The Environmental Protection Agency released a proposal on July 9 to weaken limits on pollution from heavy-duty vehicles. The current standards are set to require greater reductions in soot and smog-forming emissions from new trucks starting with model year 2027.
In response, American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer said, “Trucks are a significant source of harmful air pollution. We are deeply disappointed that EPA would propose to weaken standards that would make new trucks cleaner and communities healthier.”
Wimmer also said, “Trucks make up just a small fraction of all the vehicles on the road but generate the greatest share of harmful air pollutants. For people living in communities with heavy truck traffic, exposure to traffic-related pollution is a serious health hazard. 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.”
He added that public opinion supports stronger emission limits: “Cleaning up pollution from dirty diesel trucks is a huge opportunity to improve public health across the U.S., and the public knows it. A recent poll released by the Lung Association found that 76% of voters said that tighter emission limits on heavy-duty trucks will have a positive impact on air quality.”
Wimmer concluded by urging action against the proposal: “The Lung Association urges EPA to drop this harmful proposal, and to instead keep the current provisions in place and make sure they’re fully implemented. Everyone with lungs stands to gain from a future where trucks are cleaner and less polluting.”
The American Lung Association has supported research contributing to advancements in lung disease treatment, expanded its impact nationwide through local offices and community initiatives addressing lung diseases, received high ratings for fiscal management according to Charity Navigator, and worked through research, education, and advocacy for lung health improvement efforts across the country—all under Wimmer’s leadership, according to the organization.
