19,000+ Messages Urge CARB to Strengthen the Nation's First Electric Truck Rule
As written the rule is too weak to help communities suffering in “diesel death zones”
Sacramento, CA - More than 19,000 comments from the public as well as health, environmental justice, labor and technical experts have been submitted to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) asking them to strengthen the nation’s first electric truck manufacturing standard. Today is the last day in the public comment period and a critical hearing on the rule will be held this Thursday, Dec. 12, in Sacramento.
Karen commented on Nov. 13, “Inland communities like Riverside are known for their poor air quality and for the role of diesel trucks in causing that pollution. People who live near freeways (as I do) suffer from the air pollution that diesel trucks cause and, when it comes to truck pollution, the hardest hit communities are often the poorest communities and communities of color.”
Californians living near ports, warehouses and busy roads are exposed to such high rates of heavy-duty vehicle pollution that physicians have labeled these areas “diesel death zones,” because asthma rates and cancer risks are so drastically elevated. This is because diesel exhaust contains more than 40 known cancer-causing substances, making it responsible for about 70 percent of cancer risk related to air toxins in California.
Greg commented on Nov. 16, “CARB needs to keep its commitment to making our air cleaner by putting 15% electric trucks on the road by 2030!”
The electric truck standard that CARB is considering would result in only four percent of the nearly two million trucks on California’s roads today be electric by 2030. Environmental, community, and labor groups that organized this massive grass-roots response are calling on the agency to adopt an electric truck standard that ensures that by 2030 at least 15 percent of trucks on the road are zero-emission.
Beth commented on Nov. 20, “Let's face it, the country and the world looks to us for leadership. You know we are in crisis. We can make meaningful change in the air we breathe and protect the health of Californians. Be the change, lead the way. Let's get this happening!”
Trucks and buses make up just seven percent of vehicles on the road in California, but 20 percent of global warming emissions from the transportation sector. In Southern California alone, the number of miles driven by trucks is projected to grow by 80 percent between 2008 and 2035.
Noah commented on Nov. 1, “I am prone to asthma attacks and I'm afraid of what living in southern California will do to my overall health. I want to continue my career here. I want to raise a family here. I believe I can only do that if we ensure the health of our population and the quality of our air by taking active steps to improve our air quality by reducing emissions and pollutants.”
The comments were gathered by Earthjustice, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, the Union of Concerned Scientists and through the Electric Trucks Now campaign website. The exact number of general public comments solicited is 19,014.
Below is a comprehensive list of official comments submitted by diverse stakeholders including advocates, community leaders and legislators (as accessed on December 9, 11am PT):
Additional support in the media:
MEDIA CONTACT: Christina Heartquist, 408-661-2666, christina@sunstonestrategies.org