Biden administration accelerates plans to slash truck pollution

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The Biden administration wants to cut down on truck pollution. The new rule proposed by the EPA would require new trucks to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 90 percent by 2031. Biden is taking aim at greenhouse gas pollution by increasing efforts to switch out diesel-burning vehicles with electric or hydrogen-powered trucks and buses.

The White House fact sheet states that the moves reflect technological advances in zero-emissions heavy-duty vehicles. The bipartisan infrastructure law passed last year gave money for cleaner-burning vehicles. Climate change and cleaning up the air in communities that have been disproportionately burdened with pollution are two priorities of President Joe Biden.

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are one of the primary pollutants that cause smog in the US, and heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses are the biggest source. NOx emissions can make it harder for people with asthma and other respiratory diseases to breathe. Exposure to high levels of NOx can cause asthma. According to the fact sheet, the EPA's new rule could prevent 2,000 premature deaths a year. It could prevent thousands of hospital and ER visits each year.

The White House fact sheet says that neighborhoods near highways, ports, and other congested areas are impacted by health problems and premature deaths associated with dirty diesel exhaust. When supply chains were disrupted last year, pollution got worse for some neighborhoods. Smog-forming nitrogen dioxide pollution is a bigger problem for Americans of color.

Over a quarter of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions come from heavy-duty vehicles. The White House said in a statement that it is considering updated standards for greenhouse gas emissions for trucks and buses.

The White House fact sheet says that zero-emission trucks and buses are entering the market more quickly than anticipated because of lower costs. A study published today by the National Renewable Energy Lab shows that zero-emission electric trucks can be comparable to diesel-burning trucks by the year 2035.

The push to build out a national electric vehicle charging network is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The federal government wants to reach net zero emissions by the year 2050, in order to cut down on pollution. Replacing its gas-burning fleet with cleaner alternatives is part of that. The United States Postal Service in February decided to update its mail truck fleet with almost all gas-guzzling vehicles.