The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the Clean Air Act waiver on Tuesday, June 30, that Arizona �“ as well as 13 other states and the District of Columbia �“ needs to implement its program to reduce global-warming pollution from passenger vehicles.

The program would reduce Arizona’s global-warming pollution by 25.8 million metric tons �“ the equivalent of eliminating the pollution from 4,854,029 cars for a year �“ and save consumers $5,539,891,837 at the pump by 2020, according to an Arizona PIRG Education Fund analysis.

“The Clean Cars Program will help kick our dependence on oil, reduce pollution, and save consumers money at the pump. We applaud President Obama and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson for allowing the states to be in the driver’s seat and we applaud ADEQ for navigating the overwhelming support for the adoption of the Clean Cars Program in Arizona,” said Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of the Arizona PIRG Education Fund.

The Bush EPA rejected the waiver in December 2007, effectively blocking Arizona’s program. As one of his first acts in office, President Obama directed the EPA to reconsider the decision.

The announcement is a cornerstone of the agreement, which President Obama announced last month, between the states, automakers, U.S. EPA, and the U.S. Department of Transportation to establish uniform federal standards to reduce global warming pollution and improve the fuel economy of passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles, covering model years 2012 through 2016 and modeled off of the state program.

More information on the Clean Cars Program can be found at www.arizonapirg.org.