Pa. steps back from pact to reduce car pollution

Pennsylvania is not signing on to an ambitious regional pact to cut carbon dioxide and other air pollution from cars and trucks — at least not yet.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. committed to the program on Monday, the day it launched. Eight other states that had been involved in crafting the carbon cap-and-invest initiative — including Pennsylvania — are still evaluating the proposal.

The Transportation and Climate Initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles by at least 26% by 2032, with proceeds from new fuel fees reinvested in cleaner transportation options.

Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and other states that helped shape the program but didn’t sign up on Monday released a joint statement saying they will continue to collaborate on its development. The program is slated to begin in 2023 and other states can join at any time.

The initiative said that if all of the states cooperating in the program eventually commit to implementing it, the total revenue for new clean transportation projects could exceed $2 billion annually.

“Pennsylvania will continue to support the three TCI signatory states in this effort and evaluate Pennsylvania’s involvement in the future as part of a broader strategy to provide stable long-term funding of Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure,” Department of Environmental Protection press secretary Jamar Thrasher said.

The program will set a declining cap on how much carbon is emitted by vehicles in the participating states. Large fuel suppliers will have to buy allowances for each ton of carbon dioxide emitted by their gasoline and diesel. The proceeds will be spent on cleaner transportation infrastructure, like mass transit, bike lanes and electric vehicle charging stations.

Responding to environmental justice concerns, the participating states committed to investing 35% of the yearly revenue in communities with disproportionately high levels of transportation-related air pollution.

In Pennsylvania and other states, a primary concern was that the program would increase fuel costs for drivers. On Monday, the participating states estimated the program would raise gas prices by 5 to 9 cents a gallon, assuming the cost of the carbon credits is passed on to drivers.

Preliminary results from a study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and other universities this fall found that the program’s potential health benefits more than outweigh the carbon credit costs in each scenario they evaluated.

By curbing air pollution and enhancing residents’ ability to walk and bike for transport, the program could prevent up to 1,000 premature deaths and nearly 5,000 cases of childhood asthma annually in 2032 if all 13 of the initially cooperating jurisdictions participated, according to the study.

The program’s supporters say it will also have broader economic benefits and establish a new tool for mitigating climate change.

About a quarter of Pennsylvania’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation.