A settlement aimed at avoiding future lawsuits and keeping a unified national standard for truck emission restrictions resulted in some of the biggest producers of heavy trucks and engines in the nation accepting a California proposal to prohibit sales of new diesel big rigs by 2036.
Preventing the Legal Struggle
The agreement prevents an expensive legal struggle with the main industry participants and speeds up the switch to clean electric commercial vehicles in California, the largest market in the nation, as well as possibly in other states. Manufacturers included under the deal include industry heavyweights including Ford, General Motors, Daimler, and Cummins as well as a trade association, the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association. Regardless matter how well it performs, everyone has committed to implementing the California plan.
The California Air Resources Board, which has been pushing new laws to lead the nation in cleaning up heavy trucks, and the industry engaged in more than three months of negotiations before the alliance, known as the Clean Truck Partnership, was established. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, hailed the agreement as a significant step towards lowering emissions that contribute to global warming.
Newsom said in a statement, “California has showed the world what real climate action looks like, and we are raising the bar yet again. Today, truck manufacturers join our urgent efforts to reduce air pollution, demonstrating to the rest of the nation that we can both reduce deadly pollution and create a sustainable economy.
clean air rules may force many port truck drivers to leave
About the Pollutants
Commercial trucks with diesel engines are a significant national source of air pollution, particularly for those who live close to ports, warehouses, and other locations where intense commodities movements take place. According to the California Air Resources Board, heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for about a third of the state’s nitrogen oxide pollution and more than a quarter of its fine particle pollution.
These two pollutants have been connected to asthma, other respiratory conditions, and early death. Residents of California who live close to the state’s ports, which are among the busiest in the nation, are disproportionately Black and Latino and at risk, according to state officials. The agreement might have wider repercussions.
Due to its size, automakers frequently produce vehicles for sale across the country that adhere to California’s clean air regulations. Several other states frequently follow these regulations as well. Because of this, California has long been a leader in lowering the amount of air pollution produced by cars and trucks.
