The
National Clean Bus Network
December
2003 Clean Bus Update
Environmental
and Energy Study Institute Carol
Werner, Executive Director
Clean
Bus Highlights
- Legislative
Update
- TEA-21
Reauthorization
- Energy
Bill
- FY’04
Appropriations
- California
Proposes Changes to Urban Bus Emission Regulations
- Preliminary
List for New Ozone Non-Attainment Areas Now Available
- Federal
Clean Bus Spending in 2001 Favored Natural Gas
LEGISLATIVE
UPDATE
TEA-21
(Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century)
Reauthorization
On
November 12th the Senate
Environment and Public Works Committee proceeded with
reauthorization of TEA-21 highway, highway safety and research
programs. The Senate now awaits action by the Banking Housing
and Urban Affairs Committee, responsible for the transit
portions of the bill, and the Finance Committee, responsible for
the revenue portions of the bill. The committee approved
reauthorization of the Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program,
providing 13.05 billion in total funding for fiscal years 2004
to 2009, an increase of 60 percent over TEA-21. The bill also
makes alternative fuel purchases eligible for CMAQ dollars.
Environmental groups have argued that the proposed CMAQ funding
increases are inadequate and that with new areas coming into
non-attainment, this additional demand for CMAQ dollars will
dilute the proposed funding increases, creating a lack of
resources for some areas. These groups propose that CMAQ funding
should be doubled over previous levels.
The
Senate Banking Committee Chairman
Richard Shelby (R-AL) has said his committee will not
meet to consider transit provisions of the bill until some
agreement has been reached on overall financing. Senate Finance
Committee leaders have proposed a bonding scheme, to which the
White House is opposed. Committee leaders in the House support a
gas tax increase, but House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX),
Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and the White House are also
opposed to this. A compromise will likely be reached that will
include a combination of revenue mechanisms. The House and
Senate have until February 29 to come to agreement on a final
bill for the President’s signature. If the deadlock on funding
and other issues continues into late February, Congress will
likely delay reauthorization a second time by passing a second
extension of TEA-21.
Meanwhile,
the bipartisan leadership of the House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released
draft language for its TEA-21 reauthorization proposal, dubbed
“TEA-LU,” the “Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for
Users.” The proposal would reauthorize the Clean
Fuels Formula Grant Program (Sec. 5308) and the Advanced
Vehicle Technologies Program (Sec. 5506), two
initiatives critical to support the deployment and development
of cleaner heavy-duty vehicles. The Committee will likely
consider the bill in early February.
Energy
Bill
Most
Senate Democrats and moderate Republicans narrowly blocked a
vote on final passage of the comprehensive energy bill (HR 6) in
late November, citing MTBE liability provisions,
anti-environment provisions and bloated tax credits for fossil
energy producers. The bill includes many provisions that would
support clean bus deployment and development. It would provide
multiple EPACT credits for medium and heavy-duty vehicles and
would provide $200 million in competitive grants to Clean Cities
Coalitions, establish a 5-year fuel cell bus demonstration
program, and fund a clean school bus program, diesel retrofit
program and a fuel cell school bus program. The Senate
leadership is looking for two more votes to halt debate on the
conference report already passed by the House. They will likely
take it up after consideration of the FY ’04 Omnibus
Appropriations bill in late January, but transportation
reauthorization and election-year wrangling may limit chances
that the bill will pass without significant changes.
FY
’04 Transportation Appropriations
The
Senate failed to vote on the $328 billion Omnibus appropriations
bill before departing for winter recess. The bill, which is a
stand-in for seven FY ’04 appropriations bills not yet sent to
the President, would fund the Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, Transportation, Treasury, the EPA and other agencies
and departments. It provides at least $25 million in earmarks
for clean bus-related projects and would fund transit-related
programs at $7.3 billion, an increase of $130 million over
FY’03 spending levels. It would significantly boost highway
spending to $33.8 billion, an increase of $6.3 billion over the
FY’03 guaranteed amount. It once again diverts funding for the
Clean Fuels Formula Grant Program to the Capital Grants Program,
under which designated non-attainment and maintenance areas for
Clean Air Act standards can receive a 90 percent federal funding
match for clean fuel and alternative fuel vehicle-related
equipment. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) is expected
to immediately request a final vote on the bill on Jan 20th
when the Senate returns to session.
California
Proposes Changes to Urban Bus Emission Regulations
Engine
manufacturers have asked the California Air Resources Board (CARB)
to modify California’s
diesel engine standards for model years 2004 to 2006 and for
model year 2007, citing their need to focus on national diesel
engine standards. Given these demands, the Air Resources Board
does not expect any diesel urban bus engines certified to the
California standards until 2010. However, alternative fuel urban
buses are being certified and should be readily available.
Because the existing urban bus standards prevent the purchase of
cleaner diesel engines for six years, CARB staff is concerned
that emissions will remain higher if the standards for future
model years are not modified. The CARB held two workshops in
early December on proposed modifications to the fleet rule and
to the engine standards.
More
information is available online at http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/bus/bus.htm
Preliminary
List of New Ozone Non-Attainment Areas Now Available
On
December 4, the Environmental Protection Agency made public a
preliminary list of regions both states and tribal nations have
identified as likely non-attainment areas for the new 8-hour
ozone standard. The EPA is working with these groups to
formalize by April
15, 2004 the list of states that will fall under federal
requirements to reduce their mobile and stationary emissions.
The preliminary list identifies 29 additional states with new
non-attainment areas under the new standard.
More
information is available online at http://www.epa.gov/ozonedesignations
Federal
Clean Bus Spending in 2001 Favored Natural Gas
In
Fiscal Year 2002, the Federal Transit Administration obligated a
total of $434.6 million for clean bus purchases. This includes
the purchase of vehicles powered by compressed natural gas,
liquefied natural gas, propane, electric battery, fuel cell,
hybrid-electric, dual mode and other fuel types. This amount is
equal to about 39 percent of FTA-supported bus purchases. Of
this total, $361.6 million went to natural gas and
propane-powered buses, an amount equal to more than 83 percent
of FTA's clean bus spending. The Capital Investment and Formula
Grants Programs provide a significant amount of funding for
metropolitan areas to purchases buses and bus-related equipment.
Non-attainment and maintenance areas that purchase clean fuel
and alternative fuel vehicle-related infrastructure to meet
Clean Air Act requirements can receive a 90 percent federal
match for these purchases with funds provided under these
programs.
The
Clean Bus Update is a monthly periodical providing an overview
of current program and policy activities related to the
deployment of low-polluting, energy efficient buses in the United
States. Topics include technology developments, clean vehicle
deployment, energy consumption, the environment, government
policy, and public health. The National Clean Bus Network is an
informal coalition of public and private sector organizations
working to increase the use of cleaner bus technologies. The National
Clean Bus Network is a free resource to all clean bus
stakeholders. Please feel free to email Ray
Minjares at rminjares@eesi.org with questions,
comments or suggestions. You may also visit our website at www.eesi.org.
