HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 00-167 N.C.S. 09/05/2000 1 ~eSO~UtI011 T~TO. 00-167 N.C.~.
2 of the City of Petaluma, California
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5 IBS®I,IJ'I'I®N SiJPP®I2TING ZER® EMISSI®N VE~IICI,ES
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8 WHEREAS, motor vehicle exhaust continues to be a major source of ground level ozone and
9 toxic air contaminants as well as other air pollutants, which are major contributors to asthma and
10 other lung diseases; and
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12 WHEREAS, 4.2 million Californians suffer from lung disease, which is growing faster than most
13 leading killers; and
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15 WHEREAS, more than 95 percent of Californians live in areas that do not meet health-based
16 federal or state air quality standards; and
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18 WHEREAS, passenger cars and light trucks contribute approximately 50 percent of the smog-
19 producing gases in the Redwood Empire region; and
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21 WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma recognizes and supports the need to reduce the use of
22 petroleum-based fuels and promote the use of alternative methods of transportation, especially
23 zero and near zero-emission technologies; and
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25 WHEREAS, zero emission vehicles have no tailpipe exhaust, no evaporative emissions from fuel
26 systems, no emissions from the refining of fuel, and do not have emission control systems that
27 can degrade over time; and
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29 WHEREAS, electric power plants in California are among the cleanest in the world, and even
30 when taking power plants' emissions into account, zero emission vehicles are over ninety percent
31 cleaner than the cleanest gasoline-powered vehicle; and
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00-167 Page 1 of 2
Resolution No. N.C.S.
1 WHEREAS, using current projections, major auto manufacturers will need to produce and offer
2 for sale approximately 20,000 electric vehicles to comply with the State regulations that are
3 required for the 2003 model year; and
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5 WHEREAS, owners of more than a thousand electric vehicles being operated daily in California
6 have demonstrated that electric vehicles are a safe, reliable, and environmentally sound
7 transportation solution for a vast majority of trips made by California drivers; and
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9 WHEREAS, the demand for electric vehicles has far outstripped the automobile manufacturer's
10 willingness. to voluntarily produce enough electric vehicles to meet that demand; and
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12 WHEREAS, the electric vehicle technology has proven itself fundamentally sound; and
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14 WHEREAS, the electric vehicle technology and 10% state mandate for zero emission vehicles
15 by 2003 is driving automobile manufacturers to develop ultra-clean gasoline, hybrid electrics,
16 and ultimately fuel cell vehicles.
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18 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Mayor and Members of the Petaluma City
19 Council do hereby urge its legislative delegation in Sacramento to ask the Governor for his
20 support of the existing electric vehicle mandate.
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22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and Members of the Petaluma City Council
23 encourage Governor Gray Davis and his appointed members of the California Air Resources
24 Board to take a strong stand on environmental health and the future of air quality for all
25 Californians and uphold the current zero emission vehicle mandate.
Under the power and authority conferred upon this Council by the Charter of said City.
R,F~ERENCE: I hereby certify the foregoing Resolution was introduced and adopted by the Approved as to
Ll Council of the City of Petaluma at a (Regular) ~#~d~X(~ffeY~Dj meeting form
28 on the .._...18.1<.~1_...... day of ..........S~I?.t.ellllaex.,....2Q.0.0.., by the
following vote: i....._..........:.......
Ci y Attorney
AYES: Healy, Cader-Thompson, Keller, Maguire, Vice Mayor Torliatt,
Mayor Thompson
NOES: None
ABSENT: Hamilton
ATTEST;.
City"Clerk Mayor
Gbuaci! Fil
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