New EPA Rule to Clean Up Truck Pollution Will Improve Public Health, Advance Health Equity and Address Climate Change

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized new standards to limit greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles beginning in model year 2027. In response to the new limits, the American Lung Association’s President and CEO Harold Wimmer issued the following statement:

“Transportation is the largest source of pollution driving climate change. These strong standards that will help drive toward a zero-emission future for trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles are a critical part of the solution. The American Lung Association celebrates this new rule, which will improve the health of people across the U.S.

“Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced the National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy to ensure that truck routes have the infrastructure in place needed to fully support zero-emission trucks. Today’s final rule is core to that strategy and is the capstone of the EPA Clean Trucks Plan to address pollution from transportation and protect communities that are overburdened by truck pollution.

“The measures also have strong public support. A recent poll released by the Lung Association found that 72% of voters support EPA setting stricter limits on carbon emissions from heavy-duty vehicles.

“In addition to addressing climate change, cleaning up heavy-duty vehicles has immediate benefits for health. Trucks represent a small fraction of total on-road vehicles but generate the greatest share of harmful air pollutants. Exposure to traffic-related pollution is a serious health hazard to those living in communities with heavy truck traffic. The mixture of emissions has been linked to poor birth outcomes, reduced lung and cognitive development, development and worsening of chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and increased risk of dementia, cancer and premature death. 

“Cleaning up pollution from dirty diesel trucks is a huge opportunity to improve public health and promote environmental justice. In fact, according to the American Lung Association’s ‘Delivering Clean Air’ report, in communities with major trucking routes, the transition to zero-emission trucks and electricity would save 66,800 lives by 2050.

“We thank President Biden and EPA for their work to drive a nationwide transition to zero-emission vehicles. This transition is critical for improving public health, advancing health equity and addressing climate change.

“The Lung Association now calls on President Biden and EPA to continue its work finalizing clean air and climate protections, including measures to ratchet down toxic air emissions from burning coal and set much-needed limits on carbon pollution from power plants.”