Photo by Getty Research Institute
The Environmental Protection Agency just hosted a public hearing on May 2 and 3 to take testimonials from people across the country on its proposed clean trucks standard.
What is it?
The federal truck standards will reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that trucks and buses emit, cleaning up pollution from large vehicles on the roads like transit buses, school buses, delivery trucks, and garbage trucks. In addition to contributing to the climate crisis, these vehicles are a major threat to public health for millions of Americans and especially dangerous for marginalized communities across the nation that live next to major freight corridors.
Kids and their mothers, people who live next to high-traffic highways and roads, and advocates for clean air and climate (which, it turns out is anyone who enjoys breathing clean air and living on a livable planet) came out in full force to tell the EPA why it mattered to them that the agency strengthened this important standard.
Over 25 Sierra Club volunteers, members, and staff testified, and you can see a collection of the stories in the graphics in this folder. The Sierra Club is a part of a national clean vehicles coalition that mobilized for this hearing, and coalition members used the hashtags #CleanerTrucks and #RouteZero to amplify testimony.
Didn't get to testify? You can take action online and tell the EPA why this cleaning up transportation pollution matters to you and your family!
Here's a snippet of live-tweeting we did during the hearing:
Our communties' need for strong @EPA standards comes down to this, and slashing climate pollution too! 😷🌍#CleanerTrucks#RouteZero pic.twitter.com/AMlva6xseO
— Sierra Club Live (@SierraClubLive) May 2, 2023
🧵"I grew up in India, in the capital city of Delhi, which has some of the worst air pollution in the world. As a child, I remember seeing the harms caused by polluted air from the transportation & industrial sector, as my mother suffered from bronchitis & asthma" @ShrutiBhatnagr pic.twitter.com/KydxDIvlqE
— Sierra Club Live (@SierraClubLive) May 4, 2023
The proposed locomotive amendments in the @EPA's #CleanerTrucks standard will help states get on the right track towards accountability on the rail industry. 🚂 pic.twitter.com/MAcRFiKHQv
— Sierra Club Live (@SierraClubLive) May 3, 2023
Let's finally do something on #CleanerTrucks, @EPA. pic.twitter.com/9aR42zCB1Z
— Sierra Club Live (@SierraClubLive) May 3, 2023
Our Clean Transportation for All Director @katherinejulia just spoke at @EPA hearing on new proposed #CleanerTrucks standards to cut climate pollution from trucks & buses. 🗣️
— Sierra Club Live (@SierraClubLive) May 2, 2023
Now is NOT the time for half measures.
Tell the EPA why this matters to you ✍️https://t.co/ICbZkaylCA pic.twitter.com/6th6XwlhC7
Tell EPA to strengthen ghg standards for heavy-duty trucks and buses: https://t.co/neQOiflpsr#CleanerTrucks https://t.co/zBTTadBx3S
— Sierra Club Virginia Chapter (@vasierraclub) May 3, 2023
Dirty, polluted air has serious health impacts. And people shouldn't have to (and often can't) move away from their communities to feel better.@EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. Let's get moving on it! ⚡️🚛🚚#CleanerTrucks #RouteZero pic.twitter.com/sqL5s913Zf
— Sierra Club Live (@SierraClubLive) May 2, 2023