Emissions plan worries rural lawmakers
Adopting a tougher standard is a step Minnesota can take toward reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases that cause global warming, bill sponsor Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, told a House committee Thursday.
It would spur research and production of cleaner-burning vehicles, save consumers money and promote the use of corn-based ethanol fuel, she said. A blend of E85 fuel – a mixture of 85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline – emits less carbon than traditional fuel.
And besides, Hortman said, even if it does not impact global warming, “these are policies we should adopt because they’re good for Minnesota.”
Even as the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee approved the proposal 10-7, supporters said they will work to address several concerns raised by rural legislators and automotive industry officials.
Some legislators worry California could alter its policy to include all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles. Among Democrats who voted against the measure were Rep. Dave Olin of Thief River Falls, whose legislative district includes Polaris and Arctic Cat facilities, and Dave Dill of Crane Lake, in far northern Minnesota.
“I’ve seen the nose of the camel under the tent once before in my life, so I’m kind of worried which end of the camel I’m looking at,” said Dill.
He wondered what vehicles might someday be included in the standards and whether the plan could hurt automotive dealers near the state border.
Kent Eken, the committee’s chairman, said concerns the requirements could be expanded to include all-terrain vehicles and even aircraft are unwarranted.
The Twin Valley DFLer said adopting the California guidelines could be a way to promote renewable energy – a growing industry around the state -- because automotive manufacturers could make more vehicles that run on that type of fuel to meet an emissions guideline.
“I really see this as being a benefit to rural Minnesota,” Eken said.
The plan would affect the sale of new passenger vehicles in Minnesota, including cars, sport utility vehicles and trucks. Commercial trucks would not be included when the average emissions of the state’s vehicle fleet is calculated.
Hortman said states can choose to abide by federal emissions requirements or to adopt a stricter set of policies developed by the state of California, which she proposes Minnesota do.
But not everyone is convinced Minnesota should follow California, which still is awaiting a federal waiver for its program.
Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, voted against the measure. He said it could force Minnesota to become “an island in a group of states” without the California policy. He also worried how such a policy would impact Minnesota, which sells more trucks – which generally have poorer emissions than cars – than does California.
Even if Minnesota adopted California’s policy, it could return to the federal guidelines if lawmakers wanted.
“We’re not locked into this,” said Rep. Frank Moe, a Bemidji DFLer who backed the proposal.
Automobile dealers and manufacturers oppose the measure.
Scott Lambert of the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association said rural Minnesota dealers could be hurt most. They traditionally sell more trucks than do dealers elsewhere, he said, and the proposed standards could force those dealers to sell fewer trucks.
“In Willmar and Fergus Falls and Grand Rapids, you can only sell so many (Ford) Focuses,” Lambert said.
Jim Ehlmann, vehicle emissions manager for General Motors, said new vehicles are equipped with advanced catalytic converters and computers designed for optimum emissions performance. That already has resulted in vehicles that are 99 percent cleaner than vehicles without those controls, he said.
General Motors supports Minnesota’s goals of reducing vehicle emissions, but believes a national program is needed versus a state-by-state approach, Ehlmann said.
The bill must be heard by at least two more House committees before reaching a floor vote. Hortman said senators soon will begin considering a companion version.
