

While stringent vehicle emission regulations have significantly reduced the emissions of traditional 

criteria air pollutants, from 1990 to 2007, transportation greenhouse gas emissions rose by 29 percent 

due, in large part, to increased demand for travel and the stagnation of fuel efficiency across the U.S. 

vehicle fleet. The number of vehicle miles traveled by light duty motor vehicles (passenger cars and 

light-duty trucks) increased 40 percent from 1990 to 2007. These numbers are indicative of the 

challenges we face in moving toward a low-carbon transportation sector. 

This Administration is committed to moving forward on transportation policies that can address both 

energy security and the environment. In May 2009, President Obama set in motion a new National 

Program that would dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel economy for new 

cars and light trucks sold in the United States. In September 2009, EPA and the DOT announced the 

proposal for this National Program, which reflects unprecedented collaboration and consensus between 

the federal government, states, and private industty. This proposal would establish for the first time 

uniform federal standards to regulate both fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions for these cars and 

light trucks. 

The environmental and energy security benefits from the National Program will be significant. Together, 

the proposed EPA and DOT standards would cut carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 950 million 

metric tons and about 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program 

(model years 2012-2016). We have been reviewing public comments on our joint proposal and expect to 

establish final standards by April 1st. 

Progress can also be made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy duty trucks and buses and 

nonroad vehicles and engines. In addition to a petition regarding emissions from highway vehicles, EPA 

has received, and is currently evaluating, seven petitions from states and environmental organizations 

requesting that the Agency use existing Clean Air Act authorities to set GHG standards for locomotives, 

marine vessels, aircraft, and other nonroad engines. Together, heavy duty trucks and buses and nonroad 

sources comprise 42 percent of all transportation greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. We 

expect significant growth in this sector in the coming years. 

In February of this year, EPA also established new requirements for the Renewable Fuel Standard, which 

is an important step for the environment, for energy policy, and the U.S. economy. The Energy 
14 

Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandates our transpmtation fuel include 36 billion gallons of 

renewable fuel by 2022. This volume includes a substantial increase in the volume of advanced cellulosic 

biofuels, which will reach 16 billion gallons by 2022. Based on the agency's final analysis we estimate 

that in 2022, the program should displace about 7 percent of our annual gasoline and diesel consumption, 

reduce our dependence on oil by 328 million barrels annually, and avoid greenhouse gas emissions 

equivalent to removing 27 million cars tram the road. In addition, we estimate that it will increase 

farmers' income by $13 billion annually by 2022. 

While lower carbon fuels and more efficient vehicles and engines are crucial to reducing transpmtation 

emissions, we must also address emissions from the fleet of vehicles and engines already navigating 

America's highways, railways, and waterways. 

In the past two years, EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign has awarded close to $350 million to help 

reduce exposure to harmful diesel exhaust. EPA estimates that for every $I spent on clean diesel 

projects, up to $13 of public health benefits accrue. Reduction in emissions from highway construction 

equipment has been one of the program's priorities. 

Through EPA's Smart Way Transport program, we have joined with 2,600 pmtners to reduce fuel 

consumption in the freight sector. The Sma1tWay Transport program has been able to assist the freight 

industry in adopting cost-effective technologies and practices that can significantly reduce GHG 

emissions and save money. Our innovative Smart Way Finance grants have provided lower cost loans and 

leases to help truck owners--especially smaller trucking firms and owner-operators--purchase cleaner and 

more fuel efficient vehicles and technologies. 

Providing incentives to reduce the number of miles we drive should also be part of the solution. A recent 

report, titled Moving Cooler, which EPA, DOT and others helped to support, provides new evidence that 

travel efficiency strategies like public transit, Smart Growth, congestion pricing, carpools and intermodal 

freight can reduce emissions in 2050, according to the report's "Low Cost Scenario," by 15 percent to 18 

percent below projected levels. 

This Committee outlined in the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act an approach to promote 

these travel efficiency strategies, assess the impact of transpmiation infrastmcture investments, and 

encourage the development of integrated transportation and land-use plans, standardized models and 

state and MPO transpmtation greenhouse gas reduction targets. 

In July of2009, President Obama said, "For too long, federal policy has actually encouraged sprawl and 

congestion and pollution, rather than quality public transportation and smart, sustainable development." 

EPA has been working over the past year with DOT and HUD in a pmtnership focused on providing our 

communities the tools they need to make these smart development decisions. The Pmtnership for 

Sustainable Communities announced on June 16th by Secretaries LaHood and Donovan, and 

Administrator Jackson is designed to fully coordinate our actions to overcome the significant challenges 

we face together. Through this partnership, we have been working with stakeholders to identiJY barriers 

within our agencies that limit state and local efforts to build more sustainable neighborhoods and regions. 

I would like to acknowledge Secretary LaHood and Deputy Secretary Porcari for their leadership on this 

effort. Their strong voice for better coordination of land-use, transportation investments and air quality 

planning represents a bold new vision for the transportation system in this country and the relationships 

between our agencies. We look forward to continuing our work with DOT and I-IUD and to sharing 

EPA's experience in transp01tation and air quality planning in our work together to make sure that 

investments by any one of our agencies will meet our shared goals. 

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In response to a request from Senator Kerry, EPA recently released an analysis of the potential 

greenhouse gas emissions and oil savings across the transpmtation sector through 2030. I want to 

emphasize that this was not part of a regulatory plan, but was rather a broad scoping exercise based on 

the application of known technologies, operational improvements, and travel efficiency measures in all 

key transportation subsectors, identified and analyzed by EPA experts. For example, in the light-duty 

sector, we assumed that the annual rate of improvement in greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy 

from 2017 to 2030 would be equal to or slightly greater than the rate that will be required by the 

Administration's National Program discussed above. One way to achieve these levels would be for new 

technologies such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and other types of electric vehicles to account for 

one-third to one-half of all new personal vehicles in 2030, and for conventional hybrid vehicles to 

account for the majority of the remaining new vehicles sales in 2030. We also assumed that the fuel 

economy of new freight trucks could increase by 60 percent by 2030. We looked at travel efficiency 

strategies for passenger transportation analyzed in the Moving Cooler report, such as public transit, smart 

growth and carpools. Improvements were also identified for aviation, marine, rail, and non road engines 

and equipment. 

Our technical experts projected that, by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions from the transp01tation sector 

could be reduced by 600 to 1000 million metric tons annually, which would be the equivalent of taking 

120 to 200 million cars off the road. The projected oil savings are 4 to 7 million barrels per day, 

representing one-third to over one-half of our current oil imports. These greenhouse gas emissions and 

oil savings represent a 25 to 40 percent reduction in the transp01tation sector relative to the Energy 

Information Administration's 2009 Annual Energy Outlook baseline. 

It is important to note what this scoping exercise in response to Senator Kerry's request did not do-it 

did not account for changes in emissions or oil consumption in transpOitation fuel production or 

distribution (such as upstream greenhouse gas emissions from power plants used to power electric 

vehicles), it did not assess the costs or other impacts of these measures, nor did it address the policy 

drivers that might be necessary to promote these changes. This analysis makes no distinction between 

different policy drivers nor does it reflect a regulatory plan or budget proposal. We make no assessment 

of the relative merits, costs, or impacts of various approaches. 

In closing, I believe that Congress and the Administration have a tremendous opportunity and 

responsibility to move forward on polices in the transpottation sector that can improve our environment, 

reduce dependence on oil, and create long-tenn economic prosperity for our nation. I am encouraged that 

this Committee is dedicated to keeping transportation a part of the solution, both in the context of 

pending climate and energy legislation, as well as the upcoming transportation bill reauthorization. EPA 

looks forward to working with DOT and this Committee. I would be pleased to answer any questions 

that you may have. 

3 
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Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing 

March 24, 2010 

Follow-Up Questions for Written Submission 

Questions for Gina McCarthy 

Senator Barbara Boxer 

1. In your testimony yon mentioned that more than 126 million Americans (nearly half of the 

population) live in areas where air quality does not meet our national standards. What do yon 

believe would be the most effective approach at the Federal level to address the transportation 

sector's contribution and to reduce that number and improve air quality nationwide? 

Improving air quality is a top priority at EPA. To address air pollution from the transportation 

sector, we are implementing a suite of vehicle, engine, and fuel standards to dramatically cut NOx 

and PM emissions from new vehicles and engines including cars, trucks, buses, nonroad 

equipment, and locomotive and marine engines. To complement regulations for new vehicles and 

engines, the National Clean Diesel Campaign is helping to address harmful diesel exhaust from the 

legacy fleet. The program has awarded close to $350 million for upgrades to engines, vehicles and 

vessels across the country. The upgrades from the $49.2 million of grants in FY08 alone are 

estimated to reduce particulate matter by 2200 tons, NOx by 46,000 tons and C02 by 465,000 tons 

and will result in an estimated $580 million to $1.4 billion in public health benefits. We anticipate 

significant additional benefits from the $294 million of clean diesel project grants that we awarded 

last year with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding. 

Providing cost-effective options that enable us to reduce the number of miles we drive should also 

be part of the solution. This could include more transit and better coordination of land-use, 

transportation investments and air quality planning. We also need to promote standardized 

transportation, land-use and air quality models and data to better assess the impact of transportation 

infrastructure investments and strategies. The EPA-HUD-DOT Partnership for Sustainable 

Communities is also helping to improve air quality by providing communities the tools and targeted 

resources they need to make smarter development decisions. 

2. Can yon specifically describe some of the technologies, operational improvements, and 

travel efficiency efforts that EPA's technical experts project could reduce greenhouse gas 

emissions from the transportation sector? 

The analysis we conducted in response to Senator Kerry's request reflects widespread deployment 

of known technologies and strategies for all of the key transportation subsectors- including lightduty, heavy-duty, aviation, marine, rail, and off-highway engines and vehicles- that our experts 

considered to be feasible in the 20 15-2030 timeframe. This analysis does not consider the policy or 

market choices that would be needed to generate certain GHG outcomes, which is a valuable but 

complex analysis. Instead, it focuses more narrowly on the GHG reductions that could be derived 

directly from the transportation sector if effective drivers were in place. We make no assessment of 
17 

the relative merits, costs, or impacts of various approaches. This analysis is available on our 

website. 1 

Examples of technologies that we included in the analysis: 

Light-duty: advanced gasoline vehicles (e.g. downsized engines with turbochargers, better 

aerodynamics and tires), conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles. 

Heavy-duty: aerodynamics, low rolling resistance tires, advanced engines, hybrids. 

Aviation: geared turbofans, compressor optimization at low speed, lighter weight materials, 

laminar flow technology, and blended wing body. 

Rail: engine efficiency improvements, electric hybrid powertrains, improved bearings and 

brakes. 

Marine: engine system optimization for existing ships, improved hull design, propeller 

design optimization. 

Examples of the travel efficiency strategies and operational improvements we included in the 

analysis: 

Light-duty: ceo-driving, carpools, smart growth, and transit. 

Heavy-duty: idle reduction and improved driver performance. 

Aviation: improved ground operations and air traffic management. 

Rail: double-stacking and GPS-assisted dispatch optimization. 

Marine: voyage optimization and weather routing, speed reduction. 

3. You mentioned the SmartWay Transport program and bow you've used it to reduce fuel 

consumption in the freight sector. Can you describe this program and how it is being nsed to 

help truck drivers purchase cleaner and more fuel efficient vehicles and technologies? Do you 

think a similar approach can be used for buses? 

The Smart Way program provides information, tools and incentives to freight carriers and their 

customers to help them track, assess, and reduce emissions from goods movement. Smart Way 

helps truck drivers identify cleaner and more fuel efficient vehicles and technologies by testing, 

verifying, and promoting technologies that demonstrate a measurable improvement in 

environmental performance. The Smart Way Finance Program uses Diesel Emission Reduction Act 

funding to support innovative loan and other incentive programs to help trucking companies (often 

small fleets or individual operators) purchase or lease cleaner, more efficient vehicles and 

technologies. Smart Way recognition for improved environmental performance allows shippers to 

identify and choose top-performing freight providers, providing an additional incentive for trucking 

operators to adopt greener technologies. We are continuing to explore opportunities to save fuel 

and reduce emissions through application of Smart Way-verified technologies beyond trucks. 

Senator Thomas R. Camer 

I. Transportation is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases in this country, accounting 

for nearly one-third of emissions. The EPA says that we can reduce transportation emissions 

by 26- 40 %in 2030 if we adopt a comprehensive set of policies. I believe that an essential 

1 www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/GHGtransportation-analysisOJ-18-20 I O.pdf 

2 
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component of that strategy must be to allow Americans to spend less time in traffic and have 

increased mobility options. In order to reduce oil consumption and protect the environment, 

how should climate and transportation policy address mobility? 

Policies that support the development of alternatives to driving can help reduce greenhouse gases 

and oil consumption, as well as protect Americans from increases in gas prices. One way to 

advance the implementation of mass transit, smart growth, and other travel efficiency measures is 

for states and local governments to encourage greenhouse gas reductions as part of the 

transportation planning process. The Committee laid out in Sections 112 and 113 of the Clean 

Energy Jobs and American Power Act one approach to promote these travel efficiency strategies, 

assess the impact of transportation infrastructure investments, and encourage the development of 

integrated transportation and land-use plans, standardized models and state and MPO transportation 

greenhouse gas reduction targets. 

Senator Benjamin L. Cardin 

l. Americans spend far too much time stuck in traffic. Wasting time in traffic impacts our 

economic productivity, the time we spend with family, and is a tremendous waste of energy 

resources and source of C02 emissions. 

Will developing transit-oriented transportation systems achieve significant fuel/energy 

savings? 

We believe that smart growth and mass transit can play an important role in helping to save fuel and 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. A recent report, titled Moving 

Cooler, which EPA, DOT and others helped to support, provides new evidence that travel efficiency 

strategies like public transit, Smart Growth, congestion pricing, and carpools can reduce emissions in 

2050, according to the report's "Low Cost Scenario," by 15 percent to 18 percent below projected 

levels. 

In 2007, EPA published a study titled, Measuring the Air Quality and Transportation Impacts of 

Infill Development2 , which included three case studies that evaluated transit-oriented development 

and other smart growth development strategies. For example, this study showed that increased use 

of smart growth strategies in Denver could reduce congestion by six percent and emissions by four 

percent. In Charlotte, the study found that a new light rail project would reduce emissions on its 

own, but with significant transit-oriented development around its stations, ridership would increase 

by 6,000 trips per day and the emissions reduction benefits would be ten times larger. 

2. Last Summer Energy Secretary Steven Chu and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson both 

testified before this committee that incorporating more transit systems into our transportation 

infrastructure would achieve remarkable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from the 

transportation sector. 

Do you agree that increase accessibility and availability of transit in communities both large 

and small would achieve significant fuel savings and C02 emissions reductions? 

2 U.S. EPA. Measuring the Air Quality and Transportation Impacts of In fill Development. EPA 231-R-07-00 I. 

November 2007 

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What level of investment in transportation alternatives, like transit, multi-modal 

transportation systems, and smart growth designs, would you recommend we make to achieve 

adequate fuel consumption reductions? 

We agree that increasing accessibility and availability of transit could achieve significant fuel and 

greenhouse gas savings, as discussed in the response above. Significant new funding would be 

crucial to support state and local planning and implementation of travel efficiency strategies that 

could achieve the levels of greenhouse gas and fuel savings outlined in the Moving Cooler report. 

We expect that states and local governments would consider costs and benefits to determine the 

appropriate level of investment in transportation alternatives. 

Senator James M. Inhofe 

1. One of my biggest concerns with the Administration's Livability Initiative is that, to date, it 

is an amorphous concept that every Administration official has defined differently. What do 

the terms "livability" and "livable communities" mean to you? 

Livable communities are where transportation, housing and commercial development investments 

have been coordinated such that people have access to adequate, affordable and environmentally 

sustainable travel options. The specific attributes that define livability in any individual community 

are shaped by the values of its citizens and unique local conditions. However, it is possible to 

identify broad principles to define basic aspects oflivable communities. When Administrator 

Jackson, Secretary Dononvan and Secretary LaHood appeared before the Senate Banking 

Committee last July, they presented a set of Livability Principles defining the HUD-DOT-EPA 

Partnership for Sustainable Communities. These principles provide a basic definition of livable 

communities: 

Provide more transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable, and economical 

transportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our nation's 

dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and 

promote public health. 

Promote equitable, affordable housing. Expand location- and energy-efficient housing 

choices for people of all ages, incomes, races, and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower 

the combined cost of housing and transportation. 

Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through reliable 

and timely access to employment centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic 

needs by workers, as well as expanded business access to markets. 

Support existing communities. Target federal funding toward existing communitiesthrough strategies like transit oriented, mixed-use development, and land recycling-to 

increase community revitalization and the efficiency of public works investments and 

safeguard rural landscapes. 

Coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment. Align federal policies and 

funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage funding, and increase the 

accountability and effectiveness of all levels of government to plan for future growth, 

including making smart energy choices such as locally generated renewable energy. 

Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristics of all 

communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable neighborhoods-rural, urban, or 

suburban. 

4 
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2. You testified that the Moving Cooler report shows that greenhouse gas emissions can be 

reduced by 15 to 18 percent by 2050 by using the report's "Low Cost Scenario." Which of the 

included activities in the referenced scenario does the Administration support? Please answer 

yes or no to each of the following: 

a. in all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000, tax all free private 

parking lots with more than 50 spaces (retail and employer); 

h. in all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000, tax residential onstreet parking at least $400 biannually with other costs for delivery and service vehicles 

and visitors; 

c. implement congestion pricing on urban roads, congested rural freeways and 

arterials, with average peak hour per mile price of$0.65 on congested segments; 

d. toll all intercity (rural) Interstates at a minimum of$0.05 per mile; 

e. require enacting a growth boundary on all areas of more than 50,000 people; 

f. require that at least 90 percent of new development be only multifamily homes or on 

lots of l/8th an acre; 

g. provide Metropolitan Planning Organizations with the authority to disapprove local 

land use plans and ordinances if not consistent with regional plan, enforced through 

withholding of funding for transportation projects; 

h. require that existing streets within one-half mile of transit stations, schools, and 

business districts be audited for pedestrian accessibility and retrofitted with curb 

ramps, sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic calming measures; 

i. require all new commercial buildings of more than 100,000 square feet to provide 

showers, lockers, and covered/protected bicycle parking; 

J. require all new multi-unit residential buildings to have indoor bicycle parking; 

k. implement a bicycle network consisting of a combination of bicycle lanes, bicycle 

boulevards, and shared-use paths provided at one-quarter-mile spacing, implemented 

in areas with population density of more than 2,000 persons per square mile; 

l. locate "bike stations" providing services including parking, rentals, repair, changing 

facilities, and information at all major activity centers and transit hubs as well as in the 

central business district for all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000; 

m. lower transit fares by 50 percent; 

n. in all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000, provide subsidy or 

public procurement sufficient to ensure continuous presence of one or more public, 

private, or nonprofit car-sharing organizations per market; 

o. in all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000, provide free or 

subsidized lease usage of convenient public street parking for car-sharing vehicles; 

p. in all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000, have a goal of one car 

per 1,000 inhabitants of medium-density and per 500 inhabitants of high-density 

census tracts; 

q. in urban areas, require all government agencies to require four-day work weeks; 

r. in all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000, tax all commercial 

parking spaces $5 per space per weekday, with employers required to pass along the 

cost to employees; 

s. use proceeds from r to provide free transit passes for employees; 

t. in all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000, implement a parking 

freeze on new parking supply, capping the absolute number of commuter spaces in 

central business districts and regional employment and retail centers; 

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u. in all areas of the country,lower the national speed limit to 55 mph and provide 

significantly increased enforcement, including speed cameras; 

v. implement ceo-driving training and vehicle maintenance programs, reaching 50 

percent of the population and 20 percent net adoption; 

w. implement specific electronic roadway monitoring activities; 

x. implement specific incident management activities; 

y. implement specific traveler information activities; 

z. allow indivisible load permits for trucks carrying shipping containers at gross 

vehicle weights up to 110,000 pounds for distances up to 250 miles; 

aa. allow divisible load permits forB-Train longer combination vehicles carrying 

natural resources on designation non-IS truck routes at weights up to 129,000 pounds 

and up to 138,000 pounds for eight-axle B-Trains; 

bb. install Mainline Weigh-in-motion at all truck weigh stations and use to allow all 

vehicles with transponders to bypass static scales; 

cc. expand the PrePass aud NORP ASS electronic credentialing systems so that they 

cover all 49 mainland states and both systems are recognized at all weigh stations and 

inspection sites, with an equivalent system in Hawaii; 

dd. require the installation of battery-operated heating and/or cooling systems in all 

sleeper cabs; 

ee. in metropolitan areas with a population of at least 1,000,000 and some metropolitan 

areas with a population of at least 400,000, establish 

consolidation centers on the periphery of the urbanized area, with time-of day 

restrictions on most deliveries to the central business district, as well as a 

permitting system to consolidate shipments to nearby destinations. 

As part of the scoping exercise we conducted in response to Senator Kerry's request, we used the 

"low cost" bundle of travel efficiency strategies from the Moving Cooler report to develop an 

illustrative estimate of emissions reductions that could be technically feasible in the light-duty 

sector by 2030. As we explain in the response to Senator Kerry's request, "The reductions presented 

in this analysis represent those that could be brought about by a mix of existing authority as well as 

new legislative authority and funding. This analysis makes no distinction between these pathways 

nor does it reflect a regulatory plan or budget proposal." Furthermore, we explain in our response, 

"This analysis does not consider the policy or market choices that would be needed to generate 

certain GHG outcomes, which is a valuable but complex analysis. Instead, it focuses more narrowly 

on the GHG reductions that could be derived directly from the transportation sector if effective 

drivers were in place. We make no assessment of the relative merits, costs, or impacts of various 

approaches." States and local governments are in the best position to evaluate the type of travel 

efficiency measures that would be most appropriate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while 

providing access to jobs, education, health care, and other goods and services. We recognize that 

some communities may prefer not to implement certain strategies included in the Moving Cooler 

report. Furthermore, our inclusion of certain strategies in our illustrative analysis should not be 

seen as an indication of Agency support or agreement with any specific strategy. 

3. As you may know, I am very supportive of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act 

(DERA), but I also take grants oversight very seriously. Unfortunately, I heard some very 

troubling anecdotes about the application process for DERA grants under the stimulus bill. 

Most of the concerns had to do with the web-based Diesel Emissions Quantifier (DEQ) that 

applicants use to calculate the emissions reductions that would result from their proposed 

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22 

projects. Specifically, applicants reported having great difficulty getting the DEQ to work, 

even when trying to use it late at night, early in the morning or on weekends as suggested by 

EPA. Some applicants who were able to use it, then realized that the information calculated 

for them was incorrect. In one instance, the DEQ reported that a proposed project would 

reduce a fleet's emissions by more than 100 percent. While that result may be easy enough to 

catch as a faulty answer, other incorrect results may seem reasonable, especially to grant 

applicants who may not be experts at diesel technologies. 

a. What specific steps have you taken or do you plan to take to ensure that potential 

applicants do not experience the same DEQ capacity problems in the future? 

The Diesel Emissions Quantifier (DEQ) is a tool to estimate emissions from any given set of 

parameters in a clean diesel project. EPA developed the DEQ for its clean diesel stakeholder 

community to utilize when estimating potential emission reductions from diesel retrofit projects. 

EPA works hard to assure that it is as accurate and as user-friendly as possible. At times EPA 

receives comments, suggestions and/or complaints about the way the DEQ is functioning. EPA 

always takes these comments and complaints seriously and strives to make sure that the DEQ is 

functioning properly. 

During the Recovery Act grant competitions, EPA received complaints that users were not able to 

access the DEQ. The Agency quickly realized that the problem was a limit on the number of sametime users. EPA worked to expand the capacity for the number of same-time users at the web 

server from approximately 50 to over 500, which alleviated the problem. This action occurred well 

within the time period in which applicants could submit their grant applications. In addition, as 

always, grant applicants were allowed to use other methodologies for calculating emissions 

reduction estimates as long as these alternatives were explained in their grant applications. Some 

applicants chose to use other calculators or methods, such as EPA's MOBILE6 or NMIM tools. 

b. What specific steps have you taken or do you plan to take to ensure that the DEQ does not 

provide grant applicants with incorrect information in the future? 

At times, users report problems with the DEQ's calculations. When a problem regarding the DEQ's 

inoperability is brought to EPA's attention, EPA must determine if the issue is with the tool or with 

the user not being able to interpret the data. The majority of the time the issue of concern is the 

latter. In these cases, EPA explains the results to the user. 

In rare cases where there is an actual problem with the calculations, EPA works quickly to identify 

the source of the issue and updates/corrects the appropriate coding within the DEQ. Specifically, 

the computer code associated with that problem is reviewed and appropriate changes are made, if 

warranted, and then the new code is applied. 

In addition, to streamline EPA's approach in evaluating any future problem areas, an extensive 

review of the functionality of the existing code and database was performed to ensure there were no 

extraneous lines of code or data hindering the operations of the DEQ. 

c. Once EPA was made aware of these problems, what actions did the agency take to make 

potential applicants aware of the fact that they might need to rerun information through the 

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DEQ, including reentering fleet information, to ensure accurate results? If no such actions 

were taken, why not? 

In response to the problem of users having trouble due to limited capacity, EPA advised users on its 

DEQ home web page to potentially utilize the tool during non-peak hours. In addition, we 

continually updated the DEQ User Guide as we made changes to the tool. We also recorded and 

posted a tutorial on how to use the DEQ on EPA's web site. Finally, EPA made an announcement 

about the DEQ through its emaillistserv, highlighting the expanded capacity for same-time users. 

d. In light of these known problems, what specific steps did yon take or do you intend to take 

when reviewing submitted applications to ensure that the information being used to compare 

applications is accurate, a fundamental requirement for a fair competition? 

It is important to note that the emission reductions are considered estimates during the grant 

application phase. These figures are only one of a number of criteria evaluated prior to award of 

any grant. Specifically, during the Recovery Act competitions, EPA allotted four points out of 100 

to these diesel emissions reduction estimates. When reviewing applications, if EPA deemed the 

data to be reasonable based on past project experience, the applicants received all points. Should an 

applicant submit data that appears to be inconsistent with the project, EPA will still consider the 

application for award. 

4. Ms. McCarthy, you talked in your testimony about the benefits of the One National 

Program for fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards. I agree with you on the need to 

reduce dependence on foreign oil and promoting automotive innovation, technology and 

alternative fuels. However, as you know, I have problems with EPA's role in this and in 

particular the endangennent finding, which triggers costly and disruptive backdoor 

greenhouse gas regulations on stationary sources. At the hearing, I asked if you agreed with 

the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) view that overturning or 

disapproving the endangerment finding "does not directly impact" NHTSA's statutory 

authority to set fuel economy standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as 

amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of2007. You instead referred to a 

letter by Secretary LaHood. Do you agree with the NHTSA Chief Counsel that, as a strictly 

legal matter, the Murkowski Resolution does not directly impact NHTSA's independent 

statutory authority to set fuel economy standards, yes or no? Please explain. 

As NHTSA's Chief Counsel (0. Kevin Vincent) stated in the February 19, 2010 letter to a staff 

member in Senator Feinstein's office (Matthew Nelson): 

As a strictly legal matter, the Murkowski Resolution does not directly impact NHTSA's 

independent statutory authority to set fuel economy standards under the Energy Policy and 

Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 

2007 (EISA). However, passage of the Murkowski Amendment would have profoundly 

adverse effects on the national economy, national environmental and energy security 

objectives, and the economically distressed automobile manufacturing industry. While 

NHTSA' s promulgation of independent, stand alone CAFE standards would make important 

contributions, its standards could not avoid those adverse effects. 

8 
24 

President Obama's National Fuel Efficiency Plan, announced in May 2009, involves the 

adoption of harmonized and consistent national greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) standards 

by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and CAFE standards by 

NHTSA. The plan garnered the unprecedented support of a diverse group of stakeholders 

(i.e. states, environmental groups, automobile manufacturers and labor unions) which had 

been at odds for years. It did so by replacing a patchwork of state and federal rules 

governing fuel economy and GHG emissions that were inadequate, uncertain, potentially 

conflicting, and in a constant state of flux. The Nation Plan also was crafted to resolve 

contentious and longstanding litigation and to deliver numerous additional benefits to 

consumers and the nation as a whole. These include: 

• Delivering substantial fuel savings to consumers (e.g. over $3,000 worth of fuel 

over the life of a 2016 regulated vehicle); 

• Implementing one clear and consistent set of standards that an economically 

distressed industry could satisfy by building a single national fleet, instead of the preexisting patchwork of standards that would have required companies to build separate fleets 

for different states; 

• Reducing GHG emissions by 950 million metric tons over the life of the regulated 

vehicles; and 

• Saving an estimated 1.8 billion barrels of petroleum over the life of the regulated 

vehicles. 

