California Approves Strong New Protections against Unhealthy Pollution from Freight Trucks

(February 9, 2018) – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has voted unanimously to adopt strong new pollution standards for freight trucks.

“CARB’s vote for safer, cleaner freight trucks will help protect the health of California families and communities against the impacts of climate change and dangerous pollution linked to asthma attacks, heart and lung diseases, and cancer,” said EDF attorney Alice Henderson. “Protective standards will spur new technology for trucks, advancing the California economy. At a time when the Trump Administration is trying to roll back vital health and environmental protections, it’s even more welcome to see strong leadership from states like California.”

Henderson testified for EDF at yesterday’s hearing before the vote. EDF also submitted comments, along with a coalition of environmental and public health groups. You can read the full comments here.

CARB voted to incentivize technologies for zero emission trucks, to adopt standards for trailers, and not to allow a loophole that would have exempted super-polluting glider trucks from its pollution standards.

Glider trucks are heavy-duty freight trucks with refurbished engines that lack modern pollution controls. They can emit harmful pollution at a rate up to 450 times that of other freight trucks. EPA took action in the 2016 Clean Truck Standards to curb emissions glider trucks, but EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is now trying to create a legal loophole to allow glider trucks to evade modern pollution controls.

Representatives from the heavy-duty freight truck industry, including the American Trucking Associations, the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, voiced their support for California’s adoption of these standards.