car environmental news, 4/1/09

Calif. stations face deadline for new gas pumps, via Business Week

 

Service station owners throughout California face a Wednesday deadline to install gasoline pumps that reduce air pollution, a costly development that prompted a trade association to warn that thousands of stations might close.

Those fears now appear overblown. Thousands of gas stations have already complied, and those that have not are expected to be given additional time.

Lawmakers also are considering emergency legislation that would provide grant money to help ease the financial pain of a retrofit that can cost $11,000 per pump.

Obama to Automakers: Make Greener American Cars or Go Under, via TreeHugger

Yesterday, big news broke that Obama denied Chrysler and GM further bailout funds. Both had submitted plans detailing how they’d use the funding to get their companies back on track. Both were deemed ‘not viable’. How did they fail to make the grade? One reason was neither planned on going green enough–after rejecting both plans, the Obama administration laid out a “Path to Viability” for both companies. Common to both? Putting more effort and resources towards developing and selling fuel efficient vehicles. Yes, Obama’s bailout refusal should lead to greener American cars.

 

 

they have me so confused

It seems that for every handful of bad deeds performed by the EPA, they counter with one good deed. I feel like I am in a bad relationship where I stick around through all the terrible, because the good is just oh-so-good.

This posts “Top Ten” list is of a different nature and comes from the EPA. They have created their version of the FBI Most Wanted list, by posting pictures and data on the men with the most heinous environmental crimes.

A top EPA enforcement official said the people on the list represent the “brazen universe of people that are evading the law.” Many face years in prison and some charges could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

“They are charged with environmental crimes, and they should be brought before the criminal justice system and have their day in court,” said Pete Rosenberg, a director in the agency’s criminal enforcement division.

The list includes men like John Karayinnades who dumped oil contaminated grain off the coast of Florida or Joseph O’Connor who dumped pollutants off the coast of San Diego.

But my one question for the EPA is: where are the CEO’s of Ford or GM for polluting the air with high emissions SUV’s sold by the millions? Or, the United States Navy for their illegal practice of dumping trash off the air craft carriers, polluting our oceans? Or, our current President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for allowing ruling after ruling, in favor of the planet, to be vetoed or overturn at the behest and benefit of a power company, pharmaceutical company, chemical company or the like?

And while I think the list is important, and does include people that need to be charged with crimes, I think their crimes pale in comparison to the onslaught against the environment that other men have committed. However, I am also aware that the nature of our country is that the men missing are the men we reward… with $15 million.

You can find the EPA list, here: http://www.epa.gov/fugitives/