IfNHTSA were forced to proceed on its own, many of these benefits would substantially 

erode. Moreover, given EPA's grant of the California waiver request in 2009, California 

and the States that adopted the California standards could move forward to enforce standards 

that are inconsistent with the Federal standards, thus creating confusion, encouraging 

renewed litigation, and driving up the cost of compliance to automobile manufacturers and 

consumers alike. (The benefits of adopting the National Plan are set out in greater detail in 

the US EPA and DOT Notice of Upcoming Joint Rulemaking to Establish Vehicle GHG 

Emissions and CAFE Standards, 74 Fed. Reg. 24007 (May 22, 2009) and in the Agencies' 

Proposed Rulemaking to Establish Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards 

and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, 74 Fed. Reg. 49454 (Sept. 28, 2009)). 

5. It was recently reported that California officials may be forced to rescind regulatory 

changes adopted Feb. 25 that harmonize the state's vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission 

standards with the landmark One National Program if the rules fail to address lingering 

concerns that the national plan will not achieve the same emission reductions as the original 

state rules. 

a) Do the commitment letters that enshrine this deal require that the federal standards be of 

equivalent stringency" to the state's? 

b) Besides the commitment letters, is there any legal basis for this deal? 

On April I, 20 I 0 EPA issued the final rule setting greenhouse gas standards for light-duty vehicles 

and trucks, starting with model year 20 12. Sections I. D. and II I.A. of the final rule discuss in detail 

the legal basis for EPA's rulemaking. Your question refers to reports that California officials might 

9 
25 

be forced to rescind the regulatory changes adopted by the California Air Resources Board on 

February 25,2010. Those reports were unfounded, as California approved, on April!, 2010, the 

final regulations that allow manufacturers to elect to demonstrate compliance with California 

greenhouse gas emissions standards by demonstrating compliance with the greenhouse gas program 

adopted by EPA. 

6. When does the waiver Lisa Jackson granted under Section 209 of the Clean Air Act expire? 

Is it indefinite? So after 2017, is it true that California would be free to impose whatever GHG 

tailpipe standards they wish to impose, regardless of whether they are in sync with the DOT 

rules or the EPA rules? I have read reports that they are currently looking to set standards 

through model year 2050. Is that true? 

EPA's waiver of Clean Air Act preemption, granted to California on June 30, 2009, does not expire. 

EPA's waiver of preemption for California to enforce its greenhouse gas emission standards for 

motor vehicles begins with the 2009 model year and California's standards feature increases in 

stringency through the 2016 model year. Under EPA's waiver, California is authorized to enforce 

the 2016 model year levels in 2016 and subsequent model years. However, if California moves to 

increase the stringency of its standards (e.g., to increase stringency after the 2016 model year), they 

will need to request a new waiver from EPA and EPA will, again, apply the criteria set forth in 

section 209. 

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has recently adopted amendments to its motor vehicle 

greenhouse gas regulations, including a provision which allows manufacturers to demonstrate 

compliance with its program by meeting the recently finalized federal EPA-DOT program starting 

with the 2012 model year through the 2016 model year. 

We are aware that CARB recently held a workshop to examine motor vehicle greenhouse gas 

emission standards past the 2016 model year levels. 

10 
26 

Senator BOXER. Thank you very much. 

I want to start with you, Administrator McCarthy. It is only 

going to be 3 minutes. Did you say that over, because of the new 

fuel efficiency standard, that we would see a saving of $3,000? Is 

that what you said? 

Ms. MCCARTHY. I said an individual consumer would actually achieve a $3,000 savings over the lifetime of the vehicle that they 

purchased in 2016 as a result of the increased fuel efficiency. 

Senator BOXER. I think that is really an important point here. I 

mean, it is the same kind of thing when you look at retrofitting 

buildings and making them energy efficient. It has a really good 

payoff even if there is a little bit of an up front cost. So, thank you 

for that. 

I would like to ask you, Mr. Porcari, about TIGER grants because people at home really think they are very good, and they 

have gotten funded through the Recovery Act, and they were able 

to fund multimodal and multi-State transportation projects that 

are difficult for us to fund through existing transportation programs. 

Do you think there is a way to make our highway, our renewal 

of our SAFETEA-LU, which we call MAP–21, do you think that 

program could work better for those types of projects? What would 

we have to do in order to write a section that dealt with those? 

Mr. PORCARI. It is an excellent question, Madam Chair. I think 

the TIGER grants point the way to the future in intermodal transportation. As you know there was tremendous demand around the 

country, over 1,400 applications. The single largest category that 

was funded was freight rail capacity projects, which have a number 

of environmental benefits, including reduced fuel consumption, but 

also take some of the goods movement off the highway network and 

move it through more efficient modes. 

So, in our goods movement hierarchy where we want to keep 

goods moving on water as long as possible and then on rail as long 

as possible, and truck it for the last miles, it is a big step forward. 

The TIGER grant process really, I think, shows the way for doing 

that intermodally in the future. 

Senator BOXER. And you think that you can help us write some 

kind of a title that would be in the new bill? I am interested in 

that. I do not know if my colleagues agree, but I would like to have 

your technical help on that. 

Mr. PORCARI. We would be very interested in working with you 

on that. 

Senator BOXER. Thank you. 

Senator Inhofe. 

Senator INHOFE. Thank you, Madam Chairman. 

First of all, I think this an area where we all agree. I know the 

Chairman and I do, and I think also from information that we have 

gotten from Secretary LaHood that he does, and that is, they were 

talking about in this proposed bill that we still have not seen and 

which may never surface, the Kerry-Graham-Lieberman bill, they 

talk about the linked fee, and what they are talking about is increased gas tax. 

We have had conversations among ourselves up here, and of 

course hearings with Secretary LaHood, and the statement that he 
27 

had made was, with these hard economic times, President Obama 

and the Administration do not believe that raising the gas tax is 

good for Americans who are out of work and can least afford the 

gasoline tax raise. 

We will stand by that. I would ask if you agree with it. That is 

still the statement and the position of the President? 

Mr. PORCARI. That is still the position. And I would add, Senator, 

that as we are in the beginning stages of a recovery it is as important as ever to make sure that recovery is accelerated in every way 

possible. 

Senator INHOFE. That is good. 

Ms. McCarthy, there has been a lot of discussion on Senator 

Murkowski’s bill to overturn the EPA’s Endangerment Finding. 

They say it would dismantle the auto deal with California, the auto 

companies and the EPA and NHTSA. I contend that it would not. 

In fact the General Counsel of NHTSA wrote a letter to Senator 

Feinstein that said it would not. He wrote that ‘‘in a strict legal 

sense the Murkowski resolution does not directly impact NHTSA’s 

independent authority to set fuel economy standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.’’ 

So, let me first ask you, do you agree with NHTSA’s view on the 

effects of the Murkowski resolution? 

Ms. MCCARTHY. Senator, my understanding is that the 

Endangerment Finding is clearly an underpinning—and a necessary underpinning—of EPA’s greenhouse gas standards that they 

are setting in the light duty vehicle role. Because we are doing that 

in joint role with NHTSA it is important that the Endangerment 

Finding stay intact or else we will have no ability to issue that rule 

by the end of March and it will not be able to address—— 

Senator INHOFE. Yes, but the question is do you agree with his 

statement? 

Ms. MCCARTHY. The only statement that I am aware of is I have 

read a letter from the Secretary, Secretary LaHood, addressing this 

issue where I think he was very clear in stating that the joint rule 

would not be able to move forward if the Endangerment Finding 

were overturned. 

Senator INHOFE. Well, but they are talking about the Murkowski 

resolution, that it does not directly impact NHTSA’s independent 

authority to set fuel standards. That is the question. You might 

want to give me that answer for the record because that is the 

thing that I am asking. 

Ms. MCCARTHY. Yes, that would be fine. 

Senator INHOFE. Yes, that is fine. Thank you, Madam Chairman. 

Senator BOXER. Thank you. 

What I would like to do, because I know Senator Cardin has a 

panelist, I would like to bring the next panel up and then turn to 

you, Senator. I will give you my time there to make a combination 

introduction opening statement. Is that all right with you? 

Senator CARDIN. That is fine. Thanks. 

Senator BOXER. So, thank you both very much. And then we 

would have our next panel come forward. Again, the reason we are 

rushing this a little bit more than usual is because we are fearful 
28 

that we may have to shut down because of some unrelated matters 

on the Senate floor. 

Mr. Larry Greene, Executive Director, Air Pollution Control Officer, from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management 

District. I certainly welcome you, Mr. Greene. Mr. Deron Lovaas, 

Federal Transportation Policy Director, Natural Resources Defense 

Council. We welcome you. Then Mr. Doug Siglin, Federal Affairs 

Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. I am sure we will hear 

from Senator Cardin in a moment on that. And I want to make 

sure, is it Kolodziej? 

Mr. KOLODZIEJ. Yes, it is. 

Senator BOXER. Oh. That is good. Mr. Richard Kolodziej, President of NGVAmerica. And what does that stand for, NGV? 

Mr. KOLODZIEJ. It stands for Natural Gas Vehicles for America. 

We are the national trade association. 

Senator BOXER. Very good. Wonderful. 

OK, we will start first by hearing from Senator Cardin, actually, 

and then we are going to go to the panel. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND 

Senator CARDIN. Madam Chair, let me just welcome Doug Siglin 

here from, as you pointed out, the Federal Affairs Director for the 

Chesapeake Foundation. He is a Marylander who has done an incredible service to our State. 

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a non-profit organization 

that for 42 years has sought to improve the great estate of the 

Chesapeake Bay. And this Committee has heard me frequently talk 

about the Chesapeake Bay, so I will not go into more details. 

Let me just compliment the Chairman for the subject of the day 

dealing with transportation as it relates to our environment and 

security. We need an energy policy in this country. Transportation 

can play a key role. 

Madam Chair, I just really want to underscore the environmental point for one moment. You all know the greenhouse gas 

emissions, that 30 percent comes from transportation. We know we 

can do a better job. In this region of the Nation, where you have 

the second most congested area where people are wasting their 

time and wasting energy stuck in traffic, it really speaks in volumes as to what we need to do in improving our transportation infrastructure to make it more efficient, use less greenhouse 

emitters, and have a better lifestyle for the people of our Nation. 

But I want to use my remaining 1 minute to really stress the 

stormwater runoff issue. We now have impervious surfaces in 

America that exceed the area of the State of Ohio if you put it all 

together. Stormwater runoff is the single largest source of pollutants going into our streams, our rivers, our bays and our oceans. 

Everything from contaminated heavy metals, sediments, road salts 

and deicing, brake dust and garbage you had listed, and it is having a tremendous impact on our ability to clean up our water bodies in this Nation. 

We, as a Committee, spoke volumes when we said that when the 

Federal Government constructs new buildings, we need to have a 
29 

storm runoff game plan to minimize the disruption from the new 

construction. We need to have the same in transportation. 

There is no reason why we cannot build our way in more environmentally friendly ways as it relates to storm runoff. Otherwise 

all we are doing is building ways in which water increases its volume and increases its detrimental effect on our environment. 

Let me give you one number. For every inch of rain, for every 

mile of two-lane highway, it is 52,000 gallons of polluted 

stormwater runoff. Multiply that times the number of inches of 

rain and the number of miles, we can do much better. 

Thank you for having this hearing. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Cardin follows:] 

STATEMENT OF HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND

Madam Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing. In this Congress this Committee has often touched on the significant impact the transportation sector has on 

the Nation’s energy consumption. This is an issue that must remain at the forefront 

of our work in designing a new transportation bill. 

The next transportation bill must work to create new job opportunities for America, advance new transportation infrastructure projects that significantly reduce our 

fossil fuel consumption and reduce our carbon emissions. 

I am also pleased that the scope of this hearing goes beyond the transportation 

sector’s impact on energy consumption and climate change but also looks at the 

other environmental impacts of roads. I am particularly concerned with the tremendous impact polluted highway stormwater has on water quality. 

Two weeks ago I talked about spring’s arrival being emblematic of the start of 

construction season. Spring is also one of the wettest times of year, and with every 

spring rain a myriad of pollutants washes off our roads and into our precious lakes, 

rivers, streams, bays and coastal waters. 

Stormwater is the Nation’s largest source of water pollution. While rain itself contains air pollution particulates that are deposited in every drop most stormwater 

pollution is picked up on the surface and carried off as runoff. Stormwater washes 

a myriad of contaminants from the millions of miles of roads into storm drains that 

discharge into nearby waters, typically without being treated. 

Contaminants like: 

• oil 

• heavy metals 

• sediments 

• road salts and other de-icing chemicals 

• brake dust, and 

• garbage 

are all harmful pollutants found on road surfaces. 

When rain falls on these hard, impervious surfaces it often has nowhere to go but 

down the channels created by curbs and retaining walls, into storm drains and into 

the nearest natural water body. According to research compiled by the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Geophysical Data 

Center, the U.S. is covered by more than 112,600 square kilometers of impervious 

surfaces. That is a space larger than the State of Ohio. 

According to calculations based on USGS and DOT figures just a half an inch of 

rain falling on a mile-long stretch of a two-lane highway generates 52,660 gallons 

of polluted stormwater runoff. According to NOAA last year 43.5 inches of rain fell 

on Baltimore, Oklahoma City experienced 36 inches rain, Cleveland 38 inches, and 

San Francisco 22 inches inch of rain. 

Impervious surfaces in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and in the State of Maryland are a major contributor to the Chesapeake Bay’s impairments. Maryland is 

taking a comprehensive approach to address stormwater by incorporating highways 

into its statewide stormwater permitting program. I look forward to Mr. Siglin’s testimony on this issue which will help us all understand the importance of addressing 

this problem. 

Highway development must be done responsibly with an eye toward the water 

quality impacts highway design has on our Nation’s waters. The 2007 energy bill 

required that all new Federal buildings be designed in a manner that preserves the 
30 

pre-existing hydrology of the area that the building will occupy. This same standard 

must be applied to highway designs. 

As with most pollution abatement strategies the cost of preventing stormwater 

pollution is more effective and easier to implement than trying to clean up and remediate after the destruction has occurred. 

In that same spirit of addressing a problem before it is too late we must use the 

opportunity to reauthorize the transportation bill to significantly reduce the transportation sector’s energy intensity and CO2 emissions. According to the United 

States Energy Information Agency (EIA) the U.S. consumed an average of 18.7 million barrels of oil per day in 2009. As a result the U.S. transportation sector is responsible for 30 percent of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions. 

While burning fossil fuels is the source of transportation carbon emissions, the 

amount of carbon emissions is a factor of how much time people spend in their cars 

and trucks, especially the extraordinary waste of fuel and time spent when motorists are stuck in traffic. 

During a hearing last summer Secretary Chu and Administrator Jackson’s noted 

that increased availability and accessibility of public transportation would lead to 

significant carbon emission reductions. 

The 2009 Texas Transportation Institute Mobility Report notes that public transportation saved travelers 646 million hours in travel time in 2007. This same report 

had troubling news that the DC Metropolitan Area, including Maryland, has the 

second worst traffic in the Nation. The report goes on to note that each motorist 

in the Maryland, DC, Virginia metro area loses an average of 62 hours and wastes 

an average of 42 gallons of fuel a year because they are stuck in traffic. This is despite transit ridership in the region being the second highest in the country. 

According to the American Public Transportation Association public transit currently saves 37 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year. These carbon savings 

increase as more and more energy is generated from renewable sources. 

Sweeping improvements in efficiency and pollution reduction to our Nation’s 

transportation systems are just as visionary as President Eisenhower’s concept of 

a national infrastructure system and are equally attainable. 

The opportunity for economic expansion and job growth in the transportation sector is nearly limitless. It is time to usher in a new era of transportation infrastructure design and road building that protects the environment and increases the energy efficiency and reduces travel times. 

I look forward to working with my colleagues to promote a more efficient transportation system and secure investments in transit from revenues generated by the 

legislation we construct. Again I thank the Chairman for holding this hearing, and 

I look forward to our witnesses’ testimony. 

Senator BOXER. Thank you so much, Senator. 

So, we will start with Larry Greene. Welcome to Washington. 

And you brought a little bit of California weather with you, but not 

quite enough. So, Mr. Greene, we are very proud to have you here 

from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. 

Please proceed. 

STATEMENT OF LARRY F. GREENE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, 

SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT 

DISTRICT 

Mr. GREENE. Thank you, Chairman Boxer. 

Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Inhofe and members of the 

Committee, I am Executive Director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, one of 35 local air districts 

in California. I also have the privilege this year to serve as the CoPresident of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. 

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. In my 

brief comments I will highlight how I believe Federal transportation policy can help with the significant challenges facing the air 

quality and transportation communities today and in the future. 
31 

The Sacramento region includes all or part of Sacramento County and five surrounding counties with a combined population of 

over 2 million. The region is a Federal non-attainment area for 

both ozone and fine particulate pollution. In Sacramento the major 

driver for non-attainment and related health impacts is emissions 

from the transportation sector including trucks, cars, planes, trains 

and construction equipment. 

In 2008 of the two air pollutants contributing to ozone formation 

89 percent of the nitrous oxide pollution and 63 percent of the reactive organic gas emissions were from the transportation sector. The 

State of California also estimates that almost 40 percent of the 

statewide greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. A 

variety of tools are needed to address this high percentage of transportation emissions. 

One key Federal policy for protecting air quality has been conformity under the Clean Air Act. Each State implementation plan 

developed to meet air standards establishes a conformity budget for 

air emissions from transportation projects. This puts a cap on emissions and encourages the use of innovative strategies to reduce 

emissions. This key program should remain in place as an important element in improving national air quality. 

There are other programs that have played important roles in reducing pollution from vehicles, such as the development of cleaner 

technology for engines and requiring the use of cleaner fuels. Local 

agencies like our district have been leaders in providing incentive 

programs to assist business installing cleaner on and off road engines. The Federal Diesel Emissions Reduction Act has been of 

great assistance in this effort and must be continued. 

While these programs are important new thinking has emerged 

on ways to ensure that investments we make in transportation enhance the livability of communities, conserve community financial 

resources and meet the needs of changing population demographics. 

Our agency has been a proud partner with the Sacramento Area 

Council of Governments in their regional Blueprint Plan. The 

SACOG Blueprint offers an outstanding win-win example of effective transportation planning. The key is creating development patterns that are sustainable over time, support walking and bicycling, and that reduce, on the average, the length of commutes. 

The Blueprint process visualizes where to make the best investments with Federal and local transportation money, identifies congestion hotspots, and supports both transit and air quality plans 

for the region. With the cooperative efforts of our local governments 

the Blueprint vision is being implemented in current land use decisions and was the matrix upon which the latest Metropolitan 

Transportation Plan was developed. 

Another element to be considered is that rural towns and agriculture must be full partners in regional planning. A study called 

the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy is underway at SACOG to 

ensure they benefit in ways that enhance and support their communities. 

Using this regional modeling process to highlight the best infrastructure and project mix in the regional transportation plan resulted in an overall increase is density around transit assets such 
32 

as light rail stations, a better jobs housing balance in the region, 

and far less use of agricultural land for development. For air quality the new plan provided a 1.6 ton per day reduction in emissions 

over the previous plan. This was 15 percent of the reductions needed to meet the regional 2009 8-hour SIP submission. 

It is critical that the upcoming transportation reauthorization 

bill support and promulgate such programs so that they become a 

common element in regional planning across the U.S. The Federal 

program should require regions to develop plans that outline the 

most effective use of funding to support sustainable community 

growth. The program should require collaboration between air 

quality and transportation organizations when developing and evaluating targets. It is also important that funding be provided to enhance planning and modeling resources and provide incentives for 

higher quality planning efforts. 

In closing it is critical that transportation reauthorization support new ideas to further the goals of cleaner air, sustainable communities, reducing congestion and wise use of financial resources. 

A collaborative process between air and transportation communities will be important in meeting these goals. 

Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony to the Committee. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Greene follows:] 
33 

March 24, 2010 

Washington, DC 

UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS: 

BRIEFING ON OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE ENERGY SECURITY AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT THROUGH TRANSPORTATION POLICY 

TESTIMONY OF LARRY F. GREENE 

SACRAMENTO METROPOLITAN AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT 

Senator Boxer and committee members: 

My name is Larry Greene. I am the Executive Director of the Sacramento Metropolitan 

Air Quality Management District, one of 35 local air districts in California. Our primary mission is 

protecting public health by reducing air pollution through a range of programs including 

incentives for the early introduction of clean equipment, promoting clean and healthy 

transportation alternatives and implementing state and federal regulations that relate to air 

quality. I also have the privilege to serve this year as the Co- President of the National 

Association of Clean Air Agencies. 

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. In my brief comments I will 

highlight how I believe federal transportation policy can help with the significant challenges 

facing the air quality and transportation communities today and in the future. 

The Sacramento region includes all or part of Sacramento County and five surrounding 

counties with a combined population of over 2 million. 

The region is a federal non-attainment area for both ozone and fine particulate pollution. In 

Sacramento, the major driver for non-attainment (and the related public health impacts) is 

emissions from the transportation sector including, trucks, cars, planes, trains, and construction 

equipment. In 2008, for the two air pollutants contributing to ozone formation, 89% of the nitrous 

oxide emissions and 63% of the reactive organic gas emissions were from the transportation 

sector. To attain federal health standards for air quality, we must continue to steadily reduce 

these emissions over time. The state of California also estimates that almost 40% of the 

statewide greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. A variety of tools are needed to 

address this high percentage of transportation emissions. 

One key federal policy for protecting air quality has been conformity under the Federal 

Clean Air Act. Each State Implementation Plan developed to meet air standards establishes a 

conformity budget for air emissions from transportation projects. This puts a cap on emissions 

and encourages the use of innovative strategies to reduce emissions. This key program should 

remain in place as an important element in improving national air quality. 

There are other programs that have played important roles in reducing pollution from 

vehicles such as the development of cleaner technology for engines and requiring the use of 

cleaner fuels. For each of these strategies there are both federal and local components. Local 

agencies like our district have been leaders in providing incentive programs to assist business in 

installing cleaner on and off road engines. The Federal Diesel Emissions Reduction Act has 

been of great assistance in this effort and must be continued. While these programs are 

important, new thinking has emerged on ways to ensure that the investments we make in 

transportation enhance the livability of communities, conserve community financial resources 

and meet the needs of changing population demographics. 
34 

Our agency has been proud to partner with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments 

(SACOG) on their regional Blueprint Plan. The SACOG Blueprint offers an outstanding win-win 

example of effective transportation planning. The key is creating development patterns that are 

sustainable over time, support walking and bicycling and that reduce on the average the length 

of commutes. The Blueprint process visualizes where to make the best investments with federal 

and local transportation money, identifies congestion hotspots, and supports both the transit and 

air quality plans for the region. With the cooperative efforts of our local governments, the 

Blueprint vision is being implemented in current land use decisions and was the matrix upon 

which the latest regional Metropolitan Transportation Plan was developed. Another element to 

be considered is that rural towns and agriculture must be full partners in regional planning. A 

study called the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy is underway at SA COG to ensure that they 

benefit in ways that enhance and support their communities. 

Using this regional modeling process to highlight the best infrastructure and project mix in 

the regional transportation plan resulted in an overall increase in density around transit assets 

such as light rail stations, a better jobs housing balance in the region and far less use of 

agricultural land for development. For air quality, the new plan provided a 1.6 tons/day reduction 

in emissions over the previous plan. This was 15% of the reductions needed to meet the 

regional 2009 8-hour SIP submission. 

It is critical that the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill support and promulgate 

such programs so that they become a common element in regional planning across the US. The 

federal program should require regions to develop plans that outline the most effective use of 

funding to support sustainable community growth. The program should require collaboration 

between air quality and transportation organizations when developing and evaluating targets. It 

is also important that funding be provided to enhance planning and modeling resources, and to 

provide incentives for higher quality planning efforts. 

In closing it is critical that transportation reauthorization support new ideas to further the 

goals of cleaner air, sustainable communities, reducing congestion, and wise use of financial 

resources. A collaborative process between air and transportation communities will be 

important in meeting these goals. 

Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony to the committee. 
35 

Responses 1"0 Question from Chair Boxer: 

U.S. Senate Committee on Envimnment and Public \X'orks 

March 24, 2010 

1. I 11.JOt11' testimo~I)'.JO!Imenfiomd the Sacramet1to Cormcil of Gowmme11t's "BI11i!pli11t" as 1111 if!ixtitJe use 

qf trat1.rportatio11 plmming. Gi:m.JOII demibe the bluepti11t process ami the air qualify be11ejits the Sacramento 

1~1'jot1 is e.:·cpectittg 111 defit;e jirmt thiJ pltm? 

The Sacramento Region Blueprint is a voluntary collaboration of local governments. Its 

purpose is to provide cities, counties, developers, community groups and other interested 

parties with the data and modeling tools necessary to better inform transportation and landuse project decision-making. By reducing traffic congestion, the Blueprint is projected to 

improve air quality by well over ten percent as compared to a business-as-usual scenario of 

uncoordinated growth. 

Background: In 2002, the Sacramento reg1on faced a prospective future of worsening 

congestion-a projected increase of over 50 percent by the year 2025-and increasingly 

worse air pollution based on cutTent land-use patterns, transportation funding levels, and 

transportation investment priorities. To attempt to solve these challenges, the Sacramento 

.Area Council of Governments (SA COG) Board of Directors initiated the Sacramento 

Reg1on Blueprint project, an extensive study of the linkages between transportation, land use, 

and air qualit)'. 

The philosophy behind the regional visioning process was that planning and design choices 

made by a community have many impacts on regional development patterns, modal choices, 

infrastructure costs, redevelopment potential, natural resources, and other aspects of 

livability. By being aware of the consequences of their community's development choices, 

residents can improve their economies, environments, and tjuality of life. If communities 

work together at this process, then these positive effects can be seen regionally. 

As its core goal, the Blueprint aimed to support local governments with high-quality data 

and modeling tools so that decisions regarding future growth and its effects on quality of life 

issues, such as traffic congestion and air pollution could be made with the best information 

available. 

In addition to developing detailed land-usc and travel data, an extensive community outreach 

effort-involving over 5,000 residents across the six-county region-was conducted with 

SA COG's non-profit partner Valley Vision to develop and assess guiding principles for the 

reg1on's long-term growth. 

The learnings from the regional visioning process were also used by SACOG, the region's 

transportation planning and funding agency, to make choices about what transportation 

projects will best serve the reg1on in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan for 2035. 

To the question of air quality benefits, with the Blueprint, per capita, there would be 14 

percent less C02 and particulates compared to the business-as-usual base case. 
36 

U.S. Senate Comm.ittee on Envimnment and Public \Xlorks 

Responses to Questions of Larry Greene 

ilpril 24, 2010 

Page 2of5 

2. llm11 do_yo11 beliew the Federaf_~otJiirY/11/CIIl crm!d IIJYJ )'OIIr Hlt1cpti11t as a JJ/ode! to mcourage o!herpmts of 

the t'Otttlf!Y to det.dop sii!Ji!ar p!mmi I{~ 1fint.r? 

SA COG has shown that a simple, practical approach to improving the state and regional 

transportation decision-making processes will yield substantial results. Over a decade, 

SACOG has learned some important bsons fi·om its integrated planning commitment: 

It is possible for a relatively small regional agency (about 50 employees) to develop 

state-of-tl1e-art data, models and civic engagement methods. 

Information is very powerful- citizens, stakeholders, local governments and others 

will act to change their traditional practices if provided credible, objective information 

about future impacts, tradc-offs and choices. 

Broad-based cooperation and agreement is possible- citizens, stakeholders and local 

governments through traditional democracy processes arc capable of thinking beyond 

their borders and selecting options that optimize benefits at all scales for a wide range 

of conditions and interests. 

I mprovcd quality of life is about· increasing choices, not decreasing choices -the 

growth patterns of the recent past too often limited transportation, housing and 

community living environment choices to monolithic products. 

New growth patterns that provide choices cost k'ss- by over $16 billion through 

2050 i11 our reg1on alone. 

A classic top-down regulatory system is not needed to effect change- in tact a 

bottom-up approach is more effective because it stimulates locally tailored innovation, 

and competition. 

3. 1/mv nmch is air q~~ttlify (Jfleded i?Y endssim1sjivJ!J ojfmad et~ghte.r, spec!fitalfy t"O!Islmcfion eqlliptnent? If 

.fimditlg JJJfJir available to rr:d11t~ eJ!Jissio11s.fivm W!lstmdion eqllipJileJtt 1/sed 011 tnm.rpor!afioll pmjeds, Ji•ba! 

is the best appmadJ to mhieving near fanJJ ~rdHciio11s qfhamrfi;l pmticNlates a11d otherpoi!Htmtts? 

Off-road engines arc a significant source of pollutants that impact public health. There arc 

approximately 10,500 pieces of construction equipment' in the Sacramento Federal Ozone 

Non-.1\ttainment Region (SFNA) contributing approximately 15% of our total regional NOx 

emissions of 222.95 tons per day and approximately 19% of our total particulate emissions 

of 11.57 tons per day 2

. The overwhelming majority of this cc]uipment is diesel-powered. 

Estimates provided hy two of the major construction companies in the SFNA' indicate that 

approximately 15% of the work performed by construction equipment in this region is work 

done on m111sportation projects. 

