Dear John,

The transportation sector is the leading source of climate pollution in the U.S. — and heavy-duty vehicles are a big part of the problem. 

Despite making up only 10% of vehicles on the road, medium and heavy-duty trucks contribute 25% of all climate pollution from the transportation sector. This extraordinary source of pollution puts all Americans at risk, with the health burden disproportionately impacting people of color and lower income families — and it’s time we did something about it.

EPA has announced a proposal to address pollution from trucks, but it doesn’t go far enough. Submit a public comment and tell EPA to adopt strongest possible pollution standards for trucks.

Medium and heavy-duty trucks are major sources of NOx emissions, a potent precursor to smog-forming, ground-level ozone pollution. These same vehicles also account for over 60% of all particle pollution — a form of air pollution that cuts short tens of thousands of lives in the US every year. 

Families living closest to roads, highways, ports, distribution centers and freight depots are particularly vulnerable to tailpipe pollution from heavy duty vehicles — which contributes to a number of respiratory illnesses, such as asthma in children, and can even cause premature death. That reason alone shows why the U.S. needs to enact standards that puts America’s truck and bus fleet on a clear roadway to 100% zero-emission sales by 2035.

Enough is enough. To protect the health of our communities, and to address environmental injustices, EPA must take urgent action to strengthen the proposed standards today to reduce pollution from heavy duty vehicles. Submit a public comment and urge EPA to take urgent action!

Thank you for your leadership,

Wes Rogerson
Manager, Grassroots Organizing & Activism