WASHINGTON — Today, Hip Hop Caucus’ Senior Director of Campaigns and Advocacy Russell Armstrong issued the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s new pollution standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty vehicles:

“Although it’s not everything we wanted to see to push for a cleaner environment faster, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) final rules to reduce emissions are still a big step in the right direction. In the U.S., transportation accounts for a quarter of the planet warming emissions speeding us past the 1.5 degree threshold established under the Paris Agreement. Cars and light duty trucks are a big part of our transportation sector and so pushing the industry to manufacture more affordable clean cars is a benefit to our communities. However, trucks and heavy industry on highways and ports that cut through Black and Brown communities due to redlining account for just 10 percent of vehicles on the road, yet contribute disproportionately to hazardous air pollutants, including 63% of NOx pollution. 

Estimates show that transitioning to zero-emission trucks could save nearly 67,000 lives and prevent premature deaths and chronic respiratory illnesses, particularly in low-income and redlined communities located near major trucking corridors. Therefore, the Hip Hop Caucus applauds this major step in the right direction despite opposition. We will be watching to see if the Administration continues to push for clean heavy duty trucks too despite opposition from the trucking industry and we will keep fighting against dirty vehicles until there are clean cars for all.”

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