1 CARB Stu!TRcport, Initial Statement of Reasons for Proposed Rulcmaking. Appendix E, h>-Usc, OIT-mad Diesel Vehicle 

Regulation. stntcwidc construction and mining equipment population ratiocd to the SFNA region based on human 

population. 2 CARB Almanac Emis~ion Projection Data, 2008 Estimated A1mual Average Emissions 3 Teichert Constmction estimates that in normal economic times, 10% ~ 20-% of their work was on pubhc transportation projects. 

Rados Construction estimates that in llOITI191 economic limes, up to J5%, or their work was related lo public transportation 

projects. 
37 

U.S. Senate Committee oo Environment and Public \Xlorks 

Responses to Questions of Larry Greene 

Apti124, 2010 

Page 3 of5 

Recently adopted regulations will require that construction equipment fleets operating in 

California become significantly cleaner over time' but the rate of progress does not match 

the federally mandated ozone attainment commitment for the SFN A (2018). Therefore, 

strategies to reduce ozone-forming and particulate matter (PM) emissions from construction 

equipment fleets could be very beneficial for attainment and human health. 

Currently, there arc several strategies for reducing construction fleet emissions. Ten retrofit 

devices meeting the Ci\ RB Level 3 PM standard (85'Yo reduction) arc verified for use in 

California on off-road mobile equipment. One of these devices is also verified to reduce 

NOx emissions by 40%. Fleets can also "modernize" by acquiring new equipment with the 

late~t technology. It may al~o be possible to replace the engines in some pieces of e(]Uipment 

with new engines meeting lower emission standards. Engines meeting the very low Tier 4 

emission standard will begin phasing in between 2011 and 2014. 

Several approaches could be used to accelerate emission reductions fmm construction 

equipment used on transportation projects. ·n1c most effective strategy would be to require 

that any work performed on projects receiving federal transportation funds meet a fleet 

average emission value for both NOx and PM that is some percentage amount lower than 

the then-current statewide construction fleet average. This approach would not necessarily 

require any incentive funds but would be unpopular with construction fleets because it 

would place the full cost of modernizing or retrofitting their fleet to a lower t1cet average 

emission level on the fleet owners. 

Using the same starting point of requiring any construction fleet working on a transportation 

project using federal tr,msportation funds and using the same evaluation criteria of requiring 

that the fleet meet a percent reduction below the then·cUI·rent state fleet emission average 

for NOx and PM, seveml approaches could be used to provide incentive funds to the 

consttuction fleets to help offset the increased costs of achieving lower emission levels. 

First, a sliding scale could be used to provide incrementally larger r{:imbursemcnts as the 

construction fleets bidding to perform the work commit to using equipment that meets 

lower and lower fleet average emission levels. Second, a flat reimbursement could be 

supplied based on a mandate to achieve a specified target fleet average emission !eve!. 

Several points should be kept in mind when considering a program to reduce emissions from 

construction equipment operating on federally funded transportation pmjccts: 

• Over 90% of the population of California lives in areas that arc oY-onc non-attainment or 

that t-ransport OY.onc precursors to 07.onc non-attainment areas. Thercfi>rc, reducing 

NOx emissions is critical for achieving air quality goals. 

• Diesel PM has been declared a Toxic Air Contamimmt in California and is associated 

with increased health risks from cancer to cardio-pulmonary diseases. PM filter 

technology is available that can practically eliminate PM emissions from the exhaust of 

many classes of off-road equipment (i.e. Level 3 retrofit devices). 

' Phased compliance to the In-Use Off-road Diesel Vehicle Regulation is mandated between 2020 and 2026 based 

on fleet size and type of pollutant. 
38 

U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works 

Response~ to Questions of Larry Greene 

April 24, 2010 

Paw 4 of5 

• Any strategy that imposes additiom1l requirements on construction fleets will be strongly 

opposed. Retrofit devices arc expensive to purchase and install, require additional 

maintenance and arc not universally applicable. Moderni;:ing fleet equipment and/or 

engines is extremely capital intensive. 

• Any strategy that inccnts or mandates certain performance characteristics will need to be 

monitored in order to be effective. The monitoring process will impose additional 

workloads on d1c public agencies awarding the contracts for construction work. 

• /\!though a minority of the construction equipment in the SFN i\ is used on federally 

funded transportation projects, that same equipment will be used in other construction 

work. Thus, federal transportation policy 1·equiring or inccntivi;;ing cleaner construction 

equipment will pwvidc enormous co-benefits by reducing harmful emissions associated 

with the construction of schools, businesses and other infrastructure. 
39 

U.S. Senate Committee on Environment nnd Public Works 

Responses to Questions of Larry Greene 

Ap,.il 24, 2010 

Page 5 of 5 

lli:\j)onscs to Ouestion from Ranking· Member Jnhofc: 

U.S. Scmtc Committee on Environment and Public Works 

March 24,2010 

1. Mr: Gree11e, please tel/ tJJe ho11' nmch it cost to detdop the SA COG 13/!leprillt; as 111ell as the /Jreakdml'll of 

jimdit(~ SOIII!'ef. 

Blueprint Project Revenue Sources (FY 2000-01 through April 2005) 

Core Revenues Available to SACOG 

Federal Planning Funds (FHWA & FI'A) 

SACOG Regional Planning Funds (IDA) 

Subtotal 

Special Revenues Made Available for Blueprint Projgg: 

California Housing & Community Development Grant 

Congressional Earmarks 

Valley Vision (through private foundations) 

State Treasurer's Grant 

Caltrans Grant 

Sacramento Regional Foundation 

Subtotal 

Grand Total 

$ 535,000" 

$1,643,000 

$2,178,000 (51"1<·) 

$ 515,000 

$ 470,000 

$ 400,00() 

$ 330,000 

$ 300,000 

$ 100,000 

$2,115,000 (49'%) 

$4,293,000 (100%) 

* 'fbiJ i11dudcJ ottfy thoJ·cJimds spmt dimtfy 011 the Bbtepli7it Prrject and t~pt~J'Oti!S abo11t .rixpm:e11t of o11r 

_federal platlllillg.ftmds. Dmi11g tbisjotn:year prvject appmximately m1other 50 petrellt of ottrjiJderal 

pkaming.ftmds JJ!ere spent 011 j)fi/J/ic Oliltracb, falld-11se tJJotlilming, !aml-u.re a11d trawl t11otlel dc1JeloptJ/ettl, 

alllljiu~ca.riJHg a!l o{111bich pnlilidetl tbe bcmJjor a .mccmjiil B111epti11t l'rojed. '/'be other 4 5 pen~11t of' 

.federal platmil(J?,}imds tt'ei7J tmd M n~eet om· mandate.r as a Metmpoli!atl P!amting O!:p,aHiz-atiOII (mllltimodal platmit(~ a111l programn:it{~, a11d air q11ality t'OI!fhrmi(y). 
40 

Senator BOXER. Thank you so much, Mr. Greene. 

Mr. Lovaas, Federal Transportation Policy Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Welcome. 

STATEMENT OF DERON LOVAAS, FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION 

POLICY DIRECTOR, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL 

Mr. LOVAAS. Thank you very much, Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Inhofe, for this important opportunity to testify. 

Transportation drives America’s dependence on foreign oil since 

it is 96 percent reliant on petroleum products. The single biggest 

oil consumers in transportation are vehicles on our roads, accounting for almost 80 percent of the total. Transportation plus other 

categories add up to a 20 million barrel a day habit which is a concern because the vast majority of oil resources are held by other 

nations, most in the troubled Middle East. 

A transportation sector shackled to oil leaves us vulnerable to 

price hikes and spikes, as in 2008 when the price of oil climbed to 

almost $150 a barrel. Oil prices could shock the American economy 

again due to conflicts over resources in oil rich regions, terrorist attacks on production facilities, or weather disruptions. 

There is also security challenge due to heat trapping emissions 

since transportation accounts for about a third of U.S. greenhouse 

gas pollution. Security experts have identified the effects of climate 

change as a concern, with the CNA Corporation referring to the potential threat multiplier in regions already stressed due to poor social, economic and/or political conditions. 

Thankfully boosting fuel economy standards for cars and trucks 

can save oil. The Administration raised the bar from 2012 through 

2016, saving a whopping 1.8 billion barrels of oil. We can also move 

to a pluggable fleet. Driving on electricity from the grid is virtually 

oil free, and vehicles are arriving on the market soon with ranges 

that exceed average daily needs. A recent EPA analysis shows this 

technology could save 2 million to 3 million barrels of oil a day by 

2030. The transportation bill should address the need for public 

charging infrastructure as well, and ensuring intermodal connections between transit and short range electric vehicles. 

NRDC has three priorities for the new transportation law. First, 

reducing oil use and greenhouse gas pollution; second, increasing 

the number of locations accessible by transit, biking and walking; 

and third, spurring creation of good jobs with clean transportation 

investments. 

We are also proud backers of the Transportation for America 

Route to Reform blueprint, and I have worked with unusual allies 

in a new bipartisan coalition called Mobility Choice, which has a 

10-point plan. 

First, to better reflect the hidden cost of oil, an oil security fee 

could be levied either per barrel or at the pump. This would enable 

consumers to make more economically informed transportation 

choices. 

Second, we also agree on more widespread use of tools such as 

Highway Occupancy Toll lanes and congestion pricing to better finance projects and to save fuel wasted due to excess traffic. 

Third, providing transportation choices reduces oil consumption 

as long as there are enough riders that the transit vehicle con-
41 

sumes less oil per passenger than driving. Transit routes with the 

highest load factors save the most oil, and investments should be 

based in part on loads or expected loads. 

Fourth, while most drivers in the U.S. pay the same amount for 

insurance per year regardless of how many miles they drive, all 

else being equal, the likelihood of an accident increases with more 

driving. Converting variable insurance costs into a per mile cost for 

drivers, a system known as pay as you drive, will correct price signals with a majority of drivers actually saving money under such 

a system. 

Fifth, to boost ridership, allowing transit agencies to become 

more self-sustaining, vouchers could be provided for low income 

households paid for by fare increases for other riders. Vouchers 

could be redeemed with other either existing transit agencies or 

private entrepreneurs running buses, shuttles, van pools and jitney 

buses. 

Sixth, extensive outreach programs by employers can educate 

computers about options such as online ride matching and van pool 

services. And telecommuting offers opportunities to eliminate some 

trips entirely since taking the broadband highway saves more oil 

than any alternative mode of transport, and policy should encourage more of it. 

Seventh, metropolitan areas now host most of the Nation’s population, employers, GDP and traffic and are logical recipients of 

more direct investment. 

Eighth, by creating more transportation efficient land use patterns, people can choose modes other than driving. Yet outdated 

rules stand in the way of neighborhood designs that allow minimal 

driving. Eligibility of municipalities for some Federal transportation funds should be conditioned on changing rules to meet market demand. 

Ninth, upgrading infrastructure with 21st century technology 

such as variable signage, providing real time information to travelers, and traffic management systems to improve flow of traffic, 

saves oil and cuts pollution by reducing congestion and idling. A 

new bill should have a robust intelligent transportation title. 

Last, but not least, intercity rail can shift auto and air trips to 

fuel efficient trains. Federal funds for rail can be targeted to expand service on lines that will attract enough ridership to operate 

with relatively high load factors. 

These combined mobility choice strategies, our analysis shows, 

could save more than 2 million barrels of oil a day by 2030. We can 

become a Nation that offers more means to opt out of oil addiction 

including vehicle choices, fuel choices, as well as mobility choices, 

by crafting better transportation law that is led by this Committee. 

I look forward to working with you to make it so. 

Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Lovaas follows:] 
42 

THE EARTH'S BEST DEFENSE 

Testimony of Deron Lovaas 

Federal Transportation Policy Director 

Natural Resources Defense Council 

Opportunities to Improve Energy Security and the Environment 

through Transportation Policy 

Environment and Public Works Committee 

March 24, 20 l 0 

Chairman Boxer and Senators of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss 

with you the important and timely topics of energy security, the environment and 

transportation policy. My testimony will cover various issues: 

I. Energy and Climate Security 

II. The Danger of Environmentally Damaging and Expensive Substitutes 

III. Solving Energy and Climate Security Threats by Saving Oil 

IV. Saving Oil Via Better Fuel Economy Performance 

V. Saving Oil by Electrifying Transportation 

VI. NRDC Priorities for Transportation Policy 

a. Reducing U.S. transportation sector oil use and greenhouse gas pollution 

b. Increase the number oflocations accessible by transit, biking and walking 

c. Spur creation of good jobs with clean transportation investments 

VII. Saving Oil by Delivering Mobility Choice 

a. Ensure the Price of Fuel Better Reflects Oil Security Costs 
43 

b. Deploy "HOT" Lanes and Congestion Pricing 

c. Allocate Transit Dollars to Optimize Oil Savings 

d. Increase Insurance Choice 

c. Provide Transit Vouchers for Mobility Choice for Low-Income 

Households 

f Increase Commuting Options and Telecommuting 

g. Return Gas Tax Revenues to Areas with the Most Traffic and Oil Savings 

Potential 

h. Improve Local Land-Development Rules 

i. Deployment of Smart Traffic Management 

j. Deploy Cost-Effective Intercity Rail Options as Justified by Cost 

Efficiency and Oil Displacement Potential 

VIII. Securing Our Energy and Climate Future 
44 

Energy and Climate Security 

Transportation drives America's dependence on foreign oil. While we have weaned the 

electricity sector almost completely off oil, with some notable exceptions such as Hawaii, 

transportation remains 96-percent dependent on petroleum products, mostly gasoline and 

diesel. 1 As the graph below shows, the biggest single sub-sectoral oil consuming category 

is light-duty vehicles, which account for about 60 percent of the total.2 Heavy-duty 

vehicles comprise about one-third that percentage, and aviation about half of that. The 

remainder is rail, marine and other uses. 

Transportation Energy Consumption in 2009 

(million barrels per day oil equivalent) 

Shipping, 

0.50,4% 

2% 

Taken together, our oil consumption adds up to a 20 million-barrel-per-day habit. This 

tremendous thirst for oil is a concern because the vast majority of oil resources are held 

by other nations. 

Oil production in the United States peaked circa 1970, despite tremendous investments in 

exploration and production. The U.S. has 560,000 producing oil wells versus Saudi 

Arabia's 1,500, for example -- as well as thorough subsurface mapping.3 To meet our 

gargantuan demand oil imports have risen steadily from 35 percent in 1973 to more than 

60 percent now, a situation unlikely to change except via demand moderation since other 

countries have vaster reserves and therefore longevity of production capacity.4 The graph 

below illustrates this, and the bitter irony is that the more rapidly we deplete our 

remaining domestic reserves in order to cut imports for the short-term, the more we tilt 
45 

the long-term playing field in favor those nations that already have much better positions 

vis-a-vis reserves and production capacity. 

World Proved Oil Reserves by Region as of Jan. 

2009 

Europe 

Asia 

Eurasia 

Africa 

Central & South America 

North America 

Middle East 

Billion Barrels 

0.0 200.0 400.0 600.0 800.0 

This imbalance is further exacerbated by the remarkable rise of national oil companies. 

Big, private oil companies are not as influential in the global oil game as they once were. 

Now, companies affiliated with nation-states loom large, owning about 90 percent of the 

world's remaining reserves as shown in the graph below.5 

This increasing nationalization of resources gives the modem-day global oil marketplace 

some disturbing characteristics. These state players, especially if they cooperate as part of 

the global cartel of Oil Producing and Exporting Countries or OPEC, tend to push the 

price of oil upwards to ensure adequate revenue. Some also tend to underinvest in 

production capacity. As the Director of Harvard's Environment and Natural Resources 

Program Henry Lee put it, therefore "consuming countries will find themselves paying 
46 

more to import oil, which will affect their current accounts and their economic growth 

levels ... "6 And in the past decade we have indeed paid quite a bit, not just in aggregate 

but as individual consumers. A recent report quantified it in a novel way in a recent 

report, finding that the rise in gasoline prices cost the average consumer $1,990 more a 

year in 2008 compared to 2001. This figure happens to be almost exactly the amount 

saved by the median household due to cumulative changes in the tax code during that 

same time period ($1,900), meaning that tax cuts were trumped by payments at the 

pump.7 

A host of possible events could exacerbate this alarming situation further, including: 

• Potential attacks on oil production facilities or pipelines by non-state actors, as 

evidenced by al Qaeda itself urging its followers to attack "the umbilical cord and 

lifeline ofthe crusader community";8 

• Direct support of terrorist activities by some oil-rich nations with significant 

wealth, and especially alarming in light of the sheer size of revenues to such 

nations (for example, OPEC's net annual revenues soared ninefold to almost a 

trillion dollars in the ten years ending with 2008 before dropping due to the 

recession, according to the Energy Information Administration);9 

• Increasing resource conflicts within and between nations over land-based and 

offshore oil deposits, requiring us to "acknowledge and live with varying degrees 

of insecurity" as summed up by former Secretary of Defense and Energy James R. 

Schlesinger in 2005 Senate testimony; 10 

• Potential disruption of supply from state-owned firms and foreign actors, such as 

Iran and Venezuela, with the largest reserves and production capacity should they 

decide to use the "oil weapon" again as in the 1970s oil embargoes; 

• Empowerment of the powerful monopolistic cartel OPEC, whose 13 members 

control more than three-quarters of the world's oil reserves and whose members 

have an interest in continued U.S. oil addiction, or as Saudi Oil Minister Ali 

Naimi told fellow members in 2004 "environmental and energy security concerns 

have been channeling technologies and research towards alternate fuels ... the 

research and investment in those technologies pose long-term challenges to the oil 

industry in general and to the NOCs [national oil companies] including our 

own." 11 

Any of these factors could limit oil supply, putting constraints on U.S. transportation and 

industry and driving global oil prices upward. Repeated simulations have demonstrated 

that such a combination of disruptions could send a real shockwave through the U.S. 

economy. 12 We saw a vivid demonstration of the impact of price shocks on our economy 

just a couple of years ago, when a combination of factors drove oil prices to nearly $150 

per barrel, causing the national average gasoline price to $3.59 in July, 2008; at some 
47 

retailers the price even jumped above $4, prompting New York Times columnist Tom 

Friedman to pen a column calling it our "4/11" moment. 13 

Overall oil intensity of the U.S. economy- the amount of oil used per unit of GDP- has 

declined substantially since the 1970s due to greater energy efficiency and fuel switching. 

However, this has not been the case in the transportation sector, which therefore remains 

shackled to global oil marketplace trends. Therefore repercussions of oil price increases 

and spikes can be severe and widespread. High oil prices have an immediate impact on 

transportation costs for both households and businesses. As transportation costs rise, 

goods and services that must transported also rise in price. Food, consumer goods, raw 

materials, and other fundamentals of our economy are all simultaneously affected. Our 

economy is therefore held hostage to a fickle and at times turbulent global oil market, 

which is influenced by diverse factors such as consumer behavior in other large growing 

nations such as China and supply decisions made by unaccountable oil monopolies, often 

with state ties or ownership. This fact poses a significant economic threat which we 

would have little ability to address in the short term. 

Apart from economic impacts, our oil dependence poses a national security concern for 

strategic military and defense reasons. Oil consumption in the U.S. driven by the 

transportation sector is a major source of heat-trapping pollution, accounting for 

approximately one-third ofU.S. greenhouse gas emissions as shown in the graph below. 

US GHG Emissions by 

End Use Economic Sector 2006 

Residential 

Industry Transportation 

28% 

~nurce: EnYironm~ntal Protection /\ge!K) ( LP:\ ). "'lrn t.'ntor)' of l 1 S 

(ireenhou-;e Cia..., l:mi...,.;;;ion..., and Sink": 1990<?007:· /\pril :oo9. 

http: 'cpa.gov dimagcchang.~..·,cmi\-.!Oll'> u-.inH·nwr: .h!ml 
48 

In addition to the numerous environmental impacts of climate change, which have been 

well documented before this Committee, climate change carries worrisome security 

implications. An increasing number of security experts at CNA Corporation, the Center 

for Strategic and International Studies as well as the Defense Department have identified 

climate change as a challenge to the nation. CNA describes a "threat multiplier" effect 

due to climate change whereby regions of the world that are already stressed due to poor 

social, economic and/or political conditions risk degenerating into disaster and/or civil 

war zones with additional stress due to the unpredictable impacts of climate change. 14 

Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries are particularly susceptible to such a 

scenario. As CNA sums up: 

Economic and environmental conditions in already fragile areas will further erode 

as food production declines, diseases increase, clean water becomes increasingly 

scarce, and large populations move in search of resources. Weakened and failing 

governments, with an already thin margin for survival, foster the conditions for 

internal conflicts, extremism, and movement toward increased authoritarianism 

and radical ideologies. 15 

In its latest review, the Defense Department essentially concurs, stating among other 

things that "While climate change itself docs not cause conflict, it may act as an 

accelerant of instability or conflict, placing a burden to respond on civilian institutions 

and militaries around the world." 16 

The Danger of Environmentally Damaging and Expensive Substitutes 

As NRDC research, analysis and advocacy has described before, as conventional oil 

supply and production capacity struggles to keep up with seemingly insatiable demand, 

the energy industry is tapping harder-to-exploit resources. 17 These so-called 

"unconventional" resources include, for example, the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, where 

more than one million barrels a day of this resource are being extracted. 

"Extracted," however, is a euphemism. This very diffusely deposited substance is mined 

using the world's largest trucks in a process that has denuded hundreds of acres of boreal 

forest and could ultimately destroy the land cover of an area the size of Florida. Not only 

does this mean the loss of pristine forest and migratory bird species that rely on it for 

habitat, it dramatically increases the life-cycle carbon emissions of the final product 

because the extraction and refining process is so much more energy-intensive. 

Some analysts project ever-greater reliance on such unusual energy resources: 

Indeed, a process of 'deconventionalization' of reserves is taking place that will 

probably make the future supply of oil the result of a mosaic of many increments, 

many of them relatively small, coming from both new and traditional producing 

countries, and from unconventional sources such as gas liquids, ultra-deep 

offshore deposits, ultra-heavy oils, shale oils, and tar sands. 18 
49 

Fortunately these trends aren't destiny, since 'deconventionalization' in some cases 

means more 'carbonization' of the fuel mix, steering us away :from the Scylla of supply 

constraints and towards the Charybdis of expensive energy, likely conflicts over 

resources, and widespread environmental damage including climate change. 

Solving Energy and Climate Security Threats by Saving Oil 

What is to be done to address the energy and climate security threats confronting us? We 

must put together a strategy to reduce our dependence on this resource, with some 

specific objectives in mind. The first is to further reduce the economy's oil intensity. The 

good news is that we have done this before. Specifically, oil intensity dropped by onethird between 1978 and 1985, such that every $1,000 of gross domestic product (GDP) 

required just one barrel of oil to create. 19 This was mostly policy-driven (although prices 

played a role), and due in part to shifting to other sources of energy for electricity 

generation and to dramatic increases in fuel economy thanks to the new Corporate 

Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) mandates included in the 1975 energy bill (EPCA, P.L. 

94-163)?0 However, reductions in intensity slowed down in the late 1980s. We must 

make a concerted effort to drive them down further, to insulate the economy from price 

increases and shocks. 

A loftier goal enunciated by Anne Korin of the Institute for the Analysis of Global 

Security is transform oil into just another commodity, as opposed to one that has a 

stranglehold on our transportation system. Anne reminds us that salt was once a strategic 

commodity, with nations going to war over this resource.21 That changed when viable 

substitutes for meat preservation were developed, such as refrigeration. As Jim Woolsey 

and Chelsea Sexton sum up in a recent essay: 

For a number of reasons we must strive to set oil on a similar path of decline in 

influence-away from being a strategic commodity and toward being simply a 

commodity. Oil will still be useful and valued for its high energy content and its 

relative ease of shipment for a long time. It will also be used in heating and in the 

production of some chemicals, although in those uses it is already, in a sense, no 

longer a strategic commodity because it has competitors. Doubtless it will be used 

for many years to produce transportation fuel as well. But in the interests of our 

national security, our climate, and our pocketbooks, we should move together as a 

nation to destroy, not oil of course, but oil's strategic role in transportation as 

quickly and as thoroughly as possible.22 

Saving Oil Via Better Fuel Economy Performance 

Enactment of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, or EISA (P. L. 110-

140), boosted fuel economy standards for the first time in decades. This important policy 

driver is finally raising the bar again for fuel economy performance of our cars and 

trucks. This is important since the last time fuel economy jumped substantially during the 

mid-1970s and 80s it was due only part to increasing prices and more to enactment and 
50 

enhancement of these standards (called Corporate Average Fuel Economy or CAFE).23 

This initial boost and then the stagnation that followed until the past few years is shown 

in the graph below. 24 

Last year, as one of its first and most effective actions, the Obama Administration took 

advantage of the fact that Congress established a floor, not a ceiling, for new standards by 

promulgating a joint DOT-EPA rule for increasing performance of the vehicle fleet even 

faster. The upshot is that the U.S. light-duty vehicle fleet is slated to achieve 35.5 miles 

per gallon by 2016. This is about a 40 percent jump from the status quo ante, although we 

need to keep making progress if we are to catch up to other industrializing and 

industrialized nations as shown in the graph below?5 

270 

Iii 

1!!250 

g 

!_230 

~ "' 210 

::;; 

g,go 

;;: 

~ 170 

a 150 

"' 

~ 130 

110 

ACTUAL FLEET AVERAGe GH<l EMISSIONS DATA THROUGH MY2000 AND 

NEAREST TARGETS ENACTED OR PROPOSED THEREAFTER BY REGION 

,_, '-'""""~"'' " 

JAPAN ~UJ'!:OP£AN UNION 

00 ·~······~ .. ~-~··~··~ ............................... ~ ............................................... . 

2002 2004 2000 2008 20!0 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 
51 

Saving Oil by Electrifying Transportation 

Consumers deserve more efficient vehicles, and they deserve more clean energy options, 

as I wrote several years ago: 

Currently, vehicles and fuels are a far cry from offering consumers real choices, 

and odds are good that the car you like isn't available in a hybrid-electric version. 

At most retail gas stations, the only products under the canopy are made from 

petroleum. In this regard, car dealerships and gas stations are more like shelves in 

a Soviet grocery store than a modem American retail outlet. Consumers demand, 

and deserve, more choices?6 

This remains largely true, although progress towards a world with more choices has 

accelerated in the past few years, driven by policy and prices. Pluggable cars have 

attracted a great deal of attention from policymakers and reporters, for example, and with 

good reason. 

Driving on electricity from the grid is virtually free of oil. (In 2009, less than 1% of 

electricity generation came from petroleum liquids or coke?7

) Plug-in electric vehicles 

arriving in the market over the next couple of years are expected to cover the bulk of 

daily driving needs with electricity. According to the Department of Energy, personal 

vehicles are typically used for less than 30 miles per day.28 The Nissan Leaf, available in 

some states starting this year, is expected to travel 100 miles on a charge. The Chevy Volt 

plug-in hybrid, also expected to be released this year, will have an expected electric range 

of40 miles. 

Transitioning our petroleum-powered light-duty vehicle fleet to one running primarily on 

grid electricity can deliver massive oil savings for our country. Recent analysis by the 

Environmental Protection Agency, in response to a request from Senator Kerry, shows 

that a future fleet comprised of a combination of electric-drive vehicles and cleaner, more 

efficient combustion vehicles could cut light-duty vehicle oil consumption 20 to 42 

percent, or 2.1 to 3.1 million barrels per day, in 2030. To reach these goals, EPA assumed 

new passenger vehicles sales twenty years from now are one-third [32%] to nearly half 

[ 47%] comprised of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. 

Vehicle electrification can also dramatically reduce global warming pollution. 

Considering today's electricity production mix, an electric-drive vehicle could emit just 

half the emissions of today's conventional combustion engine car. However, emissions 

benefits are maximized by charging with cleaner grid resources, especially renewable 

sources like wind and solar. Any electric vehicle running on the power of the sun is truly 

zero emissions. 

The transportation bill should support the electrification of our transportation system, 

which is currently 97 percent dependent on petroleum. We can accelerate the transition to 

low carbon mobility by evaluating the need for and installing public charging 

infrastructure. Projects that connect transit with short-range electric vehicles can get 
52 

people out oflong-distance drives without having to run transit to every location. Beyond 

passenger vehicles, transportation funds should go to encourage maximum reductions in 

global warming pollution in heavy-duty and non-road applications that are amenable to 

electrification, such as at truck stops and in port drayage operations. 

Given the need to proceed strategically with vehicle electrification, it is important to 

develop a multi-year, multi-step policy. One proposal worthy of consideration was 

recently put forward by the Electrification Coalition, whose members include Peter 

Darbee of Pacific Gas & Electric, Carlos Ghosn of Nissan Motor Company and Fred 

Smith ofFedEx. The coalition initiative would create "ecosystems"- defined as "a group 

of interdependent entities that work or interact together to accomplish a common task or 

goal" and meant to include electric and transportation sector representatives among 

others -- in select large metropolitan regions.29 These ecosystems would be launched in 

two phases, with the purposes of showing "proof of concept," driving economies of scale 

and allowing "learning by doing." This is a useful concept which could eventually be 

implemented by a collaborative initiative between the Departments of Transportation, 

Energy, Housing and Urban Development as well as the Enviromnental Protection 

Agency to accelerate electrification at the regional level. 

