For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
More than 50 NJ Groups Urge State Lawmakers to Preserve Advanced Clean Trucks Policy
Equitable policymaking to electrify NJ’s transportation critical to protect public health
More than 50 environmental, health, labor, and justice organizations across New Jersey are urging legislative leaders to reject Senate Bill 3817/Assembly Bill 4967, which proposes delaying implementation of the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) policy. In a letter to bill sponsors and legislative leadership last week, groups say the delay threatens public health, environmental progress, and economic opportunity.
Adopted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in 2021, the ACT policy accelerates the transition to zero-emission Medium and Heavy-Duty (MHD) vehicles, addressing the state’s largest source of air pollution: transportation.
The ACT policy offers a critical framework to reduce emissions from the transportation sector while providing manufacturers the flexibility needed to gradually scale up the production and deployment of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) through flexible credit options and extended compliance timelines. This structured, phased approach strikes a balance between advancing environmental goals and accommodating the practical needs of manufacturers, ensuring a smoother transition to a cleaner, healthier future for all New Jerseyans.
“New Jersey health professionals strongly support immediate ACT implementation,” said Felicia Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, New Jersey Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, and co-lead, Clinicians for Climate Action New Jersey. “Studies by the American Lung Association and other health organizations unambiguously demonstrate that replacing gas-powered vehicles with electric vehicles will reduce air pollution-related deaths and illnesses in New Jersey. We must continue on this path toward a cleaner, healthier, and more equitable future for our children and our communities.”
"All across New Jersey, residents are standing up to major corporations to oppose the development of sprawling warehouse projects that are changing the way of life in their communities,” said Winn Khuong, Executive Director, Action Together New Jersey. “The biggest problem faced by communities living near mega-warehouses is the dramatic increase in diesel truck traffic. New Jersey legislators must support and protect our state’s clean trucks standards as a common-sense safeguard against diesel pollution."
Diesel emissions from MHD vehicles contribute to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular issues, and premature deaths. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, delaying the ACT policy until 2027, as the bill proposes, would result in up to 24 preventable premature deaths and an estimated $373 million in additional healthcare costs.
"It's hard to understand the reason for the ACT delay,” said Melissa Miles, Executive Director, NJ Environmental Justice Alliance. "Overburdened communities need clean air now. Diesel trucks, especially the older ones that still serve our NJ Ports, are spewing toxins that are making drivers, workers and communities sick. We need solutions not delays."
For communities located near highways, industrial areas, and transit routes, exposure to diesel exhaust, and emission hotspots, is daily, even hourly. ACT policy will help address a lifetime of pollution in overburdened communities, leading to cleaner air, reduced medical costs, and improved quality of life for residents in these vulnerable areas.
"By providing a clear, phased roadmap, we’re not just addressing emissions—we’re driving innovation and setting a precedent for how states can balance economic growth with environmental stewardship,” said Richard Lawton, Executive Director, New Jersey Sustainable Business Council. “Delaying ACT would unnecessarily hinder the opportunities we have to create a healthier, more sustainable future."
"It is extremely unrealistic to delay ACT in NJ when we are living in a time where there are over 3,000 warehouses presently making more than 380,000 daily truck trips. A majority of the trucks used in our freight and goods movement are highly polluting, leading to increased rates of respiratory issues like asthma,” said Tolani Taylor, NJ Zero Emissions & Warehouse Organizer, Clean Water Action. “This is the everyday reality for Black, Indigenous, and people of color who are burdened the most from this type of pollution. A two year delay of ACT means two years of more life-threatening pollution for front-line communities. Do the right thing and enforce ACT on time!"
“Diesel air pollution is a public health menace that directly pollutes our lungs, especially in our urban communities, and the ACT program charts a path forward to clean up our air by cleaning up the large trucks on our roads. This legislative push to roll back these protections is being fueled by a bad-faith effort by the trucking industry to renege on these agreements – and push out misinformation on the flexibility of the program,” said Doug O’Malley, Director, Environment New Jersey. “The Murphy administration is moving forward on charging infrastructure and was awarded federal funds to build out chargers along the Turnpike. We urge Senate President Scutari and Speaker Coughlin to slow down this effort which – if successful – would mean more air pollution in our communities.”
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities recently announced the adoption of minimum filing requirements directing the state’s investor-owned electric distribution companies to propose programs expanding charging access for MHD electric vehicles (EVs) and fleets. That same day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DEP announced the arrival of nearly $250 million to deploy EV charging infrastructure for commercial zero-emission MHD vehicles along the Interstate-95 freight corridor. DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette has said the state is fully prepared for ACT implementation in January 2025.
“We cannot let false and disingenuous claims from the trucking industry delay our transition to clean trucks in New Jersey. With our extremely dense population, dirty transportation sector, and more highways per square mile than any other state in the country, our communities, their wellbeing, and our air quality are all on the line. The industry has had four and a half years since the ACT standards first passed in California to start a phased approach and prepare for implementation. The DEP has been working hard to get New Jersey to this stage, and to be clear, we are ready,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, Director, NJ Sierra Club. “We urge our Assembly and Senate leadership and Transportation Committee members to not delay and continue towards a January 1, 2025 adoption for the sake of New Jersey communities.”
"Transportation remains New Jersey’s largest source of harmful air pollution. Truck exhaust fumes are among the dirtiest polluters of air and harm to people’s health causing asthma, cancer, and heart disease. Delaying implementation of the ACT policy would not only affect our climate, it would also keep low-income and communities of color choking on dirty air and suffering the health impacts. We simply cannot afford to wait to build the infrastructure needed to move away from dirty diesel trucks," said Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.“Electrification of MHD diesel trucks creates green jobs and reduces our toxic dependency on fossil fuels. The legislature should dismiss any attempts to slow implementation and keep overburdened communities breathing toxic air."
ACT not only drives industry innovation but also fosters collaboration and sustainability across sectors to achieve a healthier, low-emission future. Together, we can create a transportation system that protects public health, reduces emissions, and boosts our economy.
"New Jersey positioned itself as a national leader in transportation electrification and made a strong commitment to improving air quality in our communities when it adopted ACT,” said Deb Coyle, Executive Director, NJ Work Environment Council. "Delaying the implementation now, based on false claims by the trucking industry, would be a mistake, and would set our state back in meeting its goals of reducing emissions and improving air quality in our densely populated cities."
"Adopting ACT was supported by unions, community organizations, and environmental groups because it is a smart policy that will reduce pollution, improve air quality, and, over time, will create healthier working conditions for thousands of employees in New Jersey," said Drew Tompkins, Director, Jersey Renews Coalition. "The state should not delay the implementation of this policy and turn its back on all of the constituents who supported this policy because of misleading and false information coming from the moneyed interest in the trucking industry."
“The health of our residents and ecosystems depends on bold leadership to protect sacred water, clean air and a livable future today. New Jersey’s commitment to the Advanced Clean Trucks standard is one step toward a healthier, more just state for all, especially those who have borne the brunt of toxic emissions cumulatively for generations,” said Rachel Dawn Davis, Public Policy & Justice Organizer, Waterspirit. “The reduction of pollution from heavy-duty vehicles and acceleration of the transition to zero-emission solutions protect the environment and the most vulnerable among us. It is time for New Jersey’s leadership to demonstrate the moral courage necessary to maintain this rule, ensuring a healthier, more equitable tomorrow for all communities.”
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