WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released their proposed rules to reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and light- and medium-duty cars and SUVs.
These proposed standards have the potential to significantly address climate pollution across a broad section of the transportation sector, and continue the EPA’s decades-long history of reigning in air pollution from motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act.
Because of Maine’s rural nature, 85% of Maine communities depend exclusively on freight trucks to move and deliver the goods they need, and about 89% of Mainers depend on cars for their daily commute. However, transportation is the largest contributor to air pollution across the country and action from the EPA is imperative to protect our health and safety.
Maine Conservation Voters’ Senior Director of Policy & Partnerships Kathleen Meil issued the following statement in response to EPA’s release of the proposed rules:
“With Maine’s Climate Action Plan and Clean Transportation Roadmap, we’ve set bold targets for reducing the transportation emissions that are adding to the climate crisis – but we cannot do this work alone. We need strong, nationally consistent clean car standards to support our state progress and cut climate-changing pollution.
The proposed ruling is a welcome step to protect our kids, those on the frontline of pollution, and every single person who wants to breathe cleaner air and live in a healthier community. The final standards must be as strong as possible to curb the largest source of emissions that harm public health and contribute to the climate crisis.”
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