EDF, Allies Ask EPA to Protect Americans’ Health from Super-Polluting Glider Trucks

(Washington, D.C. – January 8, 2017) EDF joined the Environmental Law and Policy Center and WE ACT for Environmental Justice to call on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect Americans’ health from super-polluting glider trucks.

The groups filed comments with EPA opposing Administrator Scott Pruitt’s proposal to rollback emission limits for glider trucks – which can emit harmful pollution at a rate up to 450 times that of new freight trucks.

In their comments, the groups expressed that their strong opposition to EPA’s proposed repeal of these vital health safeguards, saying:

“The proposed repeal would … [result] in thousands of premature deaths from entirely avoidable exposure to glider vehicle pollution … The proposal would advantage a narrow slice of the freight truck manufacturing industry by exempting them from vital safeguards – at the expense of public health in communities across the country as well as freight truck industry members that have responsible invested in pollution controls.” (Comments, page 2)

Glider trucks are heavy-duty freight trucks that typically lack modern pollution controls. Glider trucks can emit harmful soot and smog-causing pollutants – including oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter – as well as cancer-causing diesel particulate.

EPA took action in the 2016 Clean Truck Standards to curb emissions from these super-polluting freight trucks, but Pruitt is now trying to create a legal loophole to allow glider trucks to evade modern pollution controls.

EPA’s was accepting public comment on the proposed rollback through last Friday, January 5. EDF also testified at the one public hearing EPA held about the proposed rollback.

You can find more information, and read the comments submitted by EDF and its allies in their entirety, on our website.