Date:         Thu, 11 Jul 1996 17:52:08 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         tbf@pacifier.com (Todd Francis)
Subject:      Re: open your eyes - EPA Danger

 Steve Remarked:
  Even the aftermarket would last, but for the fact that the EPA and the car
>manufacturers already have put in place the means to remove our older
>vehicles from the road.  There in lies the real problem.  Even rust won't
>remove our beloved VWs from the road as fast as this huge lobby will. 
>
>Hi-all:  I've been wanting to broach this subject, but wasn't sure this was
the right forum for this subject.  But now that it's been mentioned, I'm
going to dive in.  Here in Vancouver, WA, we're fighting to stop the EPA and
our local DOE from removing our older vehicles from the road.  I don't think
any of us would object to such a program if we really thought the issue was
clean air.  But here in Vancouver, where we've never had a pollution
violation, the local authorities have in place a new test that will fail an
ever greater number of car for emissions failures.  We question the clean
air agenda when the state insists upon the necessity of testing cars four
years old and newer, when statistics show that out of 10,000 cars tested
only 39 will fail.  We question the clean air agenda when the state lets old
failing cars continue to pollute by waiver if they will spend $150 in repair
costs.  And we really question the clean air agenda when the state insists
on ever tougher regulations for cars in our area (remember: we have never
had a pollution violation), but they allow a new propane generated power
plant to be built in our area.  

The agenda is not about clean air, but is instead about taking money from us
and giving to specific big businesses, such as Envirotest--the car testing
facilitators in almost all 50 states.  The agenda is not about clean air,
but about growing the size of regulatory agencies such as the EPA.

At our recent car testing hearing in Vancouver we asked the local Dept. of
Ecology person:  Who sets the standards for "clean air"?  Her response was
that she understood how we citizens felt the standard was too harsh, but
that we needed to understand that on the other side were foundations, such
as "The American Lung Association," who were suing the EPA for even tighter
air quality control measures because they were concerned about health.  It
is interesting that the American Lung Association received a grant from the
EPA for in excess of 4 million dollars.  You don't suppose the EPA is buying
the ALA's good reputation in order to make it look like the need for the EPA
is ever greater? If you're interested, there's a great web-site on the ALA's
and the EPA's combined activities with regard to more car testing: (see
http://www.forces.org/pages/tom-ala.htm)

The bottom line here is that we must unite to fight these lobbying
interests.  My father fought and was almost killed in WWII doing what he
thought would lead to a life of freedom for himself and his family.  It is
now our responsibility to take up the fight--thank God we don't need to bear
arms.  What we do need to do is pick up a pen and paper and write to our
congressmen, our city council people, our county commissioners.  Let them
know we understand what is going on and we won't stand for it.  If people
don't wake up and take immediate action against this lobby, we will indeed
lose our beloved old VW's--and they will not have been sacrificed for the
cause of "Clean Air."

I cannot sit quietly by while the regulatory and big business interests
decide the fate of my VW's.  I will not give up without a fight.

 
>
Todd Francis             tbf@pacifier.com
'86 Westy Syncro         Vancouver, Wa