Dear NRDC Activist,

Dirty diesel trucks are a menace to our health.

For decades, dirty air from diesel trucks has polluted our communities and fueled an urgent public health crisis across the country.

Dirty diesel-engine trucks are a significant source of harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gases that threaten our health, fuel climate change, and disproportionately burden low-income communities and communities of color.

But right now, the Biden administration has a responsibility to change that. The EPA is developing standards for how much air pollution new heavy-duty vehicles are allowed to emit — but their proposed standards do NOT go far enough and do not adequately address the high levels of pollution that frontline environmental justice organizations have been fighting for years.

The administration is accepting public comments on the plan until May 13th. Will you take action to push EPA to strengthen critical heavy-duty vehicle emissions standards?

The transportation sector is the #1 source of greenhouse gas pollution in America, and heavy-duty trucks pump out nearly 25% of the sector's emissions, despite comprising less than 10% of vehicles on the road.

And while the U.S. is making progress in improving gas mileage and vehicle charging infrastructure, we're lagging in reducing emissions from the freight and heavy-duty vehicle sector.

That's why we need the Biden administration to set the strongest diesel engine standards possible and establish a national zero-emission truck requirement — it will help slash truck pollution, increase the number of zero-emission trucks on the road, and bring health benefits more quickly to the communities that need them most.

Act now: Submit an urgent public comment and help fight for cleaner, more climate-friendly trucks across the U.S.

The war in Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis only underscores the dire need for the U.S. and the world to move away from fossil fuels. Russia's invasion is another instance in the long history of autocratic petro states using fossil fuels as a weapon.

We need to move towards a world free of both war and fossil fuels, as the two are inextricably linked. We must speed the shift to 100% clean energy sources.

Right now, enacting strong clean truck standards is one of the most critical actions the U.S. can take to tackle the global energy crisis and cut back on fossil fuel dependence. Will you submit a public comment before the deadline?

Thanks for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Patricio Portillo
Senior Advocate, Clean Vehicles & Fuels Group, NRDC

P.S. EPA is holding two virtual hearings on this crucial proposal on April 12th and 13th. First submit your comment, and then sign up with EPA to testify. If you need help preparing your testimony, please RSVP to join our workshop.