New Jersey § 26:2c-8

§ 26:2c-8.

The Legislature finds and declares that the implementation of the National Low Emission

Vehicle program is a key component of the State's efforts to achieve on-time emissions

reductions and to attain compliance with the national ambient air quality standards,

as required pursuant to the federal “Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990,” 42 U.S.C. s.7403 et seq. ; that the State's attainment of the national ambient air quality standards will

require further, more stringent reductions in emissions of pollutants; that the California

Low Emission Vehicle program provides for greater reductions in pollutants than the

National Low Emission Vehicle program; and that the State has committed to implementing

the National Low Emission Vehicle program until 2006 but can implement the California

Low Emission Vehicle program after that year. The Legislature further finds and declares that in the summer of 2002, New Jersey

had the highest number of smog violations per monitoring station in the nation; that

in December 2003, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced its

intention to designate the entire State as out-of-compliance with the agency's health-based

standard for ozone; and that this designation by the United States Environmental

Protection Agency would require the State to adopt a stronger, more comprehensive

clean air plan for the State. The Legislature further finds and declares that a significant percentage of particulate

emissions, smog-forming emissions, and airborne cancer risk comes from vehicle emissions;

that pollution from automobiles is expected to increase with the projected population

increase estimate of an additional 1,200,000 people in the State in the next decade;

and that mobile sources of emissions have received less regulatory attention than

industrial facilities and area sources of pollution. The Legislature further finds and declares that ground-level ozone, or smog, is formed

when automobile, industrial and other pollutants chemically react with bright sunshine

and high temperatures; that ground-level ozone irritates the respiratory system and

can cause coughing, wheezing, chest pain and headaches; that ozone especially aggravates

chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis; that ground-level ozone

and other air toxics have a substantial negative impact on the health and quality

of life of residents of the State; and that reducing ground-level ozone pollution

will help reduce these negative health effects. The Legislature therefore determines that it is in the public interest to: implement

the California Low Emission Vehicle program beginning January 1, 2009; establish

a zero emission vehicle credit bank for manufacturers; establish a Low Emission Vehicle

Review Commission charged with reviewing the implementation of the program, the availability

and success of the incentive, and the technology of zero emission vehicles; and provide

an incentive for the purchase or lease of zero emission vehicles.