NRDC Priorities for Transportation Policy 

NRDC recommends that this Committee and others tasked with writing the next 

transportation law focus on three key outcomes: 

• Reducing U.S. transportation sector oil use and greenhouse gas pollution: 

The first of these can be accomplished by overhauling the program such that a 

greater portion of the funding is distributed in mode-neutral, performance-driven 

ways as described by groups including the Bipartisan Policy Center in a recent 

report.300il savings and greenhouse gas pollution criteria can also be built into 

transportation planning processes, with added incentives to promote projects that 

achieve both goals. 

• Increase the number of locations that are accessible by transit, biking and 

walking: Providing Americans with more transportation choices will improve 

quality of life in neighborhoods across the country. This can best be achieved by 

increasing funding for clean transportation projects and by reforming 

transportation planning in order to link transportation and land use. 

• Spur creation of good jobs with clean transportation investments: Smart 

technology can help improve both highway and transit systems, and the new bill 

should have an ITS title. Additionally, it should include transit manufacturing and 

workforce development incentives. 

NRDC is also a proud member of Transportation for America, a diverse and growing 

effort to reform transportation policy. The blueprint, The Route to Reform, is a 

comprehensive map for enactment of a new transportation that would save oil and cut 
53 

pollution, including proposed objectives, performance targets, program structure and 

revenue options. 31 

NRDC and Transportation for America proposals take serious steps towards energy, 

economic and environmental security. I have also joined an unusually broad right-left 

coalition which has developed a complementary set of proposals for saving oil through 

transportation policy, as described below. 

Saving Oil by Delivering Mobility Choice 

Raising the bar on fuel economy performance of our vehicles and providing consumers 

with more fuel choices are key components of a three-pronged attack on oil dependence. 

The third is greater mobility choice. This is most relevant to the transportation bill, since 

it has helped determine transportation options available - or not - to Americans since at 

least the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (P.L. 84-627) enacted in 1956. 

In fact, some respected conservative advocates have proposed a new national program of 

a similarly audacious scale, a "National Defense Public Transportation Act." This act 

would maintain existing services, provide transit service to any county in the nation that 

opts into the program, build new intercity rail, and then electrify rail across the country. 

This proposal deserves serious consideration, especially by moving forward with what 

the authors call a "skeletal national public transportation network," explaining that 

If (or when) interruptions to the country's oil supply become chronic, we can 

quickly put more flesh on the skeleton by adding more buses and trains. It is much 

easier to build up something that already exists than to create it from scratch in 

time of national emergency. Even a thin, skeletal network, national in scope, 

would give us the "virtual" energy independence national security demands.32 

A national survey performed just last month shows there's support for this kind of 

proposal. More than four-in-five voters say that "the United States would benefit from an 

expanded and improved public transportation system, such as rail and buses" with a 

majority saying the "strongly agree." Two-thirds say they "would like more 

transportation options" and 73% feel they "have no choice but to drive as much as" they 

do.33 

Growing public demand is one reason I am collaborating with an unusually broad set of 

energy and transportation experts interested in transportation reform. Launched in 

December, the Mobility Choice project was initiated by the Institute for the Analysis of 

Global Security (lAGS), and our blueprint for transportation reform has ten elements as 

described below.34 

Ensure the Price of Fuel Better Reflects Oil Security Costs 

To better reflect the hidden costs of oil, primarily those associated with its national 

security impact, an oil security fee could be levied either per barrel or at the pump. This 

fee would send a more accurate signal to consumers about the real cost of their gallon of 

gasoline or diesel. Reflecting the hidden costs of oil at the pump would enable consumers 
54 

(assuming modal choices exist and vehicles are platforms on which fuels can compete) to 

make more economically informed transportation choices. 

The amount of oil saved through an Oil Security Fee would depend on the amount of the 

fee. For example, implementing a fee equivalent to an additional 25 cents per gallon 

of gasoline in 2020 could generate annual savings of almost 240 million barrels of oil 

and generating $44 billion of revenue. Motor fuel taxes are particularly effective policy 

tools for saving oil for two main reasons. First, they are completely comprehensive: they 

put a price on every mile driven in the U.S. Secondly, these fees provide an incentive to 

drivers to take action on both the number of miles they drive and the fuel economy of the 

vehicles they own. Faced with a fuel tax, drivers can minimize cost by finding ways to 

drive less and by buying vehicles with better fuel efficiency. 

Deploy "HOT" lanes and Congestion Pricing 

The concept of pricing to address congestion was first proposed by Nobel Laureate 

William Vickrey about fifty years ago and at present the federal program has supported 

more than 50 projects in more than a dozen states with more than 20 projects in 

operation. 35 The use of this tool helps to address a "tragedy of the commons" issue with 

transportation, whereby public goods are consumed inefficiently due to a lack of accurate 

price signals unlike, for example, time-variable prices for daytime cell use and midday 

electricity use. 

The source of funding for the Highway Trust Fund - used to construct new highway, 

bridge and tunnel infrastructure and to maintain the current system could be shifted 

more strategically to rely more on user fees such as tolls and congestion pricing. For 

instance, federal policy could allow and encourage the National Highway System to 

implement pricing when congestion reaches a certain threshold. User fees can help 

reduce congestion by providing incentives to forego discretionary trips or to travel in offpeak periods; this reduces oil consumption by decreasing the amount of driving done in 

stop-and-go traffic. An emphasis on roadway-based user fees may also help ensure that 

transportation investments are made where demand - and therefore toll revenues - are 

highest, ensuring the best use of highway dollars. 

There are a number of different options for implementing user fees, including: 

• Congestion pricing: Variable tolls can be implemented on congested roadways so that 

the toll cost is set to reduce traffic jams and achieve a specified level of service on the 

roadway. This can include time-of-day pricing in which higher tolls are charged 

during peak hours, or more sophisticated dynamic pricing in which toll rates vary 

depending on the real-time level of congestion being experienced on the roadway. 

Dynamic pricing can be used to ensure that the road stays at a constant high level of 

service. 

• HOV!managed lanes: Both HOV lanes and high-occupancy toll (HOT) Janes provide 

a separate lane for carpoolers with a higher level of service. HOT lanes also allow 

single-occupant vehicles into these lanes for a toll; this toll - in another form of 
55 

congestion pricing - can vary according to traffic levels to ensure a high level of 

service in the lane. Vehicles carrying two or more people (or three or more, 

depending on the level of congestion) would be exempted from the toll, to encourage 

carpooling. 

• Intercity tolls: Outside urban areas, interstates and other limited access roads can be 

tolled to introduce a per-mile (or equivalent) fee to users. 

• Truck-only toll lanes: Toll lanes dedicated exclusively to trucks allow freight to move 

more efficiently through congested areas. In addition, truck-only lanes may have 

safety benefits by separating truck and auto traffic. 

Such strategies have been deployed more aggressively elsewhere in the world, including 

Singapore, London, Stockholm and the Netherlands. Political and public acceptance has 

been a challenge in many cases, with lessons that could be useful in the United States. 

Specifically, to earn support from the public and other stakeholders - including 

environmental groups - proposals must address a real problem that pricing would help 

resolve (such as oil savings), have a credible plan for the revenues including investments 

in transportation alternatives such as bus rapid transit, come from a trustworthy source 

and start incrementally. 36 The last of these is particularly important. Launching modestsized projects can offer the public "proof of concept" and build momentum towards 

wider use of pricing tools. 

Together, these user fee strategies could save nearly 80 million barrels of oil in 2020, 

and twice that in 2030 as pricing becomes more comprehensive. More than threequarters of these reductions are associated with congestion pricing. This is because more 

than one-third of U.S. highway travel occurs on congested urban roadways; focusing on 

these roads gets to the core of the fuel consumption issue. As wiili all pricing 

mechanisms, benefits are achieved boili because of the reduction in the number of miles 

driven and by better traffic flow that decreases the amount of time spent - and fuel 

consumed - in stop-and-go conditions. 

Allocate Transit Dollars to Optimize Oil Savings 

Providing transportation choices can be an effective way to reduce oil consumption - as 

long as there are enough riders that the transit vehicle consumes less oil per passenger 

than those riders collectively would have consumed driving their individual cars. The 

transit routes that have the highest load factors, therefore, save the most oil. Taxpayer 

dollars allocated to transit can be focused on capital improvements that would: 

1. Improve service on, and recapitalize to maintain a state of good repair, existing high 

load routes with an eye toward maintaining a consistently high load factor. For 

instance, this might mean more frequent service during peak usage hours; this would 

reduce travel times, which would in tum attract even more riders. 

2. Add new routes that are expected to be consistently high load. 

Adding transit service attracts more riders, by providing new mobility options iliat make 

it worthwhile for them to switch modes. A number of strategies can contribute to 
56 

improved service levels and expand service to additional new routes. Technology can 

play an important role in increasing speed and reliability through signal prioritization and 

synchronization, automatic vehicle location systems for real-time scheduling adjustments, 

and improved fare collection such as integrated transit fare systems that allow riders to 

use a single smartcard for all the modes and systems they may want to use. Service 

improvements - such as express, limited stop service can provide new options for 

riders. More capital-intensive options focus on adding more buses and rail vehicles to 

increase the frequency of service and to allow transit systems to expand to cover larger 

geographic areas. For instance, bus rapid transit (BRT) - as demonstrated most 

extensively in cities such as Bogota (Colombia) and Curitiba (Brazil) - provides a 

flexible and cost-effective way to provide much higher levels of service than traditional 

bus service, often by using a dedicated right-of-way to avoid congestion and reduce 

conflicts with general traffic. Compared to heavy or even light rail projects, BRT costs 

less and takes less time per mile to build, and operations costs are also lower. 

Our analysis shows that increasing the level of service on routes that have better 

than average load factors could save more than 4 million barrels of oil in 2020, and 

more than 6 million in 2030. Expanding service to reach new geographic areas, 

assuming again that only routes with better than average load factors would be 

funded, could save almost 21 million barrels of oil in 2020 and more than 38 million 

barrels in 2030. 

Increase Insurance Choice 

Car insurance is a fixed-cost for most drivers in the U.S. today - they pay the same 

amount per year regardless of how many miles they drive. Yet, all else being equal, the 

likelihood of an accident for a given driver increases as he or she drives more. As a 

result, low-mileage drivers effectively are subsidizing risk for high-mileage drivers; this 

results in distorted price signals for the costs of driving. Converting the variable portion 

of insurance costs into a per-mile cost for drivers - a system known as Pay as You Drive 

(P A YD) - will correct these price signals. Research shows that the majority of drivers in 

the U.S. would actually save money under such a system, since the current subsidy to the 

smaller pool of relatively high-mileage drivers would be eliminated. 

States are taking note of the advantages and pollution reductions afforded by PA YD. No 

fewer than 14 states are relying on P A YD as a strategy to combat global warming 

pollution, and expect PAYD alone to contribute on average 3% of their state's total 

emissions reduction. In all cases, P A YD is projected to have either no cost or to result in 

net savings. 
57 

PAYD in State Climate Action Plans 

Nearly 25% of All Driving in America 

In spite of increasing interest among states there are very few P A YD policies available. 

The overwhelming majority of Americans continue to drive with one-price-fits-all 

policies and virtually no insurance companies offer PA YD. The reasons for this include: 

• State Regulations: In 2003, the Georgia Institute of Technology surveyed states' 

insurance regulations for their compatibility with P A YD, and found more than 15 

states with regulatory obstacles. Since then, California, for one, has moved to 

permit P A YD, but work remains to be done in other states. 

• Administrative Start-Up Costs: Many insurers are unwilling to explore PA YD 

because of uncertain start-up and administrative costs. In most cases P A YD will 

require, at a cost, that insurers enact actuarial and administrative changes to 

incorporate the new verified mileage with risk and premium costs. Although 

insurers stand to benefit from the increased actuarial accuracy that will result in 

most cases, these benefits are not immediately apparent to them, especially in an 

industry as competitive as auto insurance. 

• Verification Costs: An essential element of P A YD is to guarantee insurers the 

right to verify mileage and adjust premiums accordingly. Many insurers are 

unsatisfied with current methods of mileage collection and their attendant cost. 

While many prefer proprietary devices that can collect mileage, such devices face 

siguificant privacy concerns and general market acceptability questions. Insurers 

appear to lack confidence in the ability of drivers or other 3rd parties to accurately 

and honestly report their mileage to them. 

• Lack of Consensus: After literally decades of P A YD as a subject of policy debate 

and speculation, there is still not a consensus definition of PA YD. This makes it 

difficult for policymakers and regulators, not to mention insurers and consumers, 

to identify exactly what they are striving for. 
58 

To implement P A YD, state regulations that prevent insurance companies from offering 

consumers the option of pay-as-you-drive insurance would first need to be lifted. Federal 

discretionary dollars can be used aggressively to finance research by the Transportation 

Research Board (TRB) on how such policies could be structured, and to quantifY the 

relative benefits of different mileage-verification methods (some of which may have a 

greater impact on driver behavior by sending more frequent price signals). The federal 

government can also develop guidance on how P A YD legislation and regulations can be 

structured, finance pilot demonstrations of the P A YD concept, and provide incentives to 

insurance companies to offer P A YD insurance. For example, auto insurance companies 

offering P A YD insurance policies could receive a 20% fully-refundable business tax 

credit based on a portion of active P A YD policies. 

A standard definition of P A YD would also be helpful. In concert with current 

Congressional efforts to create HomeStar and BuildingS tar programs for energy efficient 

buildings, EPA could create specifications for P A YD-an "ENERGY STAR for Auto 

Insurance" or "DriveStar"-to provide guidance to regulators, policymakers, insurers and 

even consumers who are interested in proposing, evaluating and encouraging P A YD-type 

insurance products. NRDC, with Ceres and others, has developed such a standard as a 

starting point. 

If P A YD policies were made an option for all drivers, between 20-40 percent of drivers 

could be expected to use it as a way to reduce auto insurance premiums. Allowing P A YD 

as an option in all states could generate savings of 56 million barrels of oil in 2020 

and almost 60 million in 2030. 

Provide Transit Vouchers for Mobility Choice for Low-Income Households 

While lowering transit fares is a proven way to increase ridership, this comes at a cost to 

transit agencies in the form of lower farebox revenues- undercutting agencies' ability to 

maintain service in the long run. To allow transit agencies to become more self-sustaining 

while meeting mobility goals, subsidies can be focused on helping the people that 

actually need financial support. To this end, transit vouchers could be provided for lowincome households, paid for by fare increases for other riders. This policy would help 

transit agencies avoid farebox losses by giving them the chance to charge higher fares for 

consumers who can afford it. Policies could be designed so that vouchers could be 

redeemed with either existing transit agencies or private entrepreneurs running private 

sector buses, shuttles, vanpools and jitney buses. 

Research shows that lower- and higher-income riders have different responses to fare 

price changes, with lower-income riders more sensitive to cost. As a result, our analysis 

shows that the ridership gains from subsidies to low-income riders outweigh the ridership 

losses from higher-income riders who switch to other modes when faced with fare 

increases. This analysis recognizes that subsidies will attract some new transit riders who 

will switch from non-auto modes (such as walking or bicycling) that consume no oil. 

Even accounting for the relatively higher share of low income transit riders who will 

make this switch, providing low-income fare subsidies would save nearly 0.7 million 

barrels of oil each year. 
59 

Increase Commuting Options and Telecommuting 

A large share of trips are-- particularly at peak hours-- to the workplace. There are many 

strategies that can encourage commuters to choose travel options other than driving 

alone. For example, parking cash-out programs reward employees who find other ways to 

get to work by giving them the cash-equivalent to a parking benefit. On-line ride 

matching, vanpool services and guaranteed ride home programs provide commuters an 

alternative to driving alone. Extensive outreach programs by larger employers can be 

used to educate employees about the commute options available. Transit agencies can 

offer employers "bulk discounts" on monthly transit passes, providing incentives for 

greater transit use. Finally, government employers can levy a fee (such as four dollars per 

parking space per day) on employee parking that can be used to fund the provision of 

these shared-ride programs and transit passes. Implementing all of these strategies 

could yield oil savings of more than 57 million barrels of oil each year. 

Telecommuting and compressed work weeks offer opportunities to eliminate entirely 

some trips to the workplace. The choice to take the "broadband highway" to work, shop 

or run errands saves more oil than any alternate mode of transport. As one energy expert 

put it, "consider the potential of virtualization as a disruptive energy technology. If for 

only one day a week the herd of stop-and-go business commuters was allowed to 

telework from hom or from a networked satellite office near their neighborhood, over 30 

million gallons a day of gasoline would be saved."37 While telecommuting is on the rise, 

there are ways that policy measures can accelerate this trend. First, government agencies 

could set a good example by encouraging telecommuting and a compressed workweek of 

its workforce, as appropriate depending on job descriptions and citizen needs. Barriers to 

telecommuting in state and local tax codes can be eliminated, and tax incentives can be 

provided for telecommuting setup and maintenance costs, similar to the tax free benefits 

currently provided for other workplace transportation costs (parking and transit use). 

Fully implementing these actions would save another 14 million barrels of oil each 

year. 

Return Gas Tax Revenue to Areas with the Most Traffic and Oil Savings Potential 

Our nation's metropolitan areas have grown into hosts to most of the nation's population, 

employers, GDP and traffic. They are therefore logical recipients of a larger proportion of 

federal gas tax receipts, as recognized by both the Bush Administration and Democratic 

Transportation Committee Chairman Rep. James Oberstar, who both included substantial 

metropolitan mobility programs their proposals for a new transportation program. Any 

new program should send a much larger proportion of gas tax receipts - either through a 

brand-new program or through the existing Surface Transportation Program - directly to 

metropolitan regions in a process referred to as "suballocation," with appropriate 

conditions to maximize efficient and transparent use of the funds. One condition could be 

to focus support for transit operations on high-load routes. This strategy is supportive of 

others on this list, and its oil savings are difficult to estimate in isolation. 
60 

Improve Local Land-Development Rules 

Transportation choices and land use are inextricably linked. By creating more 

transportation-efficient land use patterns, people can choose modes other than driving for 

some trips, and reduce the number of miles they need to drive. Mixing commercial and 

residential land uses makes it possible for residents to walk or bicycle to neighborhood 

stores, and higher density development centered around transit stops can make public 

transportation a much more attractive and viable option for residents. Yet current 

regulations often stand in the way of neighborhood designs that allow minimal driving, 

with zoning codes that prohibit mixed-use developments and that do not allow for a mix 

of housing types and lot sizes. Government policies need to be revamped to encourage -

rather than impede efficient development patterns, and eligibility of municipalities for 

certain federal transportation funds should be conditioned on liberalization of rules to 

meet market demand. 

Some recent analyses provide evidence of a mismatch between what the marketplace 

provides and changing consumer preferences. One analysis looked at Atlanta households 

and found that "the segment of the housing market that is interested in these alternatives 

is underserved-that is, there is unmet demand for alternative development in the Atlanta 

region."38 Another analysis compared Boston and Atlanta, finding that 70% of 

Bostonians who wanted to live in a walkable suburb actually did while only 35% of the 

same in Atlanta did.39 

And a national survey of developers found that more than 60% agreed with the statement 

"In my region there is currently enough market interest to support significant expansion 

of these alternative developments," with a high of 70% in the Midwest and a low of 40% 

in the South Central region. In terms oflocation within metropolitan regions (central city, 

inner suburb, outer suburb, or rural) the highest percentage (80%) reported an intent to 

develop more densely should land-use regulations be relaxed in inner suburbs.40 

Merely removing barriers to mixed-use development and providing incentives for 

regional and city planning agencies to plan for more efficient land use could save 

more than three million barrels of oil in 2020. This initial savings would more than 

triple by 2030 as these policies have more time to influence development. Due to the 

length of time it takes for individual properties to tum over to new uses and development 

patterns to change, incentives for land use changes represent a long-term policy option. 

Many of the most powerful effects of implementing these policies will be felt beyond the 

2030 timeframe. 

Deployment of Smart Traffic Management 

Traveling on roads and transit in other industrialized nations, one witnesses a host of 

technologies that could improve operating efficiency of existing transportation modes, 

from variable signage providing real-time information to system users to traffic 

management centers to keep traffic flowing freely. Upgrading our current infrastructure 

with 21 st_century technology is one of the first steps we can take to save oil and reduce 

pollution by reducing congestion and idling. These technologies save time, money, and 
61 

frustration for travelers. A wide range of technologies and operational improvements can 

be implemented. Here are some of the strategies for improving traffic flow for cars, 

trucks and buses on our roads: 

• Freeway management. Roadway capacity and flow can be dynamically managed 

with real-time information on traffic conditions, collected by sensors and cameras. 

Ramp meters can be installed to regulate the flow of vehicles entering a highway to 

the optimal level at any given time, speed limits can be adjusted in real time to 

respond to changing conditions, and shoulders can be converted to travel lanes at 

peak hours or during congestion. Traffic management centers can coordinate ITS 

technologies across multiple roadways to best reduce congestion area wide. 

• Traveler information. Up-to-date information on traffic conditions provided to 

travelers can enable them to choose the best route and avoid congestion. Variable 

message signs, 511 systems, and traveler information call centers can all be deployed. 

• Incident management. A variety of techniques can be used to more quickly identify 

and clear incidents (accidents and other obstructions) that are causing traffic jams, 

including free cellular call systems for reporting incidents, closed-circuit cameras, 

service patrols, and travel management centers to coordinate response. 

• Arterial management. Improved signal synchronization and variable message signs 

can be used to improve traffic flow on arterial roadways. This can also be combined 

with priority access through intersections for transit. 

• Road weather management. Inclement weather can badly snarl roadways. 

Implementing coordinated weather advisories, speed limit reductions, and snow and 

ice treatments promotes safe and smooth travel operations in bad weather. 

• Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) or IntelliDrivesM. Not yet widely deployed, 

these systems would equip vehicles with technology that would communicate with 

roadside sensors and other vehicles to help drivers avoid accidents and make efficient 

use of roadway capacity. 

• Truck idling reduction. Idling wastes both fuel and money for trucking companies 

and operators. Overnight idling at truck stops can be reduced through truck stop 

electrification, which provides heating and cooling for the driver in the sleeper cab, or 

by installing auxiliary power units on trucks that allow drivers to shut off the main 

engine. Weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems and electronic credentialing allow trucks to 

bypass weigh stations and safety inspections, eliminating the idling associated with 

these stations. 

Together, these technologies could save almost 5 million barrels of oil in 2020 and 

almost 10 million barrels in 2030, while simultaneously improving traffic flow on 

arterials and freeways in the nation's congested urban areas. 
62 

Deploy Cost-Effective Intercity Rail Options as Justified by Cost Efficiency and Oil 

Displacement Potential 

For medium distance trips, intercity rail offers the opportunity to switch intercity auto and 

air trips to more energy-efficient trains. As with transit expansion, the greatest oil saving 

benefits can be gained by implementing service with relatively high load factors, rather 

than introducing service with low ridership. Federal funds for rail can be targeted to 

expand service on lines that will attract enough ridership to operate with relatively high 

load factors. 

Leveraged targeting of investments will require development of criteria and a phase-in 

approach for new capacity. One noteworthy white paper by America 2050 lays out a 

methodology for screening potential city pairs that could be linked by high-speed rail 

based on six criteria aimed at ensuring adequate ridership: Metropolitan size, distance, 

transit connections, economic productivity, congestion (for both auto and air travel) and 

whether or not pairs are part of one of 11 "megaregions" that are already interconnected 

in various ways. Based on these criteria, as part of a three-phase investment plan the 

group proposes first building new rail connections in Northeastern, Midwestern and 

California megaregions. This method is worthy of consideration whether or not new rail 

capacity is "high speed."41 

If funds are dedicated to expanding ridership on routes with at least 20 percent 

higher load factors than the Amtrak average, funding intercity rail could save half a 

million barrels of oil per year. Intercity rail strategies will also have synergies with 

transit expansion strategies, because better transit systems in destination cities reduce the 

need for passengers to have a car upon arrival. This further reduces the incentive for 

travelers to drive. 

Securing our Energy and Climate Future 

Moving forward into the second decade of the new millennium, we have a chance to 

chart a new course for the future. When I envision my daughter in adulthood, I see a 

nation and a world that offers more means to opt out of oil addiction. Fareed Zakaria has 

written about one exciting vehicle choice that should be available in the future: The 500-

mpg car, an pluggable car that can run on a blend of advanced biofuel and traditional 

fossil fuel. 42 Between the electricity and the biomass, this car would dramatically reduce 

the number of times you have to go to the pump, and in aggregate would cut our 

dependence on oil. 

In addition, I see a real network of public and private transportation options linking cities 

and towns across the country, with neighborhoods retrofitted or designed from the start 

with walkability and bikeability in mind. An array of real mobility choices for U.S. 

citizens would further boost energy independence. Such a bright future is contingent on 

enactment of new transportation policy, led by this Committee. I look forward to working 

with you to make it so. 
63 

1 Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2008, Transportation Sector Energy 

Consumption, http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/txt/ptb020 le.htrnl 2 Energy Information Administration. Annual Energy Outlook 2010 Early Release. 3 Maugeri, L. 2006. The Age of Oil. Westport, CT: Praeger. 4 Import figure drawn from Jaffe, A.M. 2009. The U.S. Energy Predicament. The Aspen Institute 

Congressional Program Vol. 24, No.2: II. 5 90 percent figure from Marcel, V. 2006. Oil Titans: National Oil Companies in the Middle East. London: 

Chatham House. Figures for graph from Maugeri, L. 2006. The Age of Oil. Westport, CT: Praeger. 6 Lee, H. 2009. Oil Security and the Transportation Sector in Acting in Time on Energy Policy, edited by 

K.S. Gallagher, 56.-88. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution. 7 Electrification Coalition. November, 2009. Electrification Roadmap: Revolutionizing Transportation and 

Achieving Energy Security. Washington, D.C.: Electrification Coalition. 8 Luft, G. and Korin, A. Terror's Next Target. Journal oflnternational Security Affairs December 2003. 9 From chapters by Koknar, Ali and Jaffe, A.M. 2009. The Epidemic of Energy Terrorism and OPEC: An 

Anatomy of a Cartel respectively in Energy Security Challenges for the 21" Century, edited by G. Luft and 

A. Korin, 18-30 and 78-90 respectively. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger Security International. 1

° Klare, M. 2009. There Will Be Blood: Political Violence, Regional Warfare, and the Risk of GreatPower Conflict over Contested Energy Resources in Energy Security Challenges for the 21" Century, 

edited by G. Luft and A. Korin, 44-65. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger Security International 11 Jaffe, A.M. 2009. OPEC: An Anatomy of a Cartel in Energy Security Challenges for the 21" Century, 

edited by G. Luft and A. Korin, 78-90. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger Security International. 12 Oil Shockwave, "Video Samples," Securing America's Future Energy, 

http://www.secureenergy.org/site/page.php?node=344&id=93 

" Friedman, Thomas L. "9/11 and 4/11." New York Times, July 20, 2008, 

http://www.secureenergy.org/site/page.php?node=344&id=93 

14 The CNA Corporation. 2007. National Security and the Threat of Climate Change. Alexandria, VA: The 

CNA Corporation. 15 Ibid. 16 Department of Defense. February, 2010. Quadrennial Defense Review Report. Washington, D.C.: 

Department of Defense. 17 See for example Bordetsky, A., eta!. June, 2007. Driving It Home: Choosing the Right Path for Fueling 

North America's Transportation Future. New York, New York: Natural Resources Defense Council. 18 Maugeri, L. 2006. The Age of Oil. Westport, CT: Praeger. 19 Parry, W.H. and Anderson, J.W. Winter 2005. Petroleum: Energy Independence is Unrealistic. Resources 

156: 11-15. 20 Greene, D. Why CAFE Worked. 1997. Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 21 Korin, A. and Luft, G. 2009. Turning Oil into Salt: Energy Independence Through Fuel Choice. 

BookSurge Publishing. 22 Woolsey, R.J. and Sexton, C. 2009. Geopolitical Implications of Plug-in Vehicles in Plug-In Electric 

Vehicles: What Role for Washington? Edited by D.B. Sandal ow, 11-21. Washington, D.C.: Brookings 

Institution. 

23 Greene, D. Why CAFE Worked. 1997. Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 24 U.S. EPA. 2009. Fuel Economy Trends Model Years 1975-2009. 25 The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), "Passenger Vehicle Greenhouse Gas and 

Fuel Economy Standards: A Global Update," ICCT, 

http://www. theicct.org/inforrnation/reports/passenger _vehicle _greenhouse _gas_ and_ fuel_ economy_ stan dar 

ds _a _global_ update 26 Lovaas, D. 2007. Going Green by Empowering Choice in The Futurist January-February 2007: 27. 27 EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Net Generation by Source, Table 1.1, March 2010. 28 Davis, Diegel and Boundy, Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 28, Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory for the US Department of Energy, 2009. 29 Electrification Coalition. November, 2009. Electrification Roadmap: Revolutionizing Transportation and 

Achieving Energy Security. Washington, D.C.: Electrification Coalition. 
64 

30 Bipartisan Policy Center. 2009. Peiformance-Driven: New Vision for U.S. Transportation Policy. 

Bipartisan Policy Center. 31 Transportation for America, The Route to Reform, Transportation for America 

http:/ /t4america.orglblueprint! 32 Weyrich, P.M. and Lind, W.S. 2009. Moving Minds: Conservatives and Public Transportation. 

