Confronting Economic and Social Realities, 1980–1999 187
DOCUMENT 141: California Air Resources Board Lowers its Vehicle
Emissions Standards (1990, 1996)The California Air Resources Board (CARB) was created in 1968 by Governor Ronald Reagan as an independent
state agency to establish pollution emission standards for air polluters in California, including automobiles and
oil refineries. In the 1980s, however, as president of the United States, Reagan headed what many view as the
most anti-environmental administration of the latter half of the twentieth century.
For years California’s air pollution problem had been substantial, in part because the state’s climate
and geography work together to help produce what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls
“nonattainment” conditions (meaning that the EPA standards for air quality are not met). Cities in California
may average as many as 109 nonattainment days per year, while cities and areas of high pollution situated on
the other side of the Rocky Mountains in generally have fewer than fifty nonattainment days per year.
The CARB vehicle emissions standards set in September1990, whose strength may have been encouraged by
GM president Roger Smith’s pronouncements earlier in the year [see Document 140], proved difficult to meet,
however, and in 1996, weaker standards replaced them. This was but one of many instances around the nation
in which environmental goals set by federal, state, and local agencies and legislatures have been downgraded
or ignored. Retreat from strict environmental standards has often occurred when the public or industry has
deemed the cost of needed technology too high or the change in business activity or lifestyle too great.A. Original CARB Proposal for Vehicle
Emissions Standards, September 1990
More than three-fourths of California’s
residents live in areas that do not meet at least
one state or federal ambient air quality stand-
ard. Many areas of the state, including the
South Coast, Bay Area, and Central Coast are
non-attainment areas for the state ozone stand-
ard. Mobile sources are the largest contribu-
tors of precursors that react in the atmosphere
to form ozone. These ozone precursors include
hydrocarbons (or organic gases) and oxides of
nitrogen (NOX). Atmospheric ozone and other
pollutants emitted directly by vehicles, including
carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter
(PM), are associated with respiratory irritation
and illness. Motor vehicles also emit a substan-
tial portion of both known and potential toxic
air contaminants. Vehicle-related toxics include
benzene, a known human carcinogen, as well as
potential carcinogens such as 1,3 butadiene, for-
maldehyde, acetaldehyde and diesel particulate.
Implementation of the proposed regulations
would benefit air quality by reducing vehicle
emissions throughout the state. The staff esti-
mates that by 2010, the regulations would:
• reduce vehicular emissions of non-meth-
ane organic gases (NMOG) by 28 percent
and NOX by 18 percent;
• reduce vehicular emissions of CO by 8
percent and PM by about 2 percent;
• reduce vehicular toxics (benzene,
1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, acetalde-
hyde, and diesel particulates) associated
with reactive organic gases and the asso-
ciated potential cancer burden by about
20 to 40 potential cases per year statewide
by 2010; and
• possibly reduce emissions of compounds
identified as green- house gases that may
contribute to global warming.
Beginning in the mid-1990’s, vehicle manu-
facturers would be required to produce vehicles
that meet TLEV [transitional limited emission
vehicle], LEV [limited emission vehicle], ULEV
[ultra-low emission vehicle], or ZEV [zero emis-
sion vehicle] exhaust emission standards. The
emission standards for these vehicle categories
differ in stringency, ranging from a 50 percent
reduction in hydrocarbon emissions for TLEVs
(compared to conventional gasoline-fueled
vehicles sold in the same period) to allowing no
emissions of any pollutants for ZEVs.