Clearing the Air: The Low-Emission Vehicle II Program and Its Impacts on New Jersey

Chronic and persistent air pollution problems pose an excessive cancer risk to millions of New Jersey residents. While individual cars have become significantly cleaner over the last three decades, more vehicles than ever travel longer distances than ever on New Jersey's highways, muting the effects of tougher air pollution standards. Beginning in 2006, the state will be eligible to implement California's Low-Emission Vehicle II (LEV II) and Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standards for automobiles--standards that are more stringent than the comparable federal standards and have already been adopted by several northeastern states. This report explores ten important questions that have arisen during the debate over the LEV II/ZEV program.