From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Sierra Club Statement: Mineta Departs as Transportation Secretary
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:23:56 -0700




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 23, 2006

C0NTACT:
Eric Antebi 415-977-5747

     Sierra Club Welcomes the Departure of Norman Mineta as Secretary of
                               Transportation

   Statement by Dan Becker, Sierra Club Energy and Global Warming Program

"In his six years in office, Secretary Mineta has unfortunately failed to
carry out his responsibility to substantially raise fuel economy standards
to curb America's oil addiction.   Under President Bush, Mineta oversaw
both a slight 1.5mpg increase for SUVs and other light trucks and an
overall reduction of 1.2 mpg  for cars, SUVs and trucks.

"Sierra Club and several states have sued Secretary Mineta for scrapping
the fleetwide CAFE standards in favor of a new, weaker sized-based program
which effectively gives automakers the power to determine whether America
saves oil or not.

"In addition to weakening CAFE standards, Mineta’s Department increased 
our
addiction to oil in other ways.  In 2002, Mineta's Department coauthored a
Report to Congress that documented that the Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV)
program would result in an increase in our oil addiction by approximately
17 billion gallons.  Soon after this report was issued, the Department of
Transportation worked to widen the FFV program.  The FFV program supposedly
encourages the use of alternative fuels by allowing automakers that build
'dual fuel' vehicles to inflate their fuel economy numbers.  Unfortunately,
according to the Department of Transportation, less than 1 percent of the
1.2 million flexible fuel vehicles on the road actually run on ethanol.
That’s because less than 600 of the roughly 175,000 gas stations across 
the
country offer E-85 fuel.

"Sierra Club calls on the President to appoint a new Transportation
Secretary who will carry out the law, and take the biggest single step to
ending oil addiction, saving consumers money at the pump and curbing global
warming--a 40 mile/gallon standard for all vehicles.   A new Transportation
Secretary must also accelerate light rail construction, promote greater
public transportation choices, and fight vigorously for protecting and
enhancing AMTRAK."

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