Alexandria, VA and Oakland, CA: The Free Congress Foundation and Reconnecting America. 33 Pre-release data from A National Transportation Survey of 800 Registered Voters Conducted February 

27-March 2, 2010 by Public Opinion Strategies and Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates for 

Transportation for America, Smart Growth America and NRDC. 34 The coalition is made up of myself as well as the following individuals (organizations listed for 

affiliation purposes): Anne Korin and Gal Luft of lAGS; Cliff May of the Foundation for the Defense of 

Democracies; Robert McFarlane, former National Security Advisor; R. James Woolsey, former CIA 

director; James Strock, former California Secretary of the Environment; John Norquist, President of the 

Congress for the New Urbanism; Matt Rojansky, Partnership for a Secure America; Kenneth Green of the 

American Enterprise Institute; Peter Pantuso of the American Bus Assocation; Admiral Dennis McGinn; 

Chuck Wilsker of the Telework Coalition; and Lisa Margonelli of the New America Foundation. 35 Buxbaum, J. N. 2009. Transportation Research Board. 2009. Transportation Research News 263:4-7. 36 Higgins, T. 2009. Transportation Research Board. 2009. Transportation Research News 263: 32-34. 37 Tertzakian, P. and Hollihan, K. 2009. The End of Energy Obesity: Breaking Today's Energy Addiction 

for a Prosperous and Secure Tomorrow. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. 38 Levine, Jonathan, and Lawrence Frank. (2007) Transportation and Land-Use 

Preferences and Residents' Neighborhood Choices: The Sufficiency of Compact 

Development on the Atlanta Region. Transportation 34(2):255-274. 39 Levine, Jonathan, Aseem Inam and Gwo-Wei Tomg. (2005) A Choice-Based Rationale 

for Land-Use and Transportation Alternatives: Evidence from Boston and Atlanta. 

Journal of Planning Education and Research 24(3):317-330. 40 Levine, Jonathan and Aseem Inam. (2004) The Market for Transportation-Land Use 

Integration: Do Developers Want Smarter Growth than Regulations Allow? 

Transportation 31(4):409-427. 41 Hagler, Y. and Todorovich, P. 2009. Where High-Speed Rail Works Best. New York, New York: 

America 2050. 42 Zakaria, F. Imagine: 500 Miles per Gallon in Newsweek March 7, 2005. 
65 

Questions for Senator Boxer 

J. or the various transportation polleies you described that ean help reduce our dependence 

on oil and reduee emissions, which polley (or policies) do you think ean be most effective In 

tbe short-term? Are there other policies we should Implement now, but that might not pay 

off for several years? 

Policies relating direetly to transportation system efficiency and pricing are among those with the 

strongest short-tenn impact. Other policies have modest effects in the near-tenn but pay off in later years, 

particularly those related to the construction of new public transportation infrastructure and those that 

encourage more efficient land use and transportation planning. 

Short Term Strategies 

Of the short-tenn strategies, I urge consideration of policies which support- via requirements that they be 

considered in plan and program development, incentives such as more favorable investment matches 

and/or dedicated funding sources- the following, which are supported by our new Mobility Choice 

Coalition and examined in the Department ofTransportation's recently-released report to Congress, 

Transportation's Role in Reducing US. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 

• Tolls, VMT Fees, Cordoa and Congestion Pricing (ineludiag HOT lanes): Transportation 

experts agree that various means of road pricing that send more accurate signals to consumers are 

the quickest and surest method to influence travel choices. The infrastructure and technology to 

implement such systems are well-understood and widely available, and years of successful 

operation of such systems enable cities and metro areas to begin such programs quickly. 

• Commuter-Based Programs: While accounting for only about 25% oftotal VMT, employerand employee-based commuter reductions (or TOM: Transportation Demand Management) 

programs have significant short-term potential. Transit passes, parking cash-out, carpooling and 

ride matching, telecommuting and compressed workweeks all have been shown to reduce single 

occupancy vehicle trips and accompanying VMT. 

• Oil Security Fee: Levied by the barrel or at the pump, such a fee, similar to the road pricing 

measures above, would send a more accurate signal to drivers as to the real cost of their oil use, 

while encouraging consideration of more oil-efficient transportation alternatives. 

• Pay As You Drive Insurance: Our analysis and the new project PA YD insurance with a 

relatively large fuel-savings and emission reduction effects in the short-tenn. Realization of 

PA YO's potential will require States to adjust insurance regulations to pennit usage-based 

policies, with significantly greater effects should states consider incentivizing or mandating 

PA YD policies. 

• Deploy Smart Trame Management Technologies and Increase System Efficiency: Existing 

technologies, such as ramp and lane metering. informational signage, variable signal control, and 

state-of-the-art incident and traffic management, can improve traffic flow and the efficiency of 

our existing transportation system, without requiring eostly and time-consuming road 

construction and capacity expansion. 
66 

Long-Term Strategies Requiring Investment Now 

Longer-term strategies are those that require either considerable lead-time for construction (such as new 

rail capacity) or those whose effects will take years to materialize (changing projected development 

patterns through improve land use). 

• Investment in New Hlgh..Oceupant Transportation Vehieles and Infrastrueture: It is not 

reasonable to expect Americans to reconsider driving alone when there are no convenient, 

reliable and safe alternatives. Communities throughout the country could attract riders to new, or 

improved, transportation services. Such services should not be limited to rail projects, but should 

include an array of public and private sector options plying our highways and roads. Modem, 

comfortable intercity buses, bus rapid transit, as well as more flexible options such as jitneys and 

vanpools should be available as mobility choices. 

• Encouraging Nonmotorized Mobility: While biking and walking offer modest fuel-saving and 

emission-reducing potential on their own, they are an inexpensive complement to highway and 

transit infrastructure, and enhance fuel-saving and emission-reducing potential. Our existing 

system must be retrofitted to permit safe travel by these modes and funding for new roads must 

call for the design of"complete streets,'' usable by all travelers regardless of mode. 

• Investments in Rail: For commuters, inter-city travelers and businesses that move goods vast 

distances, a renewed commitment to rail is essential to decrease the energy and environmental 

harms and costs due to transportation. 

Improved Land Use and Transportation Planning: It has taken decades for America to 

become over-dependent on oil, and it will take decades to change course to realize high-quality 

communities that allow us to live more effiCiency. Land use and transportation planning, with an 

eye to reduced oil dependence and reduced GHG emissions, are essential steps. The sooner our 

long-range planning includes these factors, the better. Metropolitan areas should set specific 

GHG and oil reduction targets, and commence land use and transportation with the goal of 

meeting those requirements. 

2. In your testimony you state that the next authorization bill should have an Intelligent 

Transportation Systems (ITS) title. What policies would you like to see in such a title? Bow 

can ITS improve existing infrastructure while simultaneously lessening the impact of this 

infrastructure and its use on our environment? 

Deploying advanced technology across all modes of transportation would yield fuel savings emission 

reductions due to improved system efficiency and traffic flow. For example, the Department of 

Transportation's new Climate Change Report examined traffic management strategies (such as ramp 

metering) and technology providing real-time information to travelers (such as variable signage on roads). 

While the benefit were modest compared to some other strategies examined, the costs could be modest as 

well and there were significant co-benefits such as greater consumer satisfaction. 

While considering ITS as a strategy for protecting the environment, however, one must keep in mind its 

role as a facilitator for other strategies that offer greater benefits. This means that ITS must not be 

considered in isolation, but as a complement to other emission reduction strategies. For instance, traffic 
67 

signal optimization for rapid transit buses improves service and boosts ridership, easing congestion and 

making investments in buses more cost-effective. 

ITS America has shared a draft set of policy concepts that could readily be included in an ITS title, and I 

urge the Committee to seek their counsel, as well as that of individual members, regarding this matter. 

Their proposal includes: 

a. A competitive pilot program with a limited number of model deployment sites for 

integration of the latest technology, with public investment conditioned on specific 

performance objectives, adequate data collection and evaluation, innovative financing 

and other requirements; 

b. A comprehensive program to accelerate the deployment of technology solutions systemwide via dedicated funding; and 

c. A requirement that DOTs, MPOs and transit agencies perform a cost-benefit analysis for 

investments and justil)' diverting support away from ITS solutions if they stack up well. 

This three-pronged approach seems like a reasonable means to modernizing our transportation system 

with the latest technology. Should the Committee choose to write this title, collaboration with the 

Banking Committee will be important since the program should have a multimodal focus so that we boost 

functional efficiency across the entire system and maximize fuel savings and emission reductions. 

3. How wUI pay as you drive insurance reduce emissions? Can you describe bow states are 

using tbis Idea as part of tbelr emission rednctlon plans? 

Pay As You Drive Insurance (PAYD) ties insurance premiums directly to the amount policyholders drive. 

Just as gas prices influence how far and how much consumers drive, the making the price of insurance 

variable based on mileage can have a similar effect. Currently, although insurance is required to take the 

number of miles people drive into account, such figures are most often merely estimate, and inaccurate 

ones at that. 

Estimates vary as to the effect ofPAYD, but all studies point to reductions in miles traveled: 

• University of California-Berkeley's Aaron Edlin sees a potential national VMT reduction 

somewhere between 9% and 100.4; 

• Victoria Transport Policy Institute's Todd Litman projects VMT reductions up to 10%, 

depending on how PA YO is implemented; and 

• the Brookings Institution forecasts up to an 8% VMT reduction nationally. 

Pilot projects in Texas and Minnesota have resulted in VMT reductions between 4o/o-So/o. NRDC's own 

analysis ofPAYD potential in California, based on a range ofVMT reductions from 4%-8% and a modest 

50% participation rate among California's lowest mileage drivers, projects a greenhouse gas emissions 

reduction range of 1.3 - 2.6 million metric tonnes by 2020. Additional NRDC analysis projects similar 

nationwide reductions. 

There other significant co-benefits from implementing PA YO insurance and reducing VMT. PA YO 

insurance promotes fairness as low mileage drivers no longer subsidize high mileage ones, as occurs in 

today's "lump pricing" insurance market. It also promotes equity, as low income drivers (who tend to 

drive less) will no longer subsidize higher income drivers. Reductions in VMT also improve public safety 
68 

by reducing collisions and collision-related injury. And studies show that PA YD could save 2/3 of 

households an average of $250 on their annual transportation expenses. 

Currently, no fewer than 14 states have PAYO specifically listed in their climate action plans.' On 

average, its contribution is assessed at three percent of each state's total emissions reductions, and all 

states that have included a cost-benefit analysis of PA YO see either no cost or a net savings. As auto 

insurance is regulated at the state level, each state wilt approach implementation differently. 

• Arizona and New Mexico both call for a review of their insurance regulations to ensure that 

PAYD was permitted, and for the launch and evaluation of a pilot program: "Assuming this pilot 

is successful, market penetration could increase to 100% by 2020 ... either through competitive 

pressure ... or through a change in State policy mandating PA YD insurance .. .'.2 

• Maryland's Climate Action Plan called on the Maryland Insurance Administration, along with the 

State's Department of Transportation and Department of the Environment, to convene a working 

group to evaluate PA YD approaches, and to "push for adoption by Maryland drivers in the 2012 

time ftame.»> The Insurance Administration found no regulatory obstacles to PA YD in Maryland 

and has recommended talks with insurance companies about offering PA YD products.4 

• North Carolina's Climate Action Plan proposes requiring insurance companies to offer PA YD as 

part of their menu of insurance choices. The Plan begins with a small-scale pilot project with a 

goal of full North Carolina light-duty fleet PAYD coverage by 2020.$ 

• California's Climate Change Scoping Plan noted that the California Department of Insurance was 

considering regulations to permit PA YD on a voluntary basis.6 In December, 2009, the 

Department of Insurance finalized those regulations. 

• Pennsylvania's Climate Action Plan, released only in December, notes that legislation may be 

required to implement PAYD and encouraged the review of current policies. The State is 

pursuing grant opportunities with FHWA to test mileage devices for use in PA YD programs and 

is exploring marketing strategies to drivers and the potential need to create a system of auditing 

stations to check or confirm mileage.7 

• Washington and Oregon have both considered legislation to provide tax credits for PA YD 

policies. 

According to a 2003 Georgia Institute of Technology survey, a number of States have regulations in place 

that may prevent PA YD policies. New policy should require or offer strong incentives for states to change 

regulations in order to permit, or require, the offering of PA YO policies. 

1 The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New 

MeKlco, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, VIrginia and Vermont 

' Arizona Climate Change Advisory Group, "Olmate Change Action Plan, • August 2006, p. 73. New Mexico Olmate 

Change Advisory Group, "Final Report: Dec. 2006, p 6·6. 

• Report of the Maryland Commission on Oimate Change, "Chapter Four: Comprehensive Greenhouse Gas and 

Carbon Footprint Reduction Strategy, • p 97. 4 Maryland Insurance Administration, "Review of Pay-As-You-Drive Programs in Maryland, • Sept. 2009. 

• North Carolina Oimate Action Plan Advisory Group Report, Appendix A, 2008. p. G-44 6 California Air Resources Board, "Climate Change Scoping Plan, • Dec. 2008. 7 State of Pennsylvania, "Final Oimate Change Action Plan,• Dec. 2009, p G·31 
69 

States with Barriers to PAYD 

Georgia Institute ofTechnology SUrvey 2003 

4. It appears that providing convenient and easily accessible transportation options is a key to 

reducing energy consumption and improving our environment. How can the Federal-aid 

highway program encourage states and localities to provide these options? 

First of all, I encourage your Committee to collaborate with others, most notably the Banking Committee, 

as you draft the new transportation authorization bill. While transportation modes have traditionally been 

separated into different "silos" by both Congress and the Administration, the nation's plan for a new 

transportation system should be multimodal and intermodal in focus. 

The highway program in and of itself also offers ample opportunity for policies that boost mobility 

choices, including: 

• Bringing planning and programming into the 21" -century by establishing relevant performance 

measurement and standards for thuse seeking federal assistance. Specifying performance 

requirements is important for saving energy and the environment, improving inftastructure 

quality and integrity, ensuring road safety and other valued goals!Standards should include fuel 

savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions and contain incentives and penalties for 

noncompliance, and large metropolitan areas - hosts to most miles of vehicle travel - should be 

part of a special program with requirements and funding for performance-based linkages between 

land use and transportation planning. 

• Boosting system efficiency on the existing network, and boosting mode share for nonmotorized 

travel, before building new capacity by: 

8 For more Information, see Transportation for America, The Route to Reform: A Blueprint for a 21" Century 

Federal Transportation Program, T4Amerlca, 2009. 
70 

o Eliminating the deferred maintenance backlog for existing infrastructure by creating a 

much larger and dedicated program for road and bridge repair and maintenance; 

o equipping highway infrastructure with modern technology (i.e., ITS); and 

o accommodating nonmotorized travelers (i.e., requiring "complete street" retrofits 

nationwide). 

• Including initiatives, incentives and financing for more widespread adoption of road pricing 

measures, for example providing tolling authority for Interstates and National Highways (with 

appropriate oversight). 

• Enacting a national goods movement strategic plan and dedicated funding for a new freight 

program that includes all modes as well as ports and air quality considemtions, and requiring 

MPOS and states to prepare regional and corridor freight plans. 

• Focusing on the congestion- and emission-reduction potential of buses on our roads and 

highways. A bill should include a Bus Rapid Transit Strategic Plan for the nation, for example, 

with dedicated and/or flexible funding available for projects. Funding, incentives and planning 

should spur more private sector initiatives and more demand-responsive transit such as jitneys 

and vanpools, examples of which were profiled in a recent report by the Environmental Defense 

Fund.9 And MPO modeling and planning should include private operators when analyzing 

commuter, intercity transit and bus rapid transit. 

• Reinventing Transit: American Communities Finding Smarter, Cleaner, Faster Transportation Solutions, 2009. 
71 

Questions from Senator lnhofe 

t. Assistant Administrator McCarthy testified that the Moving Cooler report shows that 

greenhouse gas emissioas can be redueed by IS to 18 percent by 1050 by using the report's "Low 

Cost Scenario." Which of the Included activities In the referenced scenario does the NRDC 

support? 

Thank you for the opportunity to address these important questions. NRDC was a member of the Moving 

Cooler Steering Committee and I enjoyed the opportunity to work with a wide range of partners including 

ITS America, Shell Oil Company and the Urban Land Institute. 

In the energy policy arena, the type of analysis contained in Moving Cooler is analogous to an assessment 

of"technical potential," which in the case of technological advances can be defined as ''the achievable 

energy savings that result from introducing the most energy-efficient technology at a given time, without 

taking into account the costs of introduction or the life of the equipment to be replaced."10 

NRDC's view of the value and utility of the report mirrors its own description of goals and applicability: 

Moving Cooler is designed to provide an objective analysis of opportunities for 

reducing GHG emissions ..• The findings of this analysis do not advocate for 

implementation of any particular strategy or set of strategies. nor for any policy, 

funding, or institutional changes that might be needed to achieve 

implementation ••.• The results of the study can serve as a tool for the following: 

• Policy makers who are charting national initiatives; 

• Transportation planners and managers who are assessing options for climate 

action strategies; and 

• Researchers who need to better understand the magnitude of potential 

reductions.11 

[emphases added] 

NRDC does not consider Moving Cooler a policy platform, a proposal for legislation or regulation, or a 

document representing official NRDC positions. NRDC views Moving Cooler as a useful analytical tool 

for assessing and discussing the potential magnitude of certain strategies. I hope it will spur more research 

and inquiry into the important and often overlooked linkages between energy use and transportation. 

Within this context, I am happy to answer your questions, respecting the din:ctive to reply "yes" or "no" 

regarding NRDC's support of particular activities: 

a. in all metropolitan areas with a population or at least SO,OOO, tax all free private parking lots with 

more than SO spaces (retail and employer); No, NRDC does not currently support this activity. 

b. in all metropolitan areas with a population or at least 50,000, tax residential on-street parking at 

least $400 biannually with other eosts for delivery and 

service vehicles and visitors; No, NRDC does not currently support this activity. 

c. Implement congestion pricing on urban roads, congested rural freeways and arterials, with 

average peak hour per mile price of $0.6S on congested segments; No, NRDC does not currently 

support this activity. 

10 Elsevier Press Dictionary of Energy, 2006. 11 Moving cooler Steering Committee, Moving Cooler, Urban Land Institute, 2009, p. 16. 
72 

d. toll all inten:ity (rural) Interstates at a minimum of$0.05 per mile; No, NRDC does not currently 

support Ibis activity. 

e. require enacting a growth boundary on all areas of more than 50,000 people; No, NRDC does not 

currently support Ibis activity. 

f. require that at least 90 percent of new development be only multifamily homes or on lots of 118th 

an acre; No, NRDC does not currently support this activity. 

g. provide Metropolitan Planning Organizations with the authority to disapprove loealland use 

plans aad ordinances If not consistent with regional plaa, enforeed through withholding of fuadlng 

for transportation projects; No, NRDC does not currently support Ibis activity. 

h. require that existing streets within one-half mile of transit stations, schools, and business districts 

be audited for pedestrian accessibility and retrofitted with curb ramps, sidewalks, crosswalks, aad 

traffic calmiag mensures; Yes, NRDC would support this activity under certain conditions including, for 

example, adequate federal and state assistance. 

I. require all uew commercial buildings of more thaa 100,000 square feet to 

provide showers, loekers, aad covered/protected bicycle parking; No, NRDC does not currently 

support Ibis activity. 

J. require all new multi-unit residential buildings to have indoor bicycle parkiag; No, NRDC does 

not currently support this activity. 

k. implemeat a bicycle aetwork consisting of a combinatloa of bicycle laaes, bicycle boulevards, and 

shared-use paths provided at one-quarter-mile spacing, implemented in areas with population 

density of more than 2,000 persons per square mile; Yes, NRDC would support this activity under 

certain conditions including, for example, adequate federal and state assistance. 

I. locate "bike stations" providing services including parking, rentals, repair, changing facilities, 

and information at aU major activity eenters and transit hubs as well as in the central business 

district for all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000; Yes, NRDC would support this 

activity under certain conditions including, for example, adequate federal and state assistance. 

m.lower transit fares by 50 percent; The Mobility Choice coalition, of which I am a member, supports 

providing transit vouchers to low-income travelers. Providing such vouchers would allow a given transit 

agency to increase fares on other riders more able to pay, increasing fare box recovery and self-sufficiency 

(and saving fuel on a net basis as our analysis shows). NRDC may support lowering transit fares by SO 

percent but would have to study any such proposal, which would presumably be part of a broader policy 

package. 

n. in all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,000, provide subsidy or publie 

procuremeat sufrlcient to ensure coatiouous presenee of one or more public, private, or nonprofit 

car-sharing orgaaizatlons per market; Yes, NRDC would support this activity under certain conditions 

including, for example, adequate federal and state assistance. 

o. in all metropolitan areas with a population of at lenst 50,000, provide free or subsidized lense 

usage or convenient public street parking for car-sharing vehicles; Yes, NRDC would support this 

activity under certain conditions including, for example, adequate federal and state assistance. 
73 

p. io all metropolitao areas with a population of at least 50,000, have a goal of one car per 1,000 

inhabitants of medium-density and per 500 Inhabitants of high-density census tracts; No, NRDC 

does not currently support this activity. 

q. In urban areas, require all government agencies to require four-day work weeks; No, NROC does 

not currently support this activity. The Mobility Choice coalition is, however, examining the fuel-saving 

potential of compressed workweek policies for government workers. 

r. in all metropoitan areas with a populatioa of at least 50,000, tax all eommereial parking spaces 

$5 per space per weekday, with employers required to pass along the cost to employees; No, NRDC 

does not currently support this activity. 

s. use proceeds from r to provide free transit passes for employees; No, since NROC does not 

currently support r. 

t. In all metropolitan areas with a population of at least 50,4100, implement a parking freeze on new 

parking supply, capping the absolute number of commuter spaees in central business districts aud 

regional employment and retail centers; No, NROC does not currently support this activity. 

u.ln all areas of the country,lower the national speed limit to 55 mph and provide significantly 

Increased enforcement, including speed cameras; No, NRDC does not currently support this activity. 

v.implement eeo-drlvlog training and vehicle maintenance programs, reaching 50 percent of the 

population and 20 percent net adoption; Yes, NRDC would support this activity under certain 

conditions including, for example, adequate federal and state assistance. 

w. implement specilic electronic roadway monitoring activities; Yes, NRDC would support this 

activity under certain conditions including, for example, adequate federal and state assistance. 

x. implement specllic incident management activities; Yes, NROC would support this activity under 

certain conditions including, for example, adequate federal and state assistance. 

y. implement specilic traveler information activities; Yes, NROC would support this activity under 

certain conditions including, for example, adequate federal and state assistance. 

z. allow indivisible load permits for trucks carrying shipping eontaioers at gross vehicle weights up 

to 110,000 pounds for distances up to 250 miles; No, NRDC does not currently support this activity. 

aa. allow divisible load permits forB-Train longer combination vehicles carrying natural resources 

on designation non-IS truck routes at weights up to 129,000 pounds and up to 138,000 pounds for 

eight-axle B-Trains; No, NROC does not currently support this activity. 

bb. Install Mainline Weigh-In-motion at all truck weigh stations and use to allow all vehicles with 

transponders to bypass static scales; Yes, NROC would support this activity under certain conditions 

including, for example, adequate federal and state assistance. 

cc. expand the PrePass and NORP ASS electronic credentlaling systems so that they cover all49 

mainland states and both systems are reeognlzed at all weigh stations and inspection sites, with an 
74 

equivalent system in Hawaii; Yes, NRDC would support this activity under certain conditions including, 

for example, adequate federnl and state assistance. 

dd. require the instaUation of battery-operated heating and/or eooling systems in all sleeper eabs; 

Yes, NRDC would support this activity under certain conditions including, for example, adequate federal 

and state assistance. 

ee. in metropolitan areas with a population of at least 1,000,000 and some metropolitan areas with a 

population of at least 400,000, establish consolidation c:enten on the periphery of the urbanized 

area, with time-of-day restrictions on most deliveries to the central business district, as well as a 

permitting system to consolidate shipments to nearby destinations. No, NRDC does not currently 

support this activity. 
75 

Senator BOXER. Thank you very much. 

Next, Doug Siglin, Federal Affairs Director of the Chesapeake 

Bay Foundation. Do you want to say anything in introduction? We 

will just hear from you, sir. 

STATEMENT OF DOUGLAS V. SIGLIN, FEDERAL AFFAIRS 

DIRECTOR, CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION 

Mr. SIGLIN. Thank you Chairman Boxer, Senator Inhofe, and especially Senator Cardin. 

Thank you for this opportunity to talk about water in this hearing today. It is a bit of an outlier, but it is extraordinarily important in the context of this bill. 

Let me just say one thing about the Chesapeake Bay before I 

start. Forty-five years ago this year this Committee appropriated— 

or sorry—authorized the first amount of money to study the Chesapeake Bay. Forty-five years ago this year. One of the things which 

came from that study was the role of what we call today 

stormwater pollution plays. 

Forty-five years later we are still struggling to get the Chesapeake Bay under control. Senator Cardin has got a bill before you 

that I hope you pay attention to because it is an extraordinarily 

important approach to getting this waterway, and all national waterways, under control. 

I want to go off script and do something a little bit different. I 

want to make the point that nationally, nonpoint source pollution, 

particularly stormwater pollution, is an extraordinarily important 

problem. It is the problem that we have to face with water quality 

in America today. 

I have got one statistic to give you. According to recent assessments 39 percent of the assessed stream miles, 45 percent of the 

assessed lake acres, and 51 percent of assessed estuary acres remain impaired, largely by nonpoint source pollution. That is the 

kind of pollution that we have to face now. 

Second, highways are an extraordinarily efficient delivery mechanism for pollution to our waterways. The way we have engineered 

our highways we take the pollution off the roads, and we put it in 

our water. That is what we do here. We need to change the notion 

that a highway is an efficient delivery mechanism for pollution. 

Third, things that we have in the law currently to try to get this 

under control are not working. We have NEPA review, it has been 

in the law for 40-some years, we have the Clean Water Act provisions that have been in the law for now almost 40 years, we have 

policy language, and we have the availability of funding that were 

in the last two transportation bills. It is not working yet. We need 

to do something different in this particular reauthorization. 

What we are suggesting to you is that what we need is a national policy statement in the bill about how highways need to be 

designed to control water pollution. 

Now, I do not presume to be a highway engineer or an expert, 

but I do know that in our region of the country we have a water 

quality problem. In many other regions of the country, Oklahoma, 

sir, and others, you have a water quantity problem. And one of the 

ways you could address this problem would be to design highways 
76 

in a better way to try to stop the pollution and to put the water 

back in the ground where it can recharge the aquifers. 

That is a national policy that I would urge your Committee to consider. We spend about $40 billion a year in Federal funds subsidizing highways. I would argue as a taxpayer that for that $40 

billion a year it would be entirely appropriate for us to have a policy statement that says this is how we want our money to be used 

and our roads to be built. 

Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Siglin follows:] 
77 

Statement of Douglas V. Siglin 

Federal Affairs Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation 

Before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works 

March 24,2010 

Chairwoman Boxer, Senator lnhofe and other distinguished members of the EPW Committee, 

I am grateful for the opportunity to be here today to encourage you to include in your upcoming 

Federal Surface Transportation Act new policy language to minimize the water pollution impacts of 

our federal-aid highways. 

I begin with reference to the Chesapeake Bay, which is the waterbody that 1 know best. You 

are all aware that large areas of the Bay continue to be severely deprived of oxygen during much of 

the year, a condition that the federal government has been attempting to understand and ameliorate 

since this committee authorized six million dollars .in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1965 - four and 

a half decades ago. Since then, many billions of federal dollars have been authorized, appropriated, 

and spent. Yet still we have a serious nonpoint pollution problem to which highways are a 

significant contributor. 

Water quality in the mainstem of the Chesapeake Bay, and in the streams and rivers 

throughout its 64,000 square mile watershed, remains impaired by inadequately controlled 

discharges of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from many sources. The effects of this pollution 

are felt across the watershed, from the loss of high-quality trout streams in New York, 

Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to the Joss ofwatermen communities in Virginia and Maryland 

that are over 300 years old .. Excess nutrient pollution is responsible for algal blooms and oxygen 

free dead-zones that destroy habitat, aquatic life and the commercial and recreational fisheries 

dependent upon them in the mainstem of the Bay. Sediment pollution buries aquatic vegetation and 

habitat. Excess nutrient pollution in particular is a phenomenon of global significance, and has been 

extensively explored in the world's scientific literature, by among others, Dr. Jim Galloway of the 

University of Virginia. 

