SELC statement on new heavy-duty vehicle emission standards 

WASHINGTON — Today the Environmental Protection Agency released final greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles. These new standards, which the EPA is calling the “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles—Phase 3,” apply starting in model year 2028 and revise existing standards for model year 2027. The trucking industry is a major source of harmful greenhouse gases, particulate matter, and other toxic air pollution. While heavy-duty vehicles make up less than 10 percent of vehicles on the road, they are responsible for roughly 25 percent of transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions nationwide.  

Cleaning up heavy-duty vehicles is critical in the fight against climate change and for environmental justice. Trucking and freight pollution disproportionately harms communities of color nationwide because highways and industrial facilities that often rely on frequent truck deliveries have consistently been sited in and near these communities. This new rule is one step toward curtailing the harmful impacts of heavy trucks on the environment and public health.  

Following the release of the new rule, SELC Land and Community Program Leader Trip Pollard, released the following statement:  

“Today, EPA took a critical step to clean up pollution from trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles that have an outsized impact on our climate and do major harm to communities that have traditionally borne the brunt of pollution from highways and industrial sites. These new standards will help reduce climate pollution while improving health outcomes for hard-hit communities, but we also know more is needed to clean up the largest and most polluting trucks.”