Elected Officials, Community Activists, and Environmental Advocates Urge EPA to Strengthen Clean Trucks Proposal

VIRTUAL – Today, elected officials, community activists, and environmental and transportation advocates gathered for a virtual panel to discuss the massive opportunity and responsibility the Environmental Protection Agency has this year to strengthen its proposed regulation to clean up pollution from heavy-duty vehicles.

The panel discussed the significance of this issue for public health, environmental justice, and climate action and urged the EPA to listen to advocates and make the rule stronger to slash diesel pollution in frontline communities and tackle the climate crisis. 

Though trucks and buses make up only 10 percent of all vehicles on the road in the US, they spew 45 percent of the transportation sector’s nitrogen oxide pollution, 57 percent of its fine particulate matter pollution, and 28 percent of climate-disrupting emissions. This air pollution is linked to a host of health problems, including childhood asthma, chronic illnesses, lung cancer, and premature death.

The trucks regulated by this rule will be on the road for decades, so these heavy-duty vehicles must be cleaned up as soon as possible. The EPA’s current proposal has two parts: A NOx standard and a greenhouse gas standard. None of the options are sufficient enough to significantly reduce pollution from the dirtiest vehicles on our road.

The public hearing date(s) for the EPA rule are April 12 and 13, 2022.

QUOTES FROM PANELISTS:

“Latino and Black communities like the ones I represent in Chicagoland suffer disproportionately from the harmful effects of pollution from trucks. That means more heart attacks and respiratory illnesses and higher rates of asthma in my community because of this pollution,” said Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-4). “The EPA’s proposed rule to clean up truck pollution is a good start, but it needs to be stronger to fully address the impacts of truck pollution. We need to transition to zero emission truck sales by 2035 to fully electrify the trucking sector and finally address the environmental justice issues truck pollution creates.”

“These rules are long overdue, the EPA has known for years through scientific studies the adverse impacts of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) to the environment and human health,” said Detroit Organizer and Community Activist Theresa Landrum. “The reduction of NOx by ten percent will make a significant impact on the reduction of greenhouse gases. Just think of how much of an impact this would make if these rules were adopted across the globe. Studies show children in heavily industrialized communities that are exposed to NOx are at a higher risk of having asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases.”

“Right now, the EPA has a critical opportunity to make peoples’ lives better by setting strong clean truck standards,” said Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz. “The current proposal lacks what is necessary to tackle the climate crisis and get zero-emission trucks on our roads so that all communities can breathe easier. We urge the EPA to listen to the frontline communities and advocates urging the agency to side with people over profit, and not cave to the whims of industry that is lobbying to stick to the status quo of fossil fueled transportation for decades to come.”

“EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan will impact the next 30 years of air quality in the US. It’s critical that EPA get this policy right,” said Jimmy O’Dea, Deputy Director of Trucks at CALSTART. “This means sending a clear signal towards the widespread adoption of zero-emission trucks and buses and reducing emissions from combustion engines that will continue to be made during this transition. The technology is here, we need the policy to match it.”