New York Must Prevent Asthma with Advanced Clean Trucks Rule
Advanced Clean Trucks Rule saves lives and reduces tailpipe pollution, Now corporate polluters want to roll it back.
Amid polluter pressure to undermine or delay New York’s adoption of the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) program, New Yorkers come together to defend clean air and life-saving policy. Recognizing the urgent need to address this crisis, New York joined states across the country in adopting the Advanced Clean Truck standards in 2021. These standards were designed in direct collaboration with truck manufacturers with ample built-in flexibilities to ensure the life-saving shift to cleaner trucks would be feasible for industry.
Diesel truck pollution has long been fueling an air quality crisis in areas like the South Bronx, where over 15,000 trucks spew dangerous exhaust every day. This tailpipe pollution has been linked to major health hazards including lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illness, like asthma. Because of this high concentration of diesel trucks, air quality in the South Bronx is among the worst in the entire state, with asthma rates eight times the national average.
The Problem: Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Pollution
Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) significantly contribute to New York’s carbon emissions. MHDVs include buses, pickups, vans, garbage trucks, and long-haul trucks. Currently, there are over 600,000 MHDVs active in New York State that collectively travel 11.5 billion miles annually and emit over 15.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. That’s about a quarter of all on-road vehicle emissions in the state.
The Solution: Electrification through the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule
The Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule is the quickest and most effective way to get MHDVs electrified on a large scale. The proposed regulation requires that MHDV manufacturers gradually produce and sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) through 2035, with annual targets that vary by vehicle class.
The Many Benefits of Truck Electrification
The ACT is an essential step towards achieving New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) mandates. The CLCPA commits the state to net zero emissions by 2050 and to reduce GHG emissions by 85% from 1990 levels. The ACT will reduce annual fleet GHG emissions by 41% by 2050 and jump-start the transition to electric vehicles.
The ACT will Save Money and Create Jobs
The technology to begin large-scale electrification of vehicles exists today and for many types of vehicles is, or will soon be, cost-effective on a lifetime basis compared to diesel vehicles. For example, over its lifetime, an electric truck can save nearly $30,000 in lowered fuel and maintenance costs.
Elizabeth Moran is a policy advocate based in the Northeast Office. Based in New York’s Capital Region, Liz advocates for policies to combat the climate crisis, protect water quality, keep public health and the environment safe from toxic chemicals, and to create more sustainable food and farming practices.
Established in 2008, Earthjustice’s Northeast Office, located in New York City, is at the forefront of issues at the intersection of energy, environmental health, and social justice.
