EPA Plan to Reduce Nitrogen Oxides from Big Diesel Trucks Must Achieve Protective Real-World Results, Address the Danger of Climate Pollution - EDF

(Washington, D.C. – November 13, 2018) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an initiative today that could eventually include strengthening standards for nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution from newly manufactured diesel freight trucks and buses.

“Any plan to reduce dangerous nitrogen oxides pollution from big diesel trucks must be able to achieve protective real-world results – without the type of cheating we saw during the Volkswagen scandal,” said EDF General Counsel Vickie Patton. “Any plan also must address both nitrogen oxides and climate-destabilizing pollution, and create incentives for deploying innovative clean technologies that address the array of harmful pollutants that threaten American lives. Fortunately, there are made-in-America solutions at hand that can protect public health and advance climate safety while creating jobs. We’ll be following EPA’s efforts closely to see if they adopt them.”

Heavy-duty vehicles, like freight trucks and buses, are one of the largest sources of nitrogen oxides and climate pollution in America. NOx pollution is a key precursor to serious public health hazards like smog and particulate matter, and climate pollution is associated with extreme weather, including more powerful storms, more flooding, and the rising temperatures that worsen dangerous air pollution and fires.

EDF submitted a petition to EPA in 2016 calling for stronger standards. Others – including the American Lung Association, the National Association of City and County Health officials, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District – have also urged EPA to take action to reduce nitrogen oxides pollution.