(LAS VEGAS, NV) – Today, Congressman Steven Horsford and Moms Clean Air Force Nevada Coordinator Mercedes McKinley, Nevada Conservation League Digital Media Manager Yazmyn Pelaez, and former UNLV Student Body President Caren Yap held a press conference to call on the Biden Administration and Nevada’s federal elected officials to support a new round of stronger federal clean car standards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Speakers urged the EPA to introduce the new standards in the next few weeks.
Advocates say this new rule will make good on promises from President Biden and his administration to put in place the strongest possible standards and drive investments in clean cars and zero pollution electric vehicles and protect public health.
“I am calling on the EPA and Biden Administration to enact the strongest possible clean vehicle standards at the federal level,” said Rep. Horsford. “We can reduce harmful tailpipe emissions while spurring manufacturing and job growth in this new clean energy economy. These standards would help Nevada make the most out of the monumental climate investments in the Inflation Reduction Act we passed last Congress.”
Yazmyn Pelaez, the Digital Media Manager for the Nevada Conservation League reiterated that new standards will be an economic benefit.
“By making cars cleaner, we can dramatically cut pollution that is damaging the health of Nevadans, address longstanding environmental injustice, and expand Nevada’s clean energy economy. These jobs will bolster our state’s manufacturing capacity with well-paying jobs in clean energy and electric vehicles.”
All the speakers outlined the need for a new round of clean cars standards and urged the EPA to move quickly to enact new strong tailpipe pollution limits for model years 2027 and beyond to limit carbon pollution and spur the clean energy economy. They say the Biden Administration and EPA need to urgently address the problem of tailpipe pollution from cars and light duty trucks that endanger the health of Las Vegas and other Nevada communities, particularly those most vulnerable who have already suffered disproportionately from pollution impacts and can ill afford it.
“Nevadans can’t afford the cost of inaction, which is more pollution that harms our health and environment,” said Mercedes McKinley, Moms Clean Air Force Nevada Coordinator. “Across Nevada there are almost 50,000 children and over 231,000 adults that suffer from asthma. Clark, Carson City and Washoe Counties all receive ‘F’ grades for ozone pollution, and we have the tools at our disposal to change that – and strong clean cars standards are one of those valuable tools.” Moms Clean Air Force also sponsored the virtual event.
Event speakers also lauded Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen as well as other members of Nevada’s congressional delegation for their previous support for strong clean car standards, but encouraged them to call on the EPA to build on previous clean car standards by setting even stronger limits for the next round that could be issued this year. They emphasized the goal of fighting for these longer term standards is to protect families, children and seniors’ health.
The transportation sector is the leading source of the carbon pollution driving climate change. Making cars cleaner can dramatically cut pollution damaging the health of Nevada residents as well as reduce pollution driving climate change, avert the most catastrophic impacts of the climate crisis, and address longstanding environmental and economic injustice.
A recording of the event is available HERE.
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