The six states of the Chesapeake Bay basin, the District of Columbia and the federal 

government have long recognized the decline in the Bay's water quality, prompting several interjurisdictional agreements to fix the problem, none of which have been successful. Today, 

cooperative work is underway to complete the largest and most ambitious Total Maximum Daily 

Load ever developed pursuant to the Clean Water Act, and this committee has before it legislation 

introduced by Senator Cardin, Senator. Carper and others that holds promise for eventually 

restoring the Bay's water quality at some unknown date after 2025 -perhaps seven or eight decades 

after you first authorized funds to study the problem. 
78 

In the meantime, pollution running off impervious surfaces in the Chesapeake Bay watershed 

continues to grow as regional population increases and the associated paving-over of the land 

proceeds at a rapid pace. Stormwater runoff from these areas contributes a significant amount of 

pollutants to the streams and rivers that supply freshwater to the Bay. The Environmental Protection 

Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program has reported that 17 % of phosphorus, II % of nitrogen and 9 

% of sediment loads to the Bay come from stormwater runoff. 1 Furthermore, the Bay Program notes 

that, "Transportation and its infrastructure (roads, parking Jots and driveways) account for 55 to 75 

% of all paving of open space in cities, towns and subdivisions. This conversion of natural land to 

impervious surfaces creates excess stormwater runoff, which contributes a growing amount of 

pollution to the Bay and its rivers and streams".2 The Bay Program also notes that "Chemical 

contaminants from runoff can rival or exceed the amount reaching local waterway from industries, 

federal facilities and wastewater treatment plants."3 

Among the major contributors of impervious runoff in the Chesapeake region are the 97,044 

miles of federal-aid highways that run through the six Chesapeake Bay states and the District of 

Columbia. Statistics from the Maryland State Highway Administration provide an illustrative 

example of the lack of controls to mitigate pollution from roadways. As of October 2008, SHA 

calculates that 89.9% of the impervious surfaces that it manages (overwhelmingly highways) in 

Maryland's eight largest counties have not installed pollution reduction mechanisms to control 

stormwater runoff. In other words, 90% of the highways in Maryland's eight largest counties 

channel pollution to local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay every time it rains. Even worse is 

that Maryland routinely outperforms the other Bay states in treating discharges from these 

impervious surfaces. 

Stormwater Runoff from Federal-Aid Highways is a National Problem 

Roads and highways built with federal financial assistance have an enormous negative impact 

on water quality, not just in this region but throughout the nation. Rain and melting snow runoff 

from the nation's 985,139 federal-aid highway miles are directly responsible for a huge quantity of 

pollutants that enter and degrade nearby Jakes, streams, rivers, bays, and coastal areas across the 

nation. This includes many pollutants in addition to nutrients and sediment. Heavy metals, toxics, 

nutrients, bacteria and other pollutants can all be discharged into waterways through stormwater 

runoff. 

According to a recent assessment ofthe nation's waters, for the nation as a whole, 39% of 

assessed stream miles, 45% of assessed lake acres, and 51% of assessed estuary acres remain 

impaired, largely by nonpoint source pollution. I certainly do not mean to suggest that all 

impairment is related to highways, although the effect of highways is, in fact, significant. The most 

recent 303( d) list of impaired waterbodies, required by the Clean Water Act, includes over 28,000 

1 EPA Chesapeake Bay Program, http://www.chesapeakebay.net/stonnwater aspx?menuitem= 19515 2

·

3 EPA Chesapeake Bay Program, ht!p://www.cbesaoeakebay.net/transpor!ation.aspx?menuitem-14672 

2 
79 

separate impairments which are impacted by stormwater discharges from federal-aid roadways. 

Over 9,000 of these impairments are related to mercury, and more than 6,000 each are related to 

heavy metals, sediment and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. 

Highways contribute to water quality impairments in three ways. First, an expanding roadway 

network generates increases in vehicle miles traveled, which in tnm increases the discharge of 

nitrogen compounds and other particulate matter into the atmosphere. Several studies, including 

those of Dr. Robert Howarth of Cornell University show that these pollutants settle back onto 

roadways and areas relatively close to them. Nitrogen compounds deposited onto roadways join all 

of the other pollutants that have been directly deposited there by vehicular traffic, including those 

from the wearing down of tires, brake pads, engine parts, and chassis parts, fluid leaks, and 

chemical applied on or near roadways. This stew of pollutants can include toxics, heavy metals, 

bacteria, sediments and nutrients including pollutants such as mercury, asbestos, petroleum products 

and copper. In the absence of adequate controls, these vehicle-generated and roadway-associated 

pollutants are simply channeled off of roadways during weather events. 

The following chart lists some of the sources and pollutants directly associated with roads. 

Fuel and Exhaust Petroleum, Particulates, Sulphate, Bromide, Lead, Nickel, 

Nitrate 

Oil Grease and Petroleum, Sodium, Calcium, Zinc, Lead, Nickel 

Hydraulic 

Fluids 

Engine and Parts Wear Particulates, Asbestos, Lead, Manganese; Iron, Copper, 

Chromium 

Pathogenic Bacteria, Particulates, Sulphate,. 

Pesticides, PCBS, Phosphorous, Nitrogen, Copper, Cadmium 

Second, the impervious highway surface acts as a collector and efficient delivery system for 

other types of pollution that are generated elsewhere. Wind-blown sediment, nitrogen compounds 

from industries and agriculture, and a variety of additional airborne pollutants land on roadways. 

Road design featnres intended to channel water off of roadways quickly carry these additional 

3 
80 

pollutants into nearby waterbodies as well. All of us have seen, for example, bridges where 

rainwater is simply shunted to open grating or some other drainage system and dropped into the 

stream below, carrying the load of chemicals with it. 

I want to provide an example of the impact of chemical accumulation on our environment that 

comes from the river only a few thousand yards from this hearing room. The Anacostia River 

watershed is only 176 square miles, about half in Prince Georges County Maryland, and the rest 

split between Montgomery County and the District. Runoff from the Capitol Complex flows into 

the Anacostia. US Fish and Wildlife Service scientists have documented the highest liver tumor 

rates in the Anacostia's bottom-dwelling catfish of any species ever studied. The tumors are linked 

to a family of chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that accumulate in the water and 

the bottom sediments. PAHs are the products of the use, particularly the combustion of, products 

derived from petroleum, and enter the river system by washing off the region's roadways and other 

impervious surfaces. 

Third, in addition to the transport of pollutants collected on the roadways and directed into 

adjacent areas, the volume and rate of flow of water discharges from certain roadways can cause 

severe sediment erosion during heavy rainfall events. Powerful discharges cause stream bank 

erosion along unprotected creeks and streams, increasing smothering sediment pollution loadings 

and contributing to Joss of habitat. Additionally, phosphorus and other pollutants attached to 

sediment molecules are added to pollution loadings when storrnwater discharges are not channeled 

properly and nearby stream banks are left unprotected. 

Current Requirements and Approaches 

In the roughly two decades since the development of the Clean Water Act's storrnwater 

program and the subsequent passage of the 1991 ISTEA legislation, increasing attention has been 

given to the water quality impact offederal-aid highways. Within the surface transportation statute 

and programs there currently are several policies, requirements and initiatives intended to improve 

the water quality performance of federally-assisted highways. Since 2005, Title 23 has declared that 

"transportation should play a significant role in promoting economic growth, improving the 

environment, and sustaining the quality oflife". The Federal Highway Administration has among its 

objectives to "improve the environmental quality of transportation decision-making" and "increase 

ecosystem and habitat conservation" through the use of"context sensitive solutions". Both 

Transportation Enhancement funds and core Surface Transportation Program funds and National 

Highway System funds can be used for environmental restoration and pollution control projects, 

including retrofits, and funds can be used for planning and environmental coordination in some 

circumstances. Moreover, as it has done for more than 40 years, the National Environmental Policy 

Act requires that an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement be done for 

federally-assisted highway projects in most cases to highlight environmental concerns. 

The problem is that the language, the assessments, and the availability of funding doesn't add 

up to keeping America's waters clean and healthy. 

4 
81 

The experience of the Transportation Enhancements Fund is illustrative. In ISTEA, Congress 

allowed 10% of highway funds to be allocated to "environmental mitigation to address water 

pollution due to highway runoff' -one of ten uses of the set-aside, expanded to 12 in subsequent 

reauthorization bills. However, only 1.1% of available transpmtation enhancement funds have been 

used for environmental mitigation of any kind since 1992 according to the National Transportation 

Enhancements Clearinghouse4

• The same summary of nationwide spending ofTE funds notes that 

since the program was created, bicycle and pedestrian trails and facilities, historic preservation and 

landscaping and scenic beautification have accounted for 88.4% of the TE expenditures. 

Some will point to the regulatory aspects of the Clean Water Act as the mechanism that 

ensures that highways control stormwater pollution to needed levels. The Clean Water Act requires 

that EPA, or far more commonly the state regulatory agencies, issue National Pollution Discharge 

Elimination System stormwater permits to protect water quality degradation from stormwater in 

defined urbanized areas, as well as in larger construction projects outside those areas, and where 

special circumstances related to "Total Maximum Daily Loads" apply. Federally-aid highway 

projects sometimes, but not always, enter into that framework. Even when they do, the rigor with 

which permit requirements are developed and applied is highly variable. 

This variability was a principal theme of the Water Science and Technology Board of the 

National Academies of Science in its 2008 report, Urban Stormwater Management in the United 

States. The report says 

States and municipalities have not been very rigorous in determining what constitutes 

an adequate level of compliance. The self-defined compliance threshold has been 

translated into a wide range of efforts at program implementation. 

Even more explicitly, this passage, from the report's Executive Summary, calls into question 

the entire approach: 

EPA 's current approach to regulating stormwater is unlikely to produce an accurate 

or complete picture of the extent of the problem, nor is it likely to adequately control 

stormwater's contribution to waterbody impairment. The lack of rigorous end-of-pipe 

monitoring, coupled with EPA 's failure to use flow or alternative measures for 

regulating stormwater, make it difficult for EPA to develop enforceable requirements 

for stormwater dischargers. Instead, the stormwater permits leave a great deal of 

discretion to the regulated community to set their own standards and to self-monitor. 

Current statistics on the states' implementation of the stormwater program, discharger 

compliance with stormwater requirements, and the ability of states and EPA to 

incorporate stormwater permits with Total Maximum Daily Loads are uniformly 

4 Transportation Enhancements Summary of Nationwide Spending as ofFY2008. National Transportation 

Enhancements Clearinghouse. May 2009. www.enhancements.org 

5 
82 

discouraging. Radical changes to the current regulatory program appear necessary to 

provide meaningfUl regulation of stormwater dischargers in the future. 

In a 2008 report requested by your colleagues in the House (Surface Transportation 

Programs: Proposals Highlight Key Issues and Challenges in Restructuring the Programs), the 

General Accountability Office recommends that Congress consider restructuring the multitude of 

surface transportation programs so that they (I) have goals with direct links to an identified national 

interest and role, and (2) make grantees more accountable through more performance-based Jinks 

between funding and program outcomes. The GAO report also notes that a principal theme of most 

of the seven public and private sector restructuring proposals that it reviewed was to "link 

transportation policy and funding to the environment and energy sectors". 5 

Clearly, cleaning up and preserving America's water resources is a matter ofhigh national 

interest. Despite the policy language, regulatory requirements for certain new projects, and funding 

availability cited above, the fact remains that most of the nation's nearly one million miles of 

federal-aid roads continue to funnel pollution into America's streams and rivers. 

If this committee could ensure that federal-aid roads meet an ambitious stormwater control 

standard, not only when they are built, but when they are reconstructed, rehabilitated, resurfaced, or 

restored, and then make the federal dollars available to do so, it would ensure cleaner water 

throughout the nation, reduce flooding and stream bank erosion. It is because of this nexus between 

infrastructure and environmental health that this committee has jurisdiction over both the Clean 

Water and Air Acts and the Transportation Bill being considered today. 

A New Policy Standard for Water Pollution 

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, representing a coalition of over 150 organizations including 

environmental and conservation groups, water treatment agencies, and industry associations, 

respectfully asks that the reauthorization of the Federal Surface Transportation Act set a ruili.£y 

standard for controlling stormwater discharges from federally subsidized roadways. Given the 

importance of cleaning up the nation's waterways, the role that highway-generated and channeled 

pollution plays in them, the unwillingness or inability of most states to issue strong stormwater 

permits, and the competing need for every transportation dollar, we believe that the current system 

of carrots and no sticks simply isn't likely to get the job done. 

The governors of the six Chesapeake Bay states and the Mayor of the District of Columbia 

made the same request in their May 2009 letter to the House Transportation and Infrastructure 

Committee (letter attached). They wrote: 

5 Swface Transponation Programs: Proposals Highlight Key Issues and Challenges in Restructuring Programs. U.S. 

Government Accountability Office. GA0-08-843R. July 29, 2008. 

6 
83 

"As your Committee prepares to reconsider the Federal Surface Transportation Act, 

we respectfully ask that you include in the reauthorization law a clear policy that 

triggers the necessary standards and guidance to ensure that all new construction and 

significant reconstruction of Federal-aid roadways mitigate the impacts of stormwater 

runoff. We believe that these policies should require construction that mimics preconstruction hydrologic conditions to the maximum extent feasible; and take into 

consideration the localized water quality impacts of roadway projects. " 

We agree with the governors that the stormwater policy standard should apply to new federalaid roads as well as significant reconstruction or retrofit projects. 

Developing a policy standard for federal-aid highways would parallel and complement the 

work that Senator Cardin and other members of this committee did in the 2007 Energy 

Independence and Security Act to ensure effective stormwater management for federal facilities. 

The statutory language of section 438, now U.S.C. Title 42, Section 17094, provides that 

"The sponsor of any development or redevelopment project involving a Federal 

facility v.ith a footprint that exceeds 5, 000 square feet shall use site planning, design, 

construction, and maintenance strategies for the property to maintain or restore, to the 

maximum extent technically feasible, the predeve/opment hydrology of the property 

with regard to the temperature, rate, volume, and duration of flow." 

The EPA technical guidance for the statute, developed in coordination with other federal 

agencies, employs a performance-based approach which allows site designers maximum flexibility 

in selecting control practices appropriate for the site. It also allows for two options for compliance, 

creating a flexible system that takes into account regional topographic and weather variations. The 

first option requires that a site must retain stormwater discharges fur a 95th percentile storm, or a 

storm whose rainfall equals or exceeds 95% of storms. Maintaining this amount of stormwater is 

akin to mimicking the natural or preexisting hydrology. In the event that this standard is either too 

lenient to protect water quality, or too stringent, the second option allows for site-specific 

hydrologic analysis, provided in recognition that there are established methodologies that can be 

utilized to estimate the volume of infiltration based on site specifics. Such guidance allows for a 

uniform performance standard with various options for how to achieve it. We believe that a similar 

standard makes sense for our nation's highway system. 

Implementing such a policy standard would also assist the FHWA and other federal agencies 

to come more into line with the October 5, 2009 Executive Order on Federal Leadership in 

Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance. The EO affirms federal policy that Federal 

agencies shall, among other things, "conserve and protect water resources through efficiency, reuse, 

and stormwater management; eliminate waste, recycle, and prevent pollution; leverage agency 

acquisitions to foster markets for sustainable technologies and environmentally preferable materials, 

products, and services." It is further ordered that to achieve these goals and support their respective 

7 
84 

missions, agencies shall prioritize actions based on a full accounting ofboth economic and social 

benefits and costs. 

There are several ways that such a policy standard could be written. For the purpose of 

beginning a discussion we suggest that in addition to eliminating pollutants, an obligation, as with 

Section 438, should be to maintain or restore the predevelopment hydrology of the property with 

regard to the temperature, rate, volume, and duration of flow to the maximum extent technically 

feasible. We further suggest four sequenced steps towards those ends:· 

• Preserve and retain natural features such as trees and shrubs as much as possible when 

new roadways are built or current ones expanded. These natural features reduce flow 

rates and allow for water to settle and be absorbed. 

• Require measures such as frequent sweeping, catch basin cleaning, storm drain flushing, 

and management plans for deicing agents and roadside fertilizers. 

• Treat as much runoff as possible on site utilizing elements of low impact development 

such as retention basins, swales and infiltration trenches and basins. 

• Treat remaining stormwater discharges offsite or create appropriate offsets when onsite 

treatments are not viable. 

In practice, such a standard would work as follows: 

The first and most basic design feature should be that federal-aid highways, when possible, 

shall not destroy natural features that allow for infiltration and evapotranspiration of storm water. By 

avoiding construction along steep banks, or by reducing the amount of vegetation that must be 

disturbed to complete a construction project, stormwater runoff can be defused or infiltrated cheaply 

and naturally. 

Next, we suggest that standards should be developed to ensure that as many pollutants are 

removed or kept off of roadways prior to a rain event. Again, moderately inexpensive BMPs such as 

street sweeping and de-icing agent management plans can dramatically reduce total pollution 

discharges during a rain event. 

However, retention of natural features and basic maintenance measures can only do so much. 

It is important that stormwater be treated onsite and allowed to settle into groundwater rather than 

directly discharging into waterways. The project must be designed in such a manner that it mimics 

the natural hydrology to the maximum extent practicable. "Maximum extent practicable" is the 

technical standard used in section 402 of the Clean Water Act. Since it has never been rigorously 

defined, it provides a good deal of flexibility to meet local conditions. In fact, regulations 

promulgated by the EPA in 1999 for Phase lJ of the storm water program note that "the pollutant 

reductions than represent MEP may be different for each [permittee] given the unique local 

8 
85 

hydrological and geological concerns that may exist and the differing possible pollutant control 

strategies." By defining an obligation but leaving the details to local designers, we can ensure that 

local conditions are respected and taken into account. 

Finally, we recognize that right-of-way to construct appropriate infiltration techniques will 

not always be available. As it will be difficult to address stormwater runoff in these areas, we 

suggest that the policy standard require mitigation offsets and wetland restoration whenever on-site 

stormwater management is impossible or infeasible. 

Such.a standard for stormwater controls on federal-aid highways is similar to the guidance 

created per Section 438 of the Energy and Independence Act. It sets a goal and allows for various 

means of compliance, all based on local hydrology and weather. Yet whichever approach is chosen 

by a project developer, it will reduce stormwater discharges and impact water quality. 

As noted above, we offer these recommendations to begin a discussion. They surely should 

be the subject of extensive technical discussion and revision. However, it is entirely appropriate that 

this committee consider the national interest in restoring and maintaining adequate water quality in 

the nation's streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal areas and recognize that the current 

arrangements are not getting the job done. 

Thirty eight years ago, this committee declared a national goal to achieve adequate water 

quality to provide for the protection of fish, shellfish, and wildlife by 1985. We are still working 

towards that. You also declared a national policy to develop both point and nonpoint programs to 

achieve that goal. Programs have been developed, but more needs to be done. We ask you to give 

careful consideration to the benefits of a national policy standard for polluted storm water 

management on the nation's federal-aid highways. 

9 
86 

The Honorable James L. Oberstar 

Chairman 

House Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure 

2165 Rayburn House Office Building 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

May27,2009 

The Honorable John L. Mica 

Ranking Member 

House Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure 

2163 Rayburn House Ofllce Building 

Washington, D.C. 20515 

Dear Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica: 

As your Committee prepares to reconsider the Federal Surface Transportation Act, we 

respectfully ask that you include in the reauthorized law a clear policy that triggers the necessary 

standards and guidance to ensure that all new construction and significant reconstruction of Federalaid roadways mitigate the impacts of stonnwater runoff. We believe that these policies should 

require construction that mimics pre-construction hydrologic conditions to the maximum extent 

feasible, and take into consideration the localized water quality impacts of roadway projects. 

Finally, it will be critical that these standards promote cost-effective practices that maximize 

waterway protection while not compromising construction and maintenance of highway miles. 

Nationwide, roads and related infrastructure comprise at least two-thirds of all paved 

surfaces. These impervious surfaces promote runoff--carrying with it pollutants from tailpipe 

emissions, fluid leaks, brake linings and tire wear- thereby delivering the roadway's pollutant load 

to the nearest receiving waterway. 

Runoff from highways and related facilities constitutes a major part of the national water 

pollution problem. Most Federal-aid highways were built prior to this understanding, and therefore 

lack any stormwater controls. But best management practices to mitigate such impacts are now 

known and well understood and should therefore be an integral part of the reauthorized law. 

In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, according to a 2002 Maryland study, highways account 

for 22 percent of urban nitrogen and 32 percent of urban phosphorus; 36 million pounds of nitrogen 

annually fall on Maryland alone from mobile and highway loads combined. One third of that, 12 

million pounds, comes trom mobile sources. By comparison, wastewater treatment plants contribute 

17 million pounds of nitrogen a year. 

The importance of mitigating the impacts of highway runoff stretch far beyond the 

Chesapeake. A study in Wisconsin showed that roadways produced some of the highest 

concentrations of phosphorus, suspended solids, bacteria and heavy metals. And a North Carolina 

Department of Transportation study showed that atmosphe1ic sources related to automobiles 

accounted for up to 90 percent of nitrogen found in runoff from urban highways. Of the 42,256 

impaired waters on the national Clean Water Act 303(d) list, 28,000 of the impairments are directly 

related to highway runoff. Unfortunately, over 28 percent of the impairments {12,001 water body 
87 

segments) are located within the Chesapeake Bay watershed jurisdictions. (DE J 0 I; DC 27; MD 

501; NY610; PA6,957; VA2,534;WV1,271). 

Improved stormwater management is a national challenge presenting a vexing problem in 

the Chesapeake and waterways nationwide. Via the reauthorization process, we believe that it is 

possible to ensure that stormwater mitigation strategies are inc01porated into all new construction 

and major retrofits offederal-aid roadways. Without this change, taxpayers will be forced to pay 

the more costly price of restoration to recover their degraded waterways. 

