February 23, 2010

The Honorable Harry Reid The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Majority Leader Minority Leader

United States Senate United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Reid and Senator McConnell:

As environmental agency commissioners in States that have adopted the California 

Clean Cars standards, we are writing to express our concern with the Resolution of 

Disapproval recently introduced by Senator Murkowski of Alaska that would invalidate 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) finding of endangerment for 

greenhouse gases (GHGs). 

Many of our States have previously expressed opposition to this Resolution because it 

would represent a denial of the overwhelming scientific evidence of real and urgent 

threats to human health and welfare posed by climate change, and would strip the 

nation of a proven, effective tool to begin to address this threat. 

Today we are writing to elevate a specific issue of national importance that may be 

jeopardized by the Resolution. We believe the Murkowski Resolution would prevent the 

federal program for passenger vehicle GHG standards from being finalized. As you 

know, under this program, USEPA proposed federal GHG standards for vehicles that 

will be roughly equivalent to both the federal corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) 

standards and the GHG standards pioneered by California and adopted by 13 other 

states and the District of Columbia. The existence of comparable federal GHG 

standards, in turn, would allow our States to accept compliance with the federal 

program as demonstrating compliance with the California program. This nationally 

harmonized state-federal program has been widely praised by the automobile industry, 

environmental organizations, labor unions, States, the Obama Administration, and many 

members of Congress. 

Without comparable federal vehicle GHG standards, our States will not be able to offer 

this alternative compliance option to automakers. Although the Resolution does not 

affect our States' independent authority under the Clean Air Act to separately adopt and 

enforce the existing California GHG standards, we believe that the entire nation would 

benefit from the cleaner vehicles, greater energy security, and consumer savings that a 

long overdue federal program will provide. Moreover, we understand that vehicle 

manufacturers appreciate the flexibility of alternative compliance options and a 

harmonized national program. We would regret to lose these benefits to consumers, 

industry, and the Nation. 
For these reasons, we urge you to oppose the Resolution of Disapproval and to 

preserve the hardwon benefits of a harmonized state-federal vehicle standards 

program. Thank you for your consideration,

______________________________ ____________________________________

Mary D. Nichols, Chair Amey Marrella, Commissioner

California Air Resources Board Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection

_________________________________ ____________________________________

David Littell, Commissioner Laurie Burt, Commissioner

Maine Department of Environmental Protection Massachusetts Department of 

Environmental Protection

_________________________________ ____________________________________

Ron Curry, Secretary Pete Grannis, Commissioner

New Mexico State Environment Department New York Department of Environmental 

Conservation

__________________________________ 

____________________________________

Dick Pedersen, Director W. Michael Sullivan, Director

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Rhode Island Department of 

Environmental Management

_________________________________

Ted Sturdevant, Director

Washington Department