Federal freight legislation

Freight movement comes at a high price for the environment and local communities. The freight sector alone represents nearly a quarter of the transportation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, or approximately 8% of total US carbon dioxide emissions.

The fine particle pollution from U.S. diesel engines—the most common engines used in freight—is estimated to shorten the lives of nearly 21,000 people each year.

Freight elements of federal transportation bill

The federal transportation bill reauthorization, expected to occur next year, offers a chance to solve two critical problems at once. It can ensure that the country’s freight system is modernized, while freight transportation’s pollution is minimized.

Working with representatives of environmental groups, environmental justice organizations, ports, transportation agencies, health advocates and others, Environmental Defense Fund staff helped develop a consensus on elements that should be included in the new transportation bill to improve the freight system.

Bills in Congress: the FREIGHT Act

In July 2010, U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg, Patti Murray, and Maria Cantwell introduced the "Focusing Resources, Economic Investment, and Guidance to Help Transportation Act of 2010" (S.3629) also known as the FREIGHT Act.

This bill proposes an approach to funding improvements in key freight hubs in a way that would also reduce the system’s pollution. A twin FREIGHT Act was also introduced in the House (H.R.5976) by U.S. Representatives Albio Sires, Steve Cohen, Adam Smith, and Laura Richardson.

Both of these bills are expected to influence the freight sections of the reauthorized federal transportation bill. They are also helping develop a legislative consensus on freight system spending that will serve economic and environmental goals.