We look f01ward to working with you on this important issue, 

Governor David A. Paterson 

New York 

Governor Edward G. Rendell 

Pennsylvania 

Governor Joseph A. Manchin 

West Virginia 

Governor Timothy M. Kaine 

Virginia 

Governor Jack A. Markell 

Delaware 

~~~~JCK---~ legate John A Cosgrove, Chairman 

Chesapeake Bay Commission 
88 

Senator BOXER. Thank you. Would you like us to put your entire 

statement into the record? 

Mr. SIGLIN. I would like to put the statement in the record, and 

I would also like to have your permission to put the attached letters from the six Governors of the Chesapeake Bay States arguing 

for the same thing. 

Senator BOXER. Absolutely, we will do that. 

We have just been informed that we, Jeff, I want to let you 

know, Senator Merkley, at 11 we are going to have to shut down 

because there is going to be an objection to our meeting. 

So, my plan is to hear from Mr. Kolodziej. And then I am going 

to give my time over to you, Jeff, so you can make a statement and 

ask any questions. I am going to give that. All right? 

Senator MERKLEY. Thank you, Madam Chair, I will really only 

have a couple of minutes. 

Senator BOXER. That is fine. And then we will go back to Senator 

Cardin. And we could put questions into the record. But we are 

looking pretty good. Thank you for giving us that warning. 

Senator CARDIN. Sure. 

Senator BOXER. So, Mr. Kolodziej, please proceed. 

STATEMENT OF RICHARD KOLODZIEJ, PRESIDENT, 

NGVAMERICA 

Mr. KOLODZIEJ. Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Inhofe, members of the Committee, as I mentioned, I am President of 

NGVAmerica. We are the national trade association for vehicles 

that are powered by natural gas and biomethane. Currently I am 

also President of the International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles, headquartered in New Zealand. 

I thank you for the opportunity to be here today to discuss how 

increased use of natural gas vehicles can improve our national 

goals of reducing greenhouse gases, reducing urban pollution and 

reducing dependence on foreign oil. And while achieving all these 

goals more NGVs would help create jobs here at home. 

NGVs are the fastest growing alternative to petroleum in the 

world. In 2003 there were only about 2.8 million NGVs in the 

world. Today, there are over 11.1 million NGVs, and the International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles forecasts that we will 

have 65 million NGVs in the world by 2020. 

Most of the NGVs globally are small sedans. But for a number 

of reasons, including the sheer size of America, the strategy of the 

U.S. NGV industry has been to focus on high fuel use fleets—trash 

trucks, transit buses, short haul 18 wheelers, school buses, urban 

delivery vehicles of all types, shuttles and taxis. As a result, while 

we only have about 110,000 NGVs in the United States, we estimate that last year these vehicles used about 40 billion cubic feet 

of natural gas, which is the equivalent of 320 million gallons of 

gasoline that we did not have to import. 

But with support of Government policies that number could reasonably grow to 1.25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas within 10 

years, or the equivalent of 10 billion gallons. Now, some of this is 

going to be gasoline, but the majority is going to be diesel, which 

is important because diesel represents about 20 percent of the on 

road petroleum use. While there are many options to displace gaso-
89 

line in light duty vehicles there are very few to displace diesel in 

heavier vehicles, and of those options natural gas can make the 

biggest impact the fastest. 

And this would have substantial environmental benefits. For example, the California Air Resources Board recently concluded that 

on a wheel-to-wheel basis, NGVs produced 22 percent less greenhouse gases than comparable diesel vehicles and 29 percent less 

than comparable gasoline vehicles. This is as good as or better than 

some renewable fuels. 

Importantly these numbers can be further improved if the natural gas is blended with renewable natural gas or biomethane, 

which can be made from landfill gas, animal waste, or sewage. 

That same CARB study showed that biomethane from waste is 

among the best greenhouse gas reduction strategies for transportation, reducing greenhouse gases by about 90 percent. 

NGVs also produce less criteria pollutants like nitrogen oxides. 

EPA’s recent announcement that they are considering further 

tightening national ozone standards means that more cities and 

counties than ever are going to be looking for economical alternatives for ozone reductions, and that means more natural gas vehicles. 

And NGVs are economic. NGVs cost more to buy, but they are 

less costly to operate. Therefore, more miles driven means faster 

payback. The price of oil and natural gas historically has traded in 

an 8 or 9 to 1 ratio. That is 8 or 9 to 1 between a barrel of oil and 

1,000 cubic feet of natural gas. But because of America’s huge natural gas resource base and technology breakthroughs like horizontal drilling and gas shale fracturing that ratio is now 15 to 1— 

15 to 1 between a barrel of oil and 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas. 

And the Energy Information Administration predicts that it is 

going to be 15 to 1 even in 2030. That means that NGVs will continue to be economically attractive to customers, especially fleet 

customers. 

As to Federal policy, Congress could significantly accelerate the 

market penetration of NGVs through passage of S. 1408, the NAT 

GAS Act. This bill, which has bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House, would extend and expand the existing Federal 

financial incentives for the purchase and use of NGVs. 

Senator Inhofe, the industry also appreciates your leadership in 

the introduction of S. 1809, a bill that would help streamline the 

EPA emission certification program for aftermarket conversion systems. If passed this bill would result in the availability of more systems for converting gasoline vehicles to run on natural gas—and 

they would be less expensive. 

Thank you for your attention. I would be delighted to answer any 

questions. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Kolodziej follows:] 
90 

STATEMENT OF RICHARD KOLODZIEJ 

ON BEHALF OF 

NGVAMERICA 

UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON 

ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

March 24,2010 Hearing 

Opportunities to Improve Energy Security and the Environment throttgh Transportation Poliry 

NGVAmerica 

400 N. Capitol Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20001 

(202) 824-7366 
91 

STATEMENT OF RICHARD KOLODZIEJ 

PRESIDENT, NGVAMEIUCA 

UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON 

ENVIRONl\fENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

Opportttnities to Impro/Je Ener;gy S emrity and the Emironment throHgh Tran.rportation Poliry 

l\larch 24, 2010 

Introduction 

NGV America appreciates the opportunity to provide the follow-ing statement 

concerning America's energy security, the environment, and transportation policy. As 

the title of this hearing suggests, transportation policy has a profound impact on efforts 

to improve energy security and the environment. NGVAmerica believes that national 

transportation and energy policies should encourage the increased use of natural gas as a 

transportation fueL Such policies would provide increased energy security, more US 

jobs, cleaner air, and less greenhouse gas emissions -- while also providing significant 

economic benefits. These benefits result from tl1e fact that natural gas is a domestic fuel 

with an abundant resource base here in the U.S. and North America. Natural gas also is 

a low-carbon fuel witl1 a proven record of reducing emissions of harmful pollutants that 

contribute to ground level pollution and otl1er air quality concerns such as particulate 

matter emissions and air toxics. 

NGVA:merica is a national organization dedicated to the development of a growing 

and sustainable market for vehicles powered by natural gas, biomethane and natural 

gas-derived hydrogen. NGV America represents more than 130 member companies, 

including: vehicle manufacturers; natural gas vehicle (NGV) component 

manufacturers; natural gas distribution, rtansmission, and production companies; 

natural gas development organizations; environmental and non-profit advocacy 

organizations; state and local government agencies; and fleet operators. 

Energy Security Benefits ofNGVs 

DomeJtic Supp!J ofNatttrai Gas 

One of the historic barriers to increased support for natural gas vehicles (NGVs) has 

been the concern iliat the domestic natural gas resource base was not large enough to 

support both NGVs and traditional gas uses. For a number of years, the long-term 

forecasts of ilie U.S. Department of Energy and others tended to anticipate demand 

for natural gas exceeding U.S. production, leading to increased imports. That concern 

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has now been put to rest as a result of technology advances that significantly increase 

the natural gas production potential here in the U.S. and North America. Just a few 

years ago, it was estimated that the economically recoverable portion of our domestic 

natural gas resource base was sufficient to serve our needs for 65-years at current and 

projected use levels. Current estimates are that the U.S. now has well over 100 years 

of natural gas supply. As production technology improves further, it is expected that 

future estimates will be even greater. 

Di.rplacing Foreign Oil 

Using natural gas in motor vehicles will reduce petroleum reliance. And using natural 

gas in high fuel use fleets -- particularly medium- and heavy-duty trucks -- is the most 

immediate pathway to lowering dependence on foreign oil. According to the U.S. 

Department of Energy, the average consumer drives about 12,000 miles per year, 

using about 500 gallons of gasoline. Light-duty fleet vehicles use more but, in general, 

the amount is still relatively small. On the other hand, large, medium- and heavy-duty 

trucks consume much more fuel on an individual basis. These high fuel-use vehicles 

(mostly operated in urban fleets) include trash trucks, transit buses, short-haul port 

trucks, goods delivery vehicles of all kinds, etc. An 18-wheel tractor trailer, for 

example, may drive 120,000 miles per year and get only 6 miles per gallon. That 

equates to 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year! Consequently, trucks and buses 

consume about a quarter of the on-road energy- mostly in the form of diesel fuel. 

There are many alternative fuel and advanced technology options competing for the 

light-duty market (e.g., natural gas, propane, ethanol, electricity, plug-electrics). But 

for diesel-powered trucks and buses, the options come down to only two -- natural 

gas and biodiesel. Biodiesel is an excellent petroleum displacement fuel. However, 

biodiesel's potential is limited. Because of technical and other restrictions, existing 

diesel vehicles cannot use blends of more than 20 percent biodiesel, and most use 

only 5 or 10 percent. Plus, the availability of domestically produced feedstocks for 

biodiesel production (mostly soybeans) is limited. Natural gas, on the otl1er hand, is 

an excellent heavy-duty fuel, with many models available today. In fact, most of the 

major truck and bus manufacturers now offer NGV models. 

Environmental Benefits of Natural Gas 

Criteria Pollutants 

The same properties that make natural gas an excellent fuel for otl1er applications also 

make it an excellent fuel for transportation. Natural gas burns cleaner than gasoline 

and diesel fuel, and most otl1er transportation fuels as well. Not surprisingly, the first 

vehicles certified to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ultra-low 

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emission, super-ultra low-emission and Tier 2/Bin 2 standards were NGVs. The 

natural gas-powered Honda Civic GX has won numerous awards for its outstanding 

environmental performance. ln 2009, the Civic GX was rated the "Greenest Car in 

America" by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy- for an 

amazing seventh year in a row. Compared to the gasoline Civic, the natural gaspowered Civic produces 95 percent fewer emissions of volatile organic compounds 

and 75 percent less emissions of nitrogen oxides- pollutants that contribute to ozone 

formation. In fact, the vast majority oflight duty NGV models currently available are 

certified to the Federal Tier 2/Bin 2 standard; only Bin 1, which requires zero 

emissions, is more demanding. In the meditm1- and heavy-duty truck and bus 

markets, Cummins Westport's and Emission Solutions' natural gas powered engines 

were the first engines to certify to the full-201 0 federal emission standards, achieving 

extremely low NOx emissions levels well ahead of their diesel competition, and with 

less emission controls required. 

The environmental benefits ofNGVs are expected to continue to improve as new 

automotive technologies become available. As long as the internal combustion engine 

is with us and as long as refinements to it are possible, natural gas will be the cleanest 

transportation fuel to use in it. A recent National Academy of Science (NAS) report, 

titled Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Conseq11ences of Energy Production and Use, includes 

some very positive findings concerning NGVs. The report, which analyzes vehicle 

technolo~:,>ics as of 2005 and expected by 2030, projects that, with further expected 

improvements in vehicle technology and fuel efficiency, natural gas powered vehicles 

\vlll provide superior benefits in terms of criteria pollutant reductions compared to 

nearly all other types of vehicles, evm electric and plJtg-in hybrid electric vehicles. 

XCI 's Reduce Creenbottse Cases 

NGVs also can play a role in reducing t,rreenhouse gas emissions. Per unit of energy, 

natural gas contains less carbon than any other fossil fuel, and, therefore, produces 

lower carbon dioxide (CO c) emissions per vehicle mile traveled. \'V1ulc NGVs do emit 

methane, another principal greenhouse gas, the increase in methane emissions is more 

than offset by a substantial reduction in C02 emissions compared to other fuels. The 

California Air Resources Board (CARB) has conducted extensive analyses on this 

issue, and concludes that burning compressed natural gas produces about 22 percent 

less G HGs than burning diesel, and 29 percent less than burning gasoline. The 

comparisons arc based on well-to-wheels analyses, and include metlune emissions. 

These reductions are equal to -- or better tl1an -- some renewable liquid fuels. 

Because ofNGVs environmental benefits, many in the environmental community 

now support the use of natural gas for medium- and heavy-duty fleet vehicles. For 

example, at a National Clean Energy Roundtable last February, Former Vice President 

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AI Gore said "Electrifying the auto fleet, using natural gas for the 18- wheelers and 

the heavy vehicles as a transition-- then we can get off of all those imported liquid 

fuels that come from foreign oil and foreign products and solve the security and 

economic problem and put people to work in the process." 

Natural Gas: A Renewable Fml Option 

Natural gas may be a fossil fuel, but its main component methane- does not have 

to be. In fact, renewable natural gas or biomethane can be produced from any 

organic material, including landfill gas, sewage, animal and crop waste and even energy 

crops. A number of years ago, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) did a 

preliminary study that concluded that, from animal waste, sewage and landfill gas 

alone, j\mcrica could reasonably produce 1.25 quadrillion Btus of biomethane per 

year. That's equivalent to about six percent of the natural gas used in this country. If 

crop waste and energy crops were considered, this number would be far larger. The 

CARB life-cycle analyses mentioned above also evaluated the greenhouse gas 

reduction potential of biomethane produced from landfill gas. Those analyses 

concluded that that this biomethane, when used in vehicles, reduces G~IG emission;; 

by almost .90 percmt compared with gasoline and diesel fuel -making it among the 

most effective available greenhouse reduction approaches. Given these findings, it is 

not suq1rising that the U.S. EPNs Renewable Fuel Program reco~:,rnizes biomcthane as 

an advanced biofuel. 

\vaste Management, an NGVAmerica member, and the nation's largest refuse and 

environmental management company, currently is producing biomethane at its 

c\ltamont landfill facility in California. The facility produce;; the equivalent of 13,000 

diesel ?;allons of li(tuet!ed natural gas (LNG) daily. Waste Management uses the LNG 

to fuel300 garbage trucks. ln January, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 

(EPA's) Landfill Methane Outreach Program presented Waste Management with one 

of its Project.r tj the Year awards for developing renewable natural gas at the Altamont 

facility. The LNG plant was built by another NGVAmerica member, Linde North 

America, and uses technology patented by America's Gas Technology Institute. 

According to EPA., the Altamont project's greenhouse gas benefits arc equivalent to 

that provided by nearly 9,000 acres of pine or fir forests or the removal of 8,000 

passenger cars. This and other landfill gas projects around the country demonstrate 

the feasibility of using renewable natural gas to power natural gas vehicles and 

displace petroleum. 

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Economic Benefits 

Public policy benefits such as reducing oil dependence, urban pollution and 

greenhouse gases are critical, but vehicle owners - especially business fleet owners 

arc overwhelming driven by economics. If they can save money, they are far more 

interested. Fortunately, for most customers especially, high fuel-use customers, 

NGVs make economic sense. NGVs do cost more money upfront to purchase. The 

Honda Civic GX, for example, has an incremental cost of about $6,000. Natural gas 

transit buses generally cost $40,000- $50,000 more than diesel buses. For an 18-

wheeler, the added cost could be as high as $80,000. These arc not insignificant firstcost premiums. But the combination of much lower fuel cost, lower maintenance 

cost and federal (and, in some cases, state) economic incentives, translates into a very 

favorable rate-of-return for fleets. For example, a trash truck, which uses 7,500 to 

10,000 gallons of fuel per year, could recover its investment in less than 2.5 years, and 

sec a net life-cycle savings of up to $80,000. Step-vans, which arc used for delivery of 

baked good, snack foods, overnight mail, etc., could see a payback in less than 1.4 

years, with a net life-cycle savings of up to $66,000. Even school buses, which do not 

drive as far per day, can get a payback within 3 years. 

In most states, retail compressed natural gas sells for less than $2.00 a gasoline gallon 

equivalent whereas gasoline is selling for close to $3.00. In Utah, natural gas is priced 

about $1.00 per gasoline gallon equivalent. Fortunately, it is anticipated that natural 

gas will continue to be priced far less than gasoline and diesel. Historically, the 

wellhead price of natural gas has traded in an 8- or 9-to-1 ratio with oil (barrel of oil 

to thousand cubic feet (Mcf) of natural gas). Currently, the wellhead price of natural 

gas is about $5.00 per thousand cubic feet and petroleum is around $80 per barrel. 

Therefore, today, the price ratio is 16-to-1. The U.S. Energy Information 

Administration forecasts that the wellhead price of natural gas will increase, but quite 

slowly. Specifically, the agency forecasts that natural gas will not exceed $8 per :Yicf 

until2030. Even at a price of $8 per Mcf, natural gas on a barrel-of-oil-equivalent 

basis sells for less than $47 per barrel of oil. However, when the world economy 

improves and the global demand for oil again begins to exceed supply, world oil 

prices will rise. At $100 per barrel and $8 per Mcf, the ratio is over 12-to-1. At $150 

per barrel, the ratio is almost 19-to-1. 

More NGVs means more U.S. jobs. Jobs would result from engineers, technicians 

and others manufacturing engines, equipping new trucks with natural gas engines and 

cylinders, compressed and liquefied natural gas manufacturing storage vessels and 

6 
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fueling dispensers for natural gas stations and providing other support services. More 

NGVs also would provide much needed support for the nation's automotive 

dealerships, which will be involved to retrofit and install aftermarket conversion 

systems. In addition, more NGVs would ensure that natural gas producers are able 

to continue to hire and retain employees who are drilling for and producing natural 

gas. These investments will put people to work, and strengthen energy security by 

ensuring that we use more domestic natural gas and less petroleum imports. 

Accelerating the Use ofNGVs 

Because of the many benefits of NGV s, it makes sense to support transportation 

policies that encourage their increased use. The time to support NGVs has never 

been better. Many other promising vehicle technologies are "over-the-horizon" and 

need technical or other breakthroughs to be commercially competitive. Not NGVs. 

NGV s are here today. No breakthroughs are required. If you look at the product 

offerings available, that becomes clear. Natural gas options are now available from: 

every major trash truck manufacturer; all but one major transit bus manufacturer (and 

it now appears that the last holdout will be offering natural gas buses); two of the 

three largest school bus manufacturers; and many of the work/vocational truck 

chassis makers such as Kenworth, Freightliner and Peterbilt. Also, while only one 

light-duty vehicle is being sold in the US by an original equipment manufacturer (the 

Honda Civic GX), there is a long list of light-duty Ford and GM sedans, vans, SUV s 

and pick-up trucks for which EPA-and CARE-certified aftermarket conversion 

systems are available. And new NGV models keep being added all the time. 

To accelerate the use of NGV s, Congress needs to continue its support for NGV s 

and expand current incentives for them. NGV America urges Cont,>ress to pass the 

"New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions" (or NAT GAS) (H.R. 

1835 and S. 1408). That bill would significantly extend and expand existing NGV 

incentives, and send a signal to America's fleets and consumers that increasing the use 

ofNGVs is important to the country. The House version of the NAT GAS Act has 

139 bipartisan co-sponsors. The Senate version also has bipartisan support, and has 

Majority Leader Harry Reid as an original sponsor. NGVAmerica estimates that 

enactment of the NAT GAS Act incentives will create and support between 400,000 

to 600,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

In addition, providing regulatory relief for manufacturers who produce alternative fuel 

conversion systems, as contained inS. 1809, would enable these businesses to expand 

their offerings of emission certified systems. Industry and EPA need to work 

together to find solutions tl1at enable more conversion systems to be certified faster 

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and with less expense. NGV America believes that the regulatory relief that has been 

proposed- streamlining certification, allowing carry-across certification of similar 

vehicles, and expanding the model year concept for aftermarket systems - are all 

reasonable steps that should be taken to facilitate the increased availability of natural 

gas fueled vehicles. If these provisions had been in place d1e last time petroleum 

prices surged, thousands (perhaps hundreds of thousands) more NGVs would be on 

the road today. 

In addition to passing the NAT GAS Act, Congress also should authori?:e a new 

NGV research, development and demonstration program, such as contained in 

S.1350. The U.S. Department of .Energy once had such a robust NGV R&D 

program, but several years ago stopped funding this critical work. Last year, Congress 

appropriated $5 million for NGV R&D. This support is much appreciated but srill 

far short of what is needed. A robust and well-funded R&D program would ensure 

that NGVs continue to hold their advantage in tenns of efficiency and environmental 

performance, would create new opportunities for renewable natural gas, and would 

send the signal to automakers and truck manufacturers that government is a willing 

and able partner in brinbting new products to market. 

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For additional information concerning this statement, please contact: 

Richard Kolodziej 

President 

NGVAmerica 

400 N. Capitol Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20001 

rkolodziej@NGVAmerica.org 

(202) 824-7366 

Paul Kerkhoven 

Director, Government Relations 

NGVAmerica 

400 N. Capitol Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20001 

pkerkhoven@NGV America.org 

(202) 824-7363 

Jeffrey Clarke 

General Counsel & Regulatory Director 

NGVAmerica 

400 N. Capitol Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20001 

jclarke@NGVAmerica.org 

(202) 824-7364 

9 
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Committee on Environment and Public Works 

Follow Up Questions for Written SubmissionQuestions to Richard Kolodziej, President ofNGVAmerica 

Senator Barbara Boxer: 

Boxer Q.t. You have suggested that transportation policy should support 

increased use of natural gas vehicles. Do you have any specific 

recommendations for the next surface transportation authorization? 

The provision that would have the largest impact on the growth of the natural 

gas vehicle (NGV) market is the extension, for an additional tO years, of the 

excise tax credit first included in the last transportation legislation (SAFETEALU) of 50 cents per gallon of compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas 

when used as an on-road transportation fuel. This provision, which is included 

inS. 1408 (the NAT GAS Act), would make NGVs even more economically 

attractive to a greater number of fleet and individual customers. 

In addition, there arc a number of transportation programs- including CMAQ, 

FTA grants, CFF grants and the DERA program- the funding of which are 

heavily weighted to diesel-powered vehicles and diesel retrofits. We believe 

that much more of this funding could (and should) be targeted to nonpetroleum fuels and technologies. To this end, the following list of items might 

be considered by the Committee. Some are modifications of existing 

programs. Some are new initiatives: 

a. Direct the EPA to give higher priority to the replacement or repowering of 

diesel vehicles with NGVs under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Program and 

Clean School Bus Program. Modify the program to promote public-private 

partnerships that help finance alternative fuel school buses that displace dieselbased fuels, achieve the 2010 air quality standards (or any subsequent new 

standard), and reduce the carbon intensity of the fuel by at least 10%. 

(modification of existing program) 

b. FTA has indicated that all new buses (standard diesel, natural gas and dieselhybrid-electric) qualify for the 83 percent federal share based on the policy that 

such buses contribute generally to cleaner air and maintaining compliance with 

federal air quality standards. Under the past several transportation 

appropriations' acts, biodiescl buses, however, receive additional federal 

support in the form of an increased federal share of 90 percent of the total 

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vehicle cost. This inequity should be corrected. (modification of existing 

program) 

c. Designate $100 million per year of highway funds (to be controlled by the 

Secretary of Transportation) to pay for natural gas school buses and 

infrastructure. (modification to CMAQ) 

d. Provide federal incentives for federal, state and local governments to transition 

or convert their vehicles to natural gas. Designate $100 million per year of 

Highway funds (to be controlled by the Secretary of Transportation) to pay for 

public sector alternative fuel projects. (modification to CMAQ) 

e. Direct the FTA to provide incentives for purchasing and using dedicated 

NGVs for the following programs: (1) Transportation for Elderly persons and 

Persons Disabilities (Sec. 5310); (2) Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) 

(Sec. 5316); and New Freedom formula grant (Sec. 5317). There would be no 

local match required for the incremental cost. (Modification of existing 

programs) 

f. Climate Change Legislation/Energy Bill. The past several iterations of climate 

change legislation have included several significant provisions relating to the 

electrification of transportation. This includes providing allowances to the 

Department of Energy to conduct research and development on electric 

vehicles and electric infrastructure. The bills also encourage electric utilities to 

be involved in building out electric transportation infrastructure, and utility 

commissions are encouraged to provide favorable treatment for such 

investments. These types of programs certainly are needed, and we support 

them. However, these efforts should include natural gas as part of the electric 

transportation future and include ways of promoting the use of natural gas in 

hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. In addition, natural gas utilities 

should be encouraged to invest in building-out natural gas transportation 

infrastructure. 

Q. 2. You discussed in your testimony the economic benefits of natural gas 

vehicles and the relatively quick payback, given the not so insignificant 

upfront cost of purchasing such vehicles for school bus and truck fleets. 

Do you have any suggestions on how to make natural gas vehicles more 

affordable? 

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NGV s are making economic sense for an increasingly larger segment of vehicle 

market. This especially is the case in certain niche market applications (e.g., 

refuse trucks, transit buses, urban goods delivery, taxi fleets) that are high fueluse vehicles capable of being centrally fueled. For a number of reasons, NGV s 

have greater first cost than comparable gasoline and diesel vehicles. However, 

natural gas costs less than gasoline and diesel fuel and, therefore, NGVs arc less 

expensive to operate per mile than gasoline and diesel fueled vehicles. The 

more miles a vehicle drives in a given year, the more money the operator will 

save. The higher up-front cost can frequendy be recouped in the case of high 

fuel-use fleet vehicles because of the lower cost of natural gas. However, in the 

case of lower mileage vehicles or vehicles that are sold after only a few years of 

use, the economics of owning an NGV is not as compelling. That is why 

government incentives are necessary. Longer term, the cost of NGV s will 

come down as there is more demand for these vehicles and the production 

volumes for NGVs allows for better economies of scale. Incentives help 

provide increased demand for NGVs now-- as do government programs that 

could encourage the purchase of NGVs (e.g., Clean Cities, DERA, FTA Bus 

Funding). Research and development programs also can help bring down the 

costofNGVs. Government should partner with manufacturers to develop the 

next generation of natural gas-powered engines and vehicles. Without this 

support, manufacturers must subsidize the cost of their new NGV product 

offerings, sell them at a loss, or seck to recoup an of their investments based on 

low-production model offerings. Currendy the latter option appears to be the 

one most often taken by manufacturers. Another critical factor in the cost of 

NGV s is the cost of the light weight storage cylinders. These cylinders rely on 

high-cost carbon-fiber wrap. Research and development programs could 

identify less cosdy processes for developing these materials or help identify less 

cosdy materials. In addition, in the case of light duty vehicles, some EPA 

emission certification rules are unnecessary and burdensome, and have made it 

difficult and cosdy to offer alternative fuel conversion systems. EPA is in the 

process of proposing regulatory relief to address some of these difficulties but 

more could be done legislatively. See response to Inhofe Q. 1. 

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Senator James M. lnhofe 

lnhofe Q. 1. Mr. Kolodziej, as you lmow I've been working for some time with 

both the NGV industry and the EPA to simplify the emission 

certification process for after-market conversion kit manufacturers. For 

the benefit of the Committee, could you comment on the problems aftermarket conversion manufacturers are having with EPA's emission 

certification process? 

The problems faced by aftermarket conversion companies are multi-faceted. 

Some of them are due to the fact that aftermarket conversions by definition 

involve the modification of vehicles manufactured by other companies. That 

means that. to develop an aftermarket system, the conversion company must 

acquire an OEM vehicle and determine how to engineer its system so that it is 

compatible with the OEMs proprietaty systems. This process can take several 

months. The next step is to ensure compliance with the EPA emission 

cerrification requirements and EPA's on-board diagnostic (OBD) requirements. 

This may take several more months. The effect of these delays is that natural 

gas aftermarket conversion systems arc generally not available until half the 

model year has expired. This significandy undermines demand for these 

products. EPA currendy provides some allowances to aftermarket 

manufacturers by not requiring compliance with all the OBD requirements (as 

long as the manufacturer can demonstrate compliance with certain critical 

diagnostic functions). This flexibility, however, has not been codified in the 

regulations or EPA guidance. 

Another difficulty with EPA's procedures is the need to renew cerrifications 

each model year even though the aftermarket system and vehicles to be 

converted have not changed. EPA could alleviate this burden by declaring that 

cerrificates for aftermarket conversions do not expire with respect to future 

use. We also would like to see EPA develop an alternative process for 

approving aftermarket conversion systems. The curtent regulations require 

cerrification of specific systems and vehicles. Manufacturers must perform 

emission testing and verification on each engine family for which they intend to 

install their system. This means that for some vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, 

they may have to cerrify the conversion system on five different engine families 

just to be able to cover all the different iterations of the F-150. With the cost 

of compliance being as much as $100,000 per engine family, this requirement 

can be a substantial economic deterrent We would propose that EPA, like the 

European authorities, allow aftermarket manufacturers to cerrify that their 

conversion systems are capable of adapting to different OEM products -- much 

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the same way that computer software can be used in different computers 

without special changes. This latter approach, more than any other, would save 

a great deal of time and expense and allow for the proliferation of more 

aftermarket conversion systems. 

Another obstacle is the fact that California has adopted different and more 

demanding requirements for aftermarket conversions. These regulations impact 

vehicles sold in California and, in some cases, vehicles sold in states that have 

adopted California's low-emission vehicle regulations. Many of the issues 

identified above are magnified in the case of California's regulations. And the 

fact that manufacturers must certify to two different sets of requirements 

further complicates and delays bringing aftermarket products to market. It is 

important to note that the difficulties associated with California's regulations 

do not have to do with difference in emission standards or emissions 

performance but rather have to do with emission testing procedures and the 

process of demonstrating durability and compliance with onboard diagnostic 

requirements. 

Inhofe Q. 2.As you lmow, the NGV industry has a chicken-and-egg problem. 

Vehicle manufacturers won't make NGVs until the fueling infrastructure 

is in place and the fueling station owners won't put in stations until there 

are vehicles that could refueL What's the industry's strategy to overcome 

this problem? 

The NGV industry primarily has looked to the private sector (with government 

help when available) to build and operate NGV fueling stations and expand the 

NGV fueling infrastructure network. To make this significant investment, 

these stations must be profitable. The industry's initial strategy for developing 

profitable stations has been to focus on high fuel-use, centrally fueled fleets. 

This includes transit buses, refuse haulers, airport shuttle buses, goods delivery 

companies, and taxis. Because they are high fuel-use vehicles, fewer vehicles 

are needed to make stations profitable. However, once the stations to serve 

these fleets have been built, many of these stations create opportunities to 

bring in other fleets to use them. An exccllent example is airport stations 

where many different applications (e.g., rental car shuttle buses, airport shuttle 

buses, hotel shuttle buses, taxicabs and the general public) can take advantage 

of central public access stations. Port facilities probably offer the next great 

opportunity in expanding fueling infrastructure for natural gas because of the 

large concentration of vehicles operating at each port facility and also serving 

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each port facility. Military bases and coUege campuses also offer many of the 

same advantages as noted above but, to date, have not been adequately 

addressed by our industry. 

The NGV industry is now also aggressively pursuing what are referred to as 

"point-to-point" fleets. These are fleets that primarily drive between two cities 

(e.g., Los Angeles- and-San Francisco, Houston-and-Dallas, Oklahoma Otyand Tulsa, New York-and Boston). There are tens of thousands of such 

vehicles in the U.S. Included in this category are short-haul and many overthe-road truck fleets. These markets offer the most immediate opportunity to 

replace large amounts of petroleum fuel with natural gas because of the amount 

of fuel these trucks use and because increasingly truck manufacturers are 

offering medium and heavy duty natural gas trucks for sale. Many of these 

fleets operate on major corridors throughout the U.S., and they are capable of 

driving long-distances without stopping for fuel. That means natural gas likely 

could capture a large share of these trucks by strategically placing natural gas 

fueling stations along key interstate highways and in major urban cities across 

the country. 

Moving beyond the niche market fleets and medium- and heavy-duty trucks, 

the consumer represents a huge untapped opportunity for NGVs. Thus far, 

the natural gas industry has not targeted individual consumers except in certain 

targeted markets like Southern California, New York, and Utah. In order to 

capture a share of the consumer market, the proliferation of home refueling 

units and bi-fuel vehicles must occur. Our industry is in discussions with the 

