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Your Business Advocate Since 1931 2i.1'i JUL. /

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The Honorable Ray LaHood The Honorable Lisa Jackson Secretary Administrator Department of Transportation Environmental Protection Agency 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20590 Washington, DC 20004

Dear Secretary LaHood and Administrator Jackson: Today jobs, the economy and energy security are on the minds of every American. The Montana Chamber of Commerce is focused on pro-active policies to address these critical issues and grow Montana and the Northwest region toward a more secure future. Transportation is a critical component of our economic vitality and given that your agencies are now developing national fuel economy standards for 2017-2025, I wanted to share our views. Safe, efficient and reliable transportation impacts each individual, family and business in my city. Jobs in Montana and the Northwest region are all tied to cost effective transportation. With the recent increase in gas prices and turmoil in the Middle East, reducing fuel use and dependence on foreign oil are on all our minds. We support your efforts to improve fuel economy by laying out a long-term program, but encourage you to carefully consider a balanced and thoughtful approach. We encourage NHTSA and EPA to adopt a single, national fuel economy standard that considers America's needs for increased fuel economy while preserving the choices for families and businesses to meet their transportation needs without sacrificing affordability, safety, or jobs. NHTSA and EPA have already set strong standards for 2012-2016 that raise the fleet average by 40% to 35 miles per gallon. Looking forward, technology improvements should continue to support increases in fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards. However, we recognize that overreaching regulations can place a significant cost burden on individuals, families and businesses in Montana. It is important that standards for 2017-2025 support a broad range of consumer needs in terms of utility and function. Americans need a range of vehicles to meet their family and business needs. Large families require automobiles with sufficient passenger space, including room for multiple child-safety seats in the back. Small businesses need vans and utility vehicles to conduct commerce. Agriculture depends on pickups, as do the construction industry and local trades.

900 Gibbon St. • P.O. Box 1730 • Helena, Montana 59624 • (406) 442-2405 • Fax (406) 442-2409 • info@montanachamber.comOur region's businesses all share the need for affordable transportation. The next phase of fuel

economy standards should not pick winners and losers, but should support a variety of technologies and fuel diversity to preserve affordability. If fuel economy standards increase too quickly, resulting in more expensive vehicles, many of our region's consumers can be expected to hold on to their older vehicles longer and defer buying a new car, which could put jobs across the country at risk and delay compliance with federal air quality standards. Affordability, customer choice and job preservation is as much as priority as raising fuel economy. As the Montana Chamber of Commerce, we think every day about ways to promote job creation and security for our region. We encourage you to carefully balance the factors that impact sensible fuel economy standards, including consumer choice, affordability and the economic concerns that weigh on our nation's fragile recovery.

Webb Scott Brown President/CEO Montana Chamber of Commerce (406) 442-2405

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