WASHINGTON, D.C. -  Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air Resources Board, will be a member of the keynote panel at the Society of Automotive Engineers conference.

WHO: Mary Nichols, Chairman, CARB

WHEN: 9:15 a.m., Monday, May 12

WHERE: L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, 480 L'Enfant Plaza, SW

Ms. Nichols will be available for media questions following the panel (11:30 a.m.).

The subject of the panel on Monday morning is: "The New Reality - CAFE and CO2 Reduction - What Does the Future Hold?"  Ms. Nichols will be making the case that California's clean car laws (the Pavley regulations) are more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions than federal fuel economy standards, and that automakers and the federal government should cease their strategy of opposition and allow California and 13 other states to enforce and establish more stringent greenhouse gas emission standards for cars than the existing federal standards.

Also on the panel:

•  Red Cavaney, President and CEO, American Petroleum Institute
•  Margo Oge, Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, USEPA
•  David McCurdy, President and CEO, Alliance of Auto Manufacturers
•  Ron Medford, Sr. Associate Administrator, NHTSA

To arrange interviews with Ms. Nichols in D.C. on May 12 and 13, please contact Stanley Young.

To arrange for press access to the conference, contact Karen Tardich, Corporate Communications Coordinator, ktardich@sae.org 248-273-4092.