SEVEN STATES have adopted California's automobile emissions standards, which are tougher than those of the federal government, and Maryland lawmakers are considering a bill that would follow suit. Many car dealers oppose the legislation, fearing it would add to the price of new cars and cost them business. Environmentalists, citing polls, insist that Maryland drivers are willing to pay more for cars if they are able to recoup the cost over time through better mileage. To sweeten the chances of passage, the environmentalists have attached an amendment that would allow a future governor -- without consulting the legislature -- to opt out of the bill's emission requirements if they were causing car prices to soar. In all the back and forth, it is possible to lose sight of the fact that Maryland's air quality is poor and unhealthful and that vehicle exhaust is one of the principal culprits. That's why the General Assembly should enact the Clean Cars Act.

The bill is facing key committee votes in the state House and Senate, and fence-sitting lawmakers are being subjected to a barrage of technical-sounding position papers from both sides. Among the criticisms from those opposed to the legislation is that it would make Maryland's regulation subject to decisions in Sacramento. That argument has a fine populist ring -- Maryland for Marylanders! -- but it overlooks the fact that the federal government has dragged its feet in cutting pollutants from auto emissions, leaving ecologically minded states little choice. Seven states -- New York, New Jersey, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Massachusetts -- have followed California's lead because it offers the option of tougher standards.

If passed and signed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., the legislation would take effect in the 2009 automobile model year, at which point a certain percentage of cars and trucks sold in the state would have to be low-emissions vehicles. In the first phase, the law would affect smog and toxic chemicals; the second phase, which would take effect gradually with full implementation in 2016, would require that vehicles produce fewer greenhouse gases, which scientists believe contribute to global warming. Tougher emissions requirements would be reflected in higher sticker prices, though no one knows for sure how much higher. But for the environment and public health, the price of inaction is higher.