OEMs, encouraging them to make more light-duty vehicles available. Many of 

these manufacturer's already offer light-duty NGV passenger cars in Europe, 

Asia and South America. Several companies also have indicated plans to bring 

a home refueling unit to the market in the near future. 

Inhofe Q. 3.Mr. Kolodziej, I'm a strong supporter of hi-fueled NGVs, which 

can also help overcome the chicken-and-egg problem. They operate on 

either natural gas or gasoline at the Oip of a switch. Coupled with a 

natural gas home refueling station, natural gas would likely cover 80 to 

90 percent of the driving most people do. But because it's hi-fuel, you 

can still take that long distance trip from home and refill with gasoline if 

needed. It's very similar to the concept of a plug-in hybrid except that 

the technology exists today, not 10 or 15 years from now. What do you 

think is needed to promote the use ofbi-fueled NGVs? 

6 
105 

You are correct Most of the NGVs around the world are hi-fueled, light-duty 

vehicles. The proliferation of hi-fuel vehicles in the U.S. would allow our 

natural gas industry to pursue non-centrally fueled fleets and the largest fuel 

consuming sector, individual consumers. Currendy, there are fedeta.l financial 

incentives for the purchase or conversion of dedicated NGVs, but none 

however, for hi-fuel NGVs. The NAT GAS Act (S. 1408) would change that 

by providing a tax credit worth 50 percent of the incremental cost of a hi-fuel 

vehicle. This incentive would not only stimulate the conversion of gasoline 

vehicles to hi-fuel vehicles, but it would likely encourage OEMs to offer these 

vehicles for sale. 

Inhofe Q. 4. It's my understanding that natural gas and propane powered 

vehicles have experienced strong growth in many other countries. Can 

you talk to us about the growth ofNGVs around the world? 

We believe that NGV s are the fastest growing non-petroleum transportation 

fuel in the world. In 2003, there were only 2.8 million NGVs worldwide. 

Today, there are over 11.1 million, and the International Association ofNatuta.l 

Gas Vehicles forecasts that, by 2020, there will be 65 million NGVs on the 

world's roads. Over 80 countries now have a growing NGV market. The 

leader is Pakistan with over 2,250,000 NGVs. Argentina has 1.8 million. Brazil 

has 1.6 million. Iran has 1.7 million, and their goal is to have over 3.5 million 

within five years. There are now 13 countries that have more NGVs on the 

road than the U.S.- including India, Italy, China, Colombia, Thailand, Egypt 

and even Bangladesh. NGV s offer the benefits of reduction in oil imports, 

urban air pollution, greenhouse gases and operating cost In different countries, 

one or more of these benefits are the primaty driver for NGV growth. In the 

U.S., all of these benefits are important. 

Inhofe Q. S.As mentioned in your statement, the natural gas Honda Civic GX, 

has been awarded the "Greenest Car in America" for 2009. Would you 

expand on a few of the environmental benefits the increased use of 

NGVs offer? 

In general, natuta.l gas bums cleaner than other fuels and, because it is a less 

complex fue~ the emissions from NGV s generally can be controlled with less 

complex emission control systems. The primary environmental benefits of 

NGV s are that they reduce air toxics, nitrogen oxide emissions, particulate 

7 
106 

matter and greenhouse gas emissions relative to gasoline and diesel fueled 

vehicles. As noted, the Civic GX has won numerous awards and has been 

declared the Greenest Car in America for seven years in a row. Other natural 

gas vehicles also have achieved recognition for being the first vehicles to certify 

to the demanding ultra-low emission and super-ultra low-emission vehicle 

standards. The natural gas engines produced by Cummins Westport and 

Emission Solutions were the first engines to meet the demanding 2010 EPA 

emission standards for heavy-duty on-road engines. 

In the past, environmental advocates have emphasized reductions in criteria 

pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and 

particulate matter. We believe that the past achievements ofNGVs will 

continue in the future. The use of more sophisticated emission control 

strategies and vehicle technologies will allow manufacturers that use natural gas 

to produce even lower-polluting vehicles. This point has been proven most 

recently by the fact that the Honda Civic GX has retained its claim to the 

Greenest Car despite the improvements in gasoline engines and the availability 

of hybrid vehicles. It also is important to note that there is no reason why 

natural gas could not be the fuel used in hybrid vehicles or even future plug-in 

hybrid vehicles. In fact, a new company, Hybrid Kinetic Motors, has recently 

announced that they will be building a factory in Alabama with the capacity to 

build 300,000 natural gas hybrid vehicles per year. 

As mentioned, heavy-duty natural gas engines manufacturers also have 

achieved very low NOx and PM emissions without the need for selective 

catalytic reduction technology employed by most diesel engine manufacturers. 

And we expect those achievements to continue. 

More recendy the focus has been on carbon emissions. Per unit of energy, 

natural gas contains less carbon than any other fossil fuel, and thus produces 

lower greenhouse gas emissions per vehicle mile traveled. The California Air 

Resources Board (CARB) has concluded that NGVs produce 20-30 percent 

less greenhouse gases (well-to-wheels) than comparable gasoline and diesel fuel 

vehicles. Importandy, according to CARB, rmewabk natural gas (or 

biomethane) produces about 90 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than 

gasoline and diesel fuel. Biomethane can be produced from any organic 

material such as sewage, animal and crop waste or energy crops. Raw biogas is 

produced naturally in landfills. This biomethane can be blended with natural 

gas to further improve NGVs' greenhouse gas advantage. In the U.S., interest 

in renewable natural gas is only just beginning. In Europe, renewable natural 

gas is one of the most heavily promoted fuels. 

8 
107 

Senator BOXER. Thank you. 

Senator Udall, I just want you to know how we all send our love 

and condolences to you on your deep loss, and how we know how 

proud you were of your dad and how proud your dad was of you. 

So, on behalf of all of us, we wanted to say that. 

Senator UDALL. Chairman Boxer, and to all the members of the 

Committee, thank you very much, and the outpouring has been 

overwhelming, really, more than anything. So, I just thank you for 

that. And my dad was very proud of the work this Committee has 

done. I know you talked to him on the phone a couple of months 

ago. So, he is following up there what we are doing. 

Senator BOXER. OK. 

Senator UDALL. He wants to see something done. He would have 

said to me, Tom, get back to work. And that is it. So, OK. Thank 

you very much. 

Senator BOXER. So, here you are. Back to work. 

Senator UDALL. Thank you. 

Senator BOXER. Now our situation is, this is bad. We have 7 minutes before we are going to be shut down. I am going to give my 

time over to Senator Merkley, who has yet to speak. So, Senator, 

if we could just keep our statements or questions to 2 minutes? It 

is a shame, but we are caught up in something that has to do with 

healthcare. 

Senator MERKLEY. Thank you. I will skip a statement and just 

ask a question so that my colleagues can ask one as well. 

Specifically, when we are looking at 20 million barrels per day 

consumption, and I believe that about a little over 11 of that is imported, I know the numbers jump around, a fair amount is from 

Mexico and Canada, that number changes also, but in the end I 

think we are in the category of about 6 million or 7 million barrels 

per day from the Middle East and Venezuela. Is that about right? 

OK. When we look at the combination of approaches that are 

being discussed here, ranging from diversification of our domestic 

car fleet, certainly to greater use of other transportation options, to 

conversion to natural gas, as was mentioned, if we are determined 

as a Nation, can we not easily eliminate our dependence on foreign 

oil over the next 20 years? 

Mr. KOLODZIEJ. We could certainly make a huge impact. People 

talk about panaceas. There are no panaceas. We have a lot of options. We have electric vehicles, plug hybrids, natural gas, propane, 

ethanol, and methanol. We have a lot of options. But we really do 

not have choices. We have to use all the alternatives that we have 

available today in the applications where they make sense today if 

we are going to make an impact. We cannot just pick one or two. 

In the case of natural gas we feel that high fuel use vehicles, especially urban vehicles, are the place to go. 

Senator MERKLEY. Granted we need to use all the options, but 

do you see this as an achievable goal over the next 20 years if we 

have a structured plan for our Nation? 

Mr. KOLODZIEJ. We will not be independent, but we will be much 

less dependent, and much less dependent is something I think we 

should strive for. I think total independence probably is not achievable because of the world market for oil. But if we can have a system where our commercial infrastructure cannot be impacted be-
108 

cause of an embargo, that would be something we ought to be focusing on. 

Mr. LOVAAS. I agree that technically we would not be energy 

independent in 20 years but we would definitely be energy secure 

if we set our minds to it. And this has to do with some of the supply options that Mr. Kolodziej mentioned, and we need an array of 

those. And also it has to do with moderating demand, and that is 

about vehicle efficiency. And that is also about addressing travel 

activity through the transportation bill especially. 

Senator MERKLEY. Thank you. 

Senator BOXER. Thank you. 

Senator Inhofe. 

Senator INHOFE. Thank you, Madam Chairman. We have to 

make this real quick, so I will. I just have to get this in every time 

we talk about wanting to be independent. All we have to do is take 

the restrictions off the United States so we can develop our own resources like every other country does. That, combined with Canada 

and Mexico, we are putting together a study now to see how long 

it would take to be totally independent, and it is way, way less 

than 20 years. 

First of all, I would ask for consent to put this letter in the 

record from the National Propane Gas Association. 

Senator BOXER. Without objection. 

Senator INHOFE. And I would say to you, Mr. Kolodziej, that we 

have been working on this for a long time. And I appreciate the 

comments that you made. We have bureaucratic obstacles, quite 

frankly. The EPA is helping us and working with us right now. 

As you know, in my home town we have Tom Sewall who has 

developed technologies that he is actually selling to other countries. 

He is doing conversions along with the home units that you can 

convert your own natural gas to compressed natural gas. So, we 

are making some headway there. 

And you are right. I would just like to make sure that everyone 

knows that those who are supporting our legislation to do this are 

Harry Reid, Orrin Hatch, Robert Menendez, Mark Begich, Mark 

Pryor, Lisa Murkowski, myself and others. 

So, the question I would ask you, and it is a yes or no question, 

is have you ever seen anything that is enjoying that kind of bipartisan support? 

Mr. KOLODZIEJ. Not recently. 

Senator INHOFE. No. Thank you. The other thing that I would 

like to just have you, you stated it well before, on the potential we 

have in natural gas, that was to be able to develop those reserves 

that I talked about in my opening statement, we would have to be 

using the technology that is out there right now in hydraulic fracturing specifically. I think you said that in your statement, did you 

not? 

Mr. KOLODZIEJ. Yes. Hydraulic fracturing is critical right now. 

And you know, since the 1940s we have drilled about 1 million of 

these fracturing wells, and the safety record has been extraordinary. 

Senator INHOFE. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. 

[The referenced information follows:] 
109 

N 

Statement for the Hearing Record 

Opportunities to Improve Energy Security and the Environment through Transportation Policy. 

Environment and Public Works Committee 

United States Senate 

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 

The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) appreciates this opportunity to present 

recommendations on the issue of improving U.S. energy security and environmental quality 

through transportation policy. 

The National Propane Gas Association is the propane industry's national trade 

association representing 3,100 companies including producers, wholesalers, transporters, and 

retailers of propane gas as well as the manufacturers and distributors of associated propane 

equipment and appliances. The largest group of NPGA members are retail propane marketers, 

the vast majority of which are small businesses. Retail propane marketers distribute propane 

gas for use in residential and commercial installations, agricultural and industrial applications, 

and as a clean air alternative engine fuel for both over-the-road vehicles and off-road engines 

such as those used in forklifts. 50 million Americans choose clean-burning, efficient, and 

climate-friendly propane as their energy source. 

Introduction to the Propane Gas Industry 

Propane is a non-toxic, colorless, odorless gas that is derived from natural gas 

processing and petroleum refining. In 2007, 10.2 billion gallons of odorized propane were sold 

in the United States for use in residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and motor fuel 

applications. Approximately 0.9 percent of U.S. energy needs are met by propane and propane 

combustion accounts for 0.8 percent of total U.S. C02 emissions. Over 90 percent of NPGA's 

retail marketer members are classified by the federal government as small businesses. 

The propane industry in the United States is very diverse geographically. Propane 

marketers are located in every state and likely serve customers in every county. Propane 

marketers compete against each other for customers. Moreover, there is no such thing as an 

approved rate of return or a guaranteed service area in the industry, so companies must 

maintain their operational efficiencies in order to remain in business. Propane has been a 

useful energy resource for Americans since entrepreneurs found ways to store, transport and 

use it during prior to World War I. Use expanded steadily during the 1930s, and resumed in the 

post-war 1950s. Propane played a significant role in transportation during the middle decades 

of the 20'h century, and is now experiencing a resurgence of interest. 

With so much history behind it, the propane delivery and storage infrastructure is 
110 

NPGA Statement for the Heanng Record. Senate Enwonment and Pubhc Works Comm1ttee (March 24, 2010 

Page 2 -

extensive. There are approximately 70,000 miles of pipelines; 10,000 retail distribution facilities; 

over 40,000 long-haul and local delivery trucks; 22,000 rail tank cars; and 56,000 trained and 

dedicated employees. Propane is well-known and understood by those who deliver it and those 

who rely on it Moreover, propane is highly regulated by federal. state, and local governments 

and enjoys a superior safety record. 

Propane Transportation and Energy Security 

Approximately 90-percent of propane is manufactured in the United States through 

natural gas processing and petroleum refining, while approximately 10 percent of U.S. propane 

supplies are imported, primarily from Canada. Thus, propane is a readily available and secure 

energy source. Moreover, as natural gas exploration and production technology expands and 

improves to meet demand, the U.S. will find itself with more than adequate supply available to 

produce propane. In fact, according to the American Clean Skies Foundation, the United States 

has 2,247 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, enough to last more than 100 years. In this 

context, efforts to increase the use of propane powered vehicles makes economic sense and 

will naturally reduce U.S. dependence on imported petroleum used for transportation fuel. 

Noticeably reduced reliance on foreign petroleum sources will occur as large high-fueluse government and commercial motor fleets begin to switch to propane engine technology. 

More importantly, propane engine technology exists in vehicles available today to help lower 

dependence on foreign oil. In the light-duty area, Ford Motor Company offers propane versions 

of both its F-150 and F-250 pickup trucks, and General Motors offers its 6.0 liter propane engine 

for use in a variety of commercial cargo and passenger vans. In the medium to heavy duty 

area, companies such as Cummins build propane powered engines for use in school buses, 

utility vehicles and other heavy duty applications. 

From an economic perspective, propane is the most cost-effective alternative to 

conventional transportation fuels used in fleet applications when capital investment costs, 

operation, and maintenance costs are all taken into consideration. Propane fleet operating costs 

typically range from 20-to 40-percent less than those of gasoline-operated fleets. First of all, 

propane refueling infrastructure costs are lower than similar gasoline, diesel and natural gas 

infrastructure costs. In addition, of all available alternative fuels, propane offers the best mix of 

vehicle driving range, durability. and performance. As a result, the up-front costs of propane 

fleet vehicles and infrastructure set-up can be offset by lower operating and maintenance costs 

over the lifespan of the vehicles. The time it takes for these savings to offset capital costs 

depends on vehicle usage patterns, specifically, the average distance traveled monthly or 

annually. Fleet vehicles typically travel long distances and have very high fuel consumption, so 

the payback period on propane fleet vehicles can be very reasonable. 

Propane Vehicles and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions 

Propane has the lowest carbon dioxide (C02) emissions per Btu of any common fuel 

except natural gas. Propane emits significantly less C02 per Btu than ethanol, gasoline, 

kerosene, diesel, heavy fuel oil, and coaL Natural gas (Methane) is lower in C02 than propane, 

but methane is chemically stable when released into the air and produces a global warming 

effect 25 times that of carbon dioxide. In comparison, propane has a very short atmospheric 

lifetime and low carbon content In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 

reports that "Given their short lifetimes ... it is not possible to derive a global atmospheric burden 
111 

NPGA Statement for the Hearing Record. Senate Enwonment and Public Works Committee (March 24, 2010_ 

Page 3 

or mean abundance for most VOC from current measurements." (VOCs explicitly include 

propane.) This makes propane even more advantageous from a climate change perspective in 

many applications. 

Propane shines as one of the most promising ways to reduce emissions in many 

applications including transportation. Programs administered by the Congressionally-authorized 

Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) are showing dramatic progress in moving 

cleaner solutions into the marketplace. The beauty of this situation is that propane is available 

today, is available everywhere in the nation, and has reduced carbon emissions already. 

Attached to this statement is a report entitled "Propane Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A 

Comparative Analysis." This report, published in November 2009 by PERC, quantifies the 

greenhouse gas profile of propane and other fuels in numerous applications. 

From the PERC study, below are some comparison charts that illustrate graphically how 

propane C02 emissions in various transportation applications exceed or favorably compare with 

similar vehicles powered by other fuels. 

Ford F-150. Greenhouse Gas Comparison 

lAO 

GM S.OL Engine - Greenhouse Gas Comparison 

1.60 

1.40 

2010Chevy 

Ex pre$$ 

Cut:away4.0L 

Propane 

E<'lgin.e 

2009 Chevy 

Express 

Passengef' 

Van 6,01. 

Gasoline Engine 

Sui ttl 350 Washington, DC 20036 

2009Ch(!vy 

Express. 

Cutaway 6.0L 

Gaso1ine 

Engine 
112 

NPGA Statement for the Hearing Record, Senate Enwonment and Public Works Comm1ttee (March 24, 2010_ 

Page 4 

Ford F-250- Greenhouse Gas Comparison 

20 1 0 Ro~ 2009 Prop;me 2008 ford 1009 Ford 2008 ford f-250 

f-250 Propane Conversion f-2:50 SA!. Harl~y Oavi~oo 

Kits Su!}€'rduty V-8 Gasoline Mndei6A!.. PoW'!Ir 

for f·lSO ()ic~c! Strcl<\\'!Oi<l.u•l 

School Buses- Greenhouse Gas Comparison 

Carbon Dioxide Emission Factors Bv Fuel 

Dicsd 

Etha!lol 

Propane 

\iatma!Gas 

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIB 73. s2 

-1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 72.34 

•••••••••••••• 66.60 

••••••••••••• 162.57 

0.00 10.00 20.00 ~0.00 -W.OO 50.{)0 60.00 7\1.00 ROJlO 90 00 

Kilograms of C02 Emissions per MMBtu 

18'19 L 5tre€t. NW Suit€' 350 WJshmgtM. DC 2003& 202 466 72WJ 
113 

NPGA Statement for the Hearing Record, Senate Environment and Publtc Works Committee (March 24, 2010_ 

Page 5 

Ramping-Up Alternative Fuel Vehicle Programs and Investment 

Propane vehicles offer proven high-performance and a superior greenhouse gas 

emissions profile. Moreover, propane vehicles are available today in a variety of fleet 

applications from school buses and maintenance vehicles, to taxis, delivery trucks. utility 

vehicles and shuttle vans. 

NPGA is pleased that Congress is beginning to realize the role that transportation plays 

in the accumulation of total greenhouse gas emissions. Nonetheless, we believe the U.S. 

government can take a much bigger role in advocating increased use of clean-burning propane 

in the transportation sector. Below are some suggested initiatives that the propane industry 

believes will help bring propane fueled vehicles into the mainstream and help address our 

energy security and environmental goals. 

• Add Propane to and Pass the NAT-GAS Act- Because of the similarities in carbon emissions 

and usage profile of propane and natural gas, NPGA strongly believes that propane should be 

given equal footing with natural gas in the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans 

Solutions (NATGAS) Act (H.R 1835/S. 1408), Properly amended, this legislation would 

extend incentives to produce natural gas and propane vehicles and signal to fleet operators 

that the federal government strongly supports rolling out clean vehicle technology. 

• Pass the Fueling America Act (S. 1350) -While the NAT -GAS Act is exclusively aimed at 

helping the natural gas vehicle community, S. 1350 is a similar bill that takes a fuel neutral 

approach by including propane. S. 1350 would provide tax incentives toward the purchase of 

propane and natural gas vehicles as well as propane and natural gas refueling infrastructure. 

The legislation also includes language that creates a federal alternative fuel R&D program, 

advocates switching federal fleets to run on propane or natural gas, and encourages a 

streamlined federal certification process for converting vehicles to propane or natural gas. 

• Pass Propane and Natural Gas Vehicle Conversion Legislation (S. 1809/ HR 3431): Existing 

EPA emissions certification procedures effectively preclude converting vehicles to run on 

propane or natural gas. S. 1809/ H.R 3431 would simplify the certification process by: 

•!• Eliminating the need for yearly recertification after a conversion system has been 

certified, thereby eliminating the need for conversion system manufacturers to resubmit 

data to EPA for a system that has not changed. 

•!• Directing EPA to establish criteria to place similar vehicle makes, models and model 

years on a single certification using test data from a single vehicle. 

•!• Instructing EPA to allow the submission of previous emissions testing data if a vehicle or 

the conversion system has not changed in a way that would affect compliance. 

•!• Easing conversions of vehicles that are beyond their useful life ( 1 0 years old and/or 

120,000 miles). 

By simplifying the EPA compliance process, S. 18091 HR. 3431would incentivize conversion 

manufacturers to offer more systems for additional vehicles. It would also reduce the costs of 

these conversion systems. Ultimately, this legislation will allow public and private fleet 

operators to lower transportation costs, cut harmful emissions, and help reduce our nation's 

1899l. Str.-et, NW Su.te 35D W<~shmgtor>, DC 20030 202 466 7200 
114 

NPGA Statement for the Hearmg Record, Senate Enwonment and Pub!lc Works Committee (March 24, 2010_ 

Page 6 

reliance on foreign oil. 

• Support Propane Vehicle Infrastructure- Support programs that incentivize fuel providers to 

invest in alternative fuel infrastructure, particularly alternative fuel refueling stations, and 

related equipment. Propane and other alternative fuels are clean and widely available for 

vehicle use, perhaps even more so than current electric vehicle technology. Legislation 

designed to improve vehicle infrastructure should include all clean vehicle alternatives rather 

than picking favorites. 

• Alternative Fuel Vehicle Manufacturing Assistance Programs- Support programs that provide 

financial assistance to help automobile manufacturers reconstruct and retool their industrial 

processes to produce alternative fuel (including propane) vehicles. Propane and other 

alternative fuel vehicles systems exist now. As such, programs that support propane vehicle 

construction and deployment will provide immediate greenhouse gas reductions. 

• Government Use and Support for Propane Vehicles and Infrastructure- Support directing the 

Federal government to play an active role in propane and other alternative fuel vehicle 

procurement and use. More specifically, the Federal government should be required to: 

replace a substantial portion of their vehicle fleet with similar propane and other clean burning 

alternative fuel vehicles; provide aid to states, localities, and tribal entities toward the 

purchase of propane and other alternative fuel vehicles; and finally, help fund federal, state 

and local installation of alternative fuel infrastructure, including fuel storage facilities and 

refueling stations. 

Conclusion 

The National Propane Gas Association looks forward to participating in the ongoing 

debates over how to limit carbon emissions and how to reduce our country's dependence on 

foreign petroleum products. America's propane industry believes it has a role to play on both 

fronts. Moreover, we know that our product can play a pivotal role in our energy future because 

it is both domestically-produced and low in carbon content. The industry will keep Congress 

informed on how future legislation will affect propane marketers, propane customers, and the 

environment. 

For additional information on this statement, please contact: 

Phil Squair 

Senior Vice President, Government Affairs 

National Propane Gas Association 

1899 L Street NW, Suite 350 

Washington, DC 20036 

202-355 -1322 

Brian Caudill 

National Propane Gas Association 

1899 L Street, NW Suite 350 

Washington, DC 20036 

202-355-1326 

Mike Troop 

Vice President, Legislative Affairs 

National Propane Gas Association 

1899 L Street NW, Suite 350 

Washington, DC 20036 

202-355-1327 

1899LStrN<t,NW WJshmgiM, OC 20036 20~ 466 72()i) 
115 

Senator BOXER. Thank you. I ask unanimous consent to place in 

the record a letter from the American Road and Transportation 

Builders Association and John Boesel of CALSTART, as well as a 

letter signed by a number of clean air task forces and a number 

of others. So, without objection, we will do that. 

So, I am going to call now on Senator Cardin, who is not here, 

so Senator Carper. Go, Senator Carper, go. 

Senator CARPER. Thanks very much. 

This is a question I want to ask of Mr. Lovaas. Here we go. What 

role should intercity passenger rail play in the next transportation 

bill, and what are your suggestions for a primary source of funding? 

Mr. LOVAAS. For a source of funding for passenger rail? 

Senator CARPER. Intercity passenger rail. What role should intercity passenger rail play in the next transportation bill, and what 

are your suggestions for a primary source of funding? 

Mr. LOVAAS. Well, we are working with this bipartisan coalition, 

the Mobility Choice Coalition, and as part of that we favor an oil 

security fee based on the national security implications of our dependence on oil and that could in part be a revenue source for new 

transportation choices, including intercity rail. And then the other 

more near-term bill that is on the table currently is the climate 

bill, which of course will have some sort of transportation component, and a portion of that revenue, as much as possible, should 

go to clean transportation infrastructure, including intercity rail. 

Senator CARPER. All right. Good. Thanks. 

Second question. How can transportation policy better integrate 

electric vehicles into our existing infrastructure? 

Mr. LOVAAS. Well, there is an opportunity to look at public charging stations on the national highway system and the interstate 

highway system and other Federal facilities. And the transportation bill should encourage regions to adopt electrification programs to transition as quickly as possible to a pluggable fleet of 

cars and trucks. 

Senator CARPER. All right. Thanks. 

My time has expired. Thank you, Madam Chairman, and thank 

you for those crisp, succinct answers. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Carper follows:] 

STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE

Chairman Boxer, thanks for holding this hearing on the nexus of energy, environment and transportation policy. 

As a Nation we consume 20 million barrels of oil per day—nearly all of which goes 

to our petroleum dependent transportation system. More than 60 percent of that oil 

is imported from foreign countries. 

This imbalance of domestic production and imports creates a harmful dependence 

upon other countries for our energy. The negative effects of that dependence on the 

environment and on our national security have been well documented before this 

Committee. 

In March Senator Specter and I introduced CLEAN TEA, which seeks to reduce 

oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. Four 

other colleagues on this Committee have signed on to the bill. And I would like to 

applaud Chairman Boxer for including the legislation in her climate change bill. 

Over the past few years Congress and this Administration have taken bold steps 

to reduce emissions from transportation. In 2007 we increased CAFE standards to 

36 miles per gallon by 2020. Thanks to the Obama administration we will reach 
116 

that level by 2016. These changes alone will reduce oil consumption by a million 

barrels per day. 

Congress has also adopted a Renewable Fuels Standard to reduce the carbon content of gasoline. And we have invested billions of dollars in electric vehicles. These 

measures will take important steps toward reducing our oil consumption and protecting the environment. 

However, we need to go further. We need a new transportation paradigm that 

fully embraces energy and environmental concerns. 

We need a transportation system that does not force all Americans to spend a full 

week of every year stuck in traffic. 

We need a transportation system that allows Americans—under their own free 

will—to travel by high speed train, to have better intercity bus service, or to live 

closer to their place of employment. 

The members of this Committee have worked hard to make sure that climate legislation has a transportation focus. We have more work to do on that front, but I 

am confident that my colleagues in the Senate understand the necessity of reducing 

transportation emissions through a comprehensive set of strategies—including my 

CLEAN TEA bill. 

In addition to a climate bill with a transportation focus we need a transportation 

bill with a climate focus. 

This Committee has heard from a number of experts about the need to re-focus 

our transportation systems around a set of national goals. I believe that the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and of oil consumption should be two of the goals 

that define our transportation investments. 

I look forward to working with Chairman Boxer and my colleagues on this Committee to transform that aspiration into reality. 

[The referenced information was not received at time of print.] 

Senator BOXER. Thank you. 

Senator Udall. And we can send our questions in for them to answer. Go ahead. 

Senator UDALL. Thank you, Madam Chair. We will submit some 

into the record. 

Just a quick one here, to Mr. Kolodziej. As we all know the U.S. 

is now importing around two-thirds of our daily oil requirements. 

Just a few years ago Congress feared that we would need to start 

importing liquefied natural gas. Recent natural gas discoveries in 

deep shale and other unconventional formations now mean that our 

supplies have increased by about 40 percent in just 2 years. That 

works out to over 100 years of supply at 2007 levels, perhaps a 

longer supply than we have of coal. 

If the United States used even a modest portion of this gas in 

vehicles we could make a significant dent in our dependence on foreign oil. What natural gas vehicle policies do we have now that are 

making an impact, and how could they be enhanced to both improve energy independence and reduce pollution? 

Mr. KOLODZIEJ. There are currently incentives that were passed 

in the EPAct of 2005 and the SAFETEA-LU bill for the purchase 

and use of natural gas vehicles. One of those has already expired 

and hopefully will be extended in the extenders bill. The other two 

would expire at the end of this year. 

The NAT GAS Act, which I mentioned before, is a bill that would 

significantly expand and extend those incentives. And that would 

send a signal to customers—fleet customers and all customers— 

that Congress is four-square behind this use of natural gas, and it 

would provide the economic incentive to accelerate the use of natural gas in the marketplace. 

Senator UDALL. Thank you very much. 

I yield back. 

Senator BOXER. Well, we made it through to 11 o’clock. 
117 

[Laughter.] 

Senator BOXER. And we have not been told to stop yet. So, I 

guess I can ask a couple of questions. I had deferred those. So, let 

me. 

I would like to ask Mr. Greene, my friend from the Sacramento 

area, what are some of the health impacts of emissions from the 

transportation sector in the Sacramento region? 

Mr. GREENE. Well, obviously, we are non-attainment for those 

two Federal standards, and of course we have issues with people 

building homes, houses and such as that. Transportation being 

such a huge part of our inventory, we do not have the stationary 

sources that they do in Southern California and other parts of the 

State. So, the majority of our impacts are from transportation, and 

those impacts are typical things you see for health. 

Senator BOXER. Thank you very much. I have been told that we 

were told that we need to shut down. 

So, I deeply apologize to the panel. Paul, do you want to say who 

called us please? The Senate floor. This has to do with tactics by 

my Republican friends who are upset about what is happening on 

the floor, so they are saying that committees cannot meet. That is 

their absolute right to do it. So I am so sorry. With deep apologies 

for those of you who came a long way. But we got your testimony 

in and we thank you very much. 

We stand adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:05 a.m. the Committee was adjourned.] 

[Additional material submitted for the record follows:] 
118 

AG~ Arnerican Gas Association N, P,\Hk!'l\ 

1mr!CErJ 

April2, 2010 

The Honorable Barbara Boxer 

Chair 

Environment and Public Works Committee 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

The Honorable James M. Inhofe 

Ranking Member 

Environment and Public Works Committee 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 2051 0 

RE: March 24, 2010: Hearing on the Contribution of Transportation Policy to Energy Security 

and the Environment 

Dear Senators Boxer and Inhofe: 

The American Gas Association (AGA), founded in 1918, represents 195 local energy companies 

that deliver clean natural gas throughout the United States. There are more than 70 million 

residential, commercial and industrial natural gus customers in the U.S., of which 91 percentmore than 64 million customers- receive their gas from AGA members. Today, natural gas 

meets almost one-fourth of the United States' energy needs. 

AGA strongly supports efforts to increase the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel, which 

would reduce America's dependence on imported oil and reduce vehicle emissions. AGA 

respectfully submits the following statement for the record: 

Increasing the use of domestic natural gas as a transportation fuel decreases America's reliance 

on foreign energy sources. In 2009, it is estimated that natural gas vehicles (NGVs) used about 

40 billion cubic feet of natural gas. That is the equivalent of 320 million gallons of gasoline that 

America did not have to import. 

Today NGVs are the cleanest vehicles on the road. The increased use of NGVs can reduce 

emissions of greenhouse gases as weH as NOx, volatile organic compounds and particulates. 

NGVs produce 22 percent less greenhouse gases than comparable diesel vehicles and 29 percent 

less than comparable gasoline vehicles. 

NGVs are here and now. An important reason to increase the incemivcs to build new NGVs, 

convert existing vehicles to NGVs, expand the delivery infrastructure and use it as a 

transportation fuel is that the technology is readily available to deliver the benefits. While 

certain research, development and demonstration (RD&D) can be conducted to improve specific 

areas, NGVs arc ready to help achieve America's public policy goals now. 

The proven reserves of natural gas in the U.S. have increased by nearly 40 percent in recent 

years. We have more than 100 years of supply using conservative estimates. This is due to the 

development of new production technologies to unlock the gas from shale formations. Based on 

this information, America must alter certain aspects of its energy policies to take advantage of 

400 North Cnpitol N\tt/, Washillqtnn. DC 20001 • Telephone }02 824 7111. Fox 202"824 1092 • Web hUfT/iVVWW.fJIFLOr~J 
119 

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Page2 

April2, 2010 

these newly available resources. Adopting policies that expand the use of natural gas in the 

transportation market should flow from this new infotmation. 

AGA urges Congress to enact the "New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans 

Solutions," H.R. 1835 and S. 1408 (referred to as the NAT GAS Act). This legislation would 

significantly extend and expand existing NGV incentives. Not only wonld the enactment of the 

NAT GAS Act accelerate the benefits noted above, it also would create and support 400,000 to 

600,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

Congress also should authorize a new NGV RD&D program, such as contained in S.l350. A 

well-funded R&D program would ensure that NGVs continue to deliver the benefits of energy 

security, efficiency and environmental performance. 

Thank you for this opportunity to present AGA's position. We would welcome the opportunity 

to respond to any questions you may have. Should you have any questions, please contact 

Charles Fritts, vice president, government relations, at 202-824-7220. 

David N. Parker