Complete list of press releases

(Denver, CO — May 10, 2023) On Monday, the Colorado legislature approved SB 23-016 — a wide-ranging bill that strengthens Colorado’s commitment to cut statewide climate pollution beyond 2030. It would put new targets in law requiring economy-wide emissions cuts of at least 65% by 2035, 75% by 2040, 90% by 2045, all below 2005 levels, and strengthen the state’s 2050 target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

In 2019, Colorado established itself as a national climate leader by becoming the first state in the U.S. to put into statute both short- and long-term goals for cutting climate pollution. That law set reduction targets of at least 26% by 2025, 50% by 2030, and 90% by 2050, all below 2005 levels. However, a state progress report released last year shows that Colorado is falling behind on the near-term climate targets already established in law. 

In passing SB 23-016, the legislature has reaffirmed the imperative to achieve rapid and sustained emissions reductions in line with what climate science tells us is necessary to avoid the most damaging impacts of the climate crisis. The bill makes Colorado the first state in the nation to put in place climate targets at regular intervals every five years, requiring the state to limit climate pollution on a steadily declining path to net-zero.  

“With this bill, state leaders are promising to step up Colorado’s climate fight and safeguard our communities for years to come,” said Alex DeGolia, Director for U.S. Climate at Environmental Defense Fund. “But to keep this promise, the state’s air pollution regulators must follow through on these bold commitments by adopting regulations that cut pollution to safer levels. Colorado now has more opportunity than ever before to make this ambition a reality, thanks to billions in federal climate and clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act. 

“This bill acknowledges what scientific reports have been telling us for years: We need to slash the climate-warming pollution that’s worsening the wildfires and droughts we’re seeing today with both scale and speed. Charting a steady, declining course to net-zero emissions can get our state on the pathway to a safer climate future.” 

"The explosion in Deer Park late Friday comes as an exclamation point following the impassioned testimony given not even 24 hours earlier at a public meeting focused on another chemical disaster in this very same community. Decades of inaction and indifference from state and regional environmental agencies missed a series of warning signs at ITC’s Deer Park tank farm before the days of fires in 2019 led to disturbingly high levels of cancer-causing benzene that lingered in communities and around schools for weeks. The plume seen today is a dark reminder of the price communities living near these facilities are expected to pay – and those working at them, too, as nine were hospitalized. Yesterday, it’s ITC. Then, it’s INEOS. Today, it’s Shell and Pemex.

"When is enough enough? TCEQ has repeatedly neglected to enforce environmental laws, and the Texas legislature continues to refuse to equip the agency with the resources and mandate to prevent these disasters from happening in the first place. But there’s time to make it better. The legislature must find the will to empower TCEQ to hold polluters accountable and protect the health and safety of all Texans."

• Dr. Elena Craft, Associate Vice President, Climate and Health

(NEW YORK, NY) The Federal Highway Administration has provided the Metropolitan Transit Authority with a Letter of Legal Sufficiency, an essential next step in moving New York City’s landmark congestion pricing program towards implementation. The letter signals that the MTA has provided the documentation and analysis required for the federal approval of congestion pricing. The FHWA is now poised to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact, the federal environmental approval which will allow the state to move forward with congestion pricing program design and adoption. 

“We are pleased that the federal process to approve New York City’s congestion pricing program is moving the city one step closer towards relieving traffic congestion, reducing emissions and funding essential upgrades to New York’s public transit system,” said Mary Barber, State Director, New York and New Jersey.

“Congestion pricing is a foundational policy in support of New York’s sustainable future. We look forward to Gov. Hochul’s continued climate and clean energy leadership by ensuring this program is implemented swiftly and with other complementary policies, like truck and bus electrification, that prioritize and ensure benefits to disadvantaged communities.”

(WASHINGTON ) The U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed much-needed protections to improve oversight and reduce pollution from the nation’s network of natural gas pipelines today.

"Natural gas pipelines are ubiquitous in our neighborhoods, cities, parks and rural communities and pipeline leaks are both safety risks, and a source of methane pollution that accelerates climate change,” said Erin Murphy, Senior Attorney for Environmental Defense Fund. “PHMSA’s proposal is a welcome step that reflects important updates to existing standards, including unlocking the use of advanced technologies to find and fix more pipeline leaks. Strong federal standards to reduce pipeline leaks are critical for delivering on the Biden administration's commitment to curb climate-warming methane pollution while increasing public health and safety.”

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in the near-term. Natural gas is transported around the country in a network of approximately three million miles of pipelines, and leakage from this infrastructure is a major source of methane emissions. Recently, researchers found that gas gathering pipelines in the Permian Basin leak 14 times more methane than EPA’s inventory estimates.

Pipeline infrastructure also has a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities that can be remedied by more effective oversight. Just last year, scientists found that leaks on distribution pipelines tended to be located at higher densities in neighborhoods with more people of color and lower household incomes. And U.S. counties with more socially vulnerable populations have been found to have a higher density of natural gas transmission and gathering pipelines, according to peer-reviewed research.

“PHMSA has a powerful opportunity to protect communities across the country, including those disproportionately impacted by polluting infrastructure, while delivering on the administration’s climate goals,” added Murphy. “The technologies needed to find and fix harmful emissions are here, they’re cost-effective and they’re being used in the field. All while creating jobs and stopping wasteful emissions.”

PHMSA’s proposal issued today responds to Congress’s express directive in the PIPES Act of 2020 to strengthen pipeline oversight by incorporating commercially available, advanced leak detection technologies and analytics. The proposal will improve community safety and reduce climate pollution by requiring operators to conduct more frequent leak surveys using more effective technologies, to repair more leaks identified on their systems more quickly, and to expand the mileage of gas gathering lines that must be leak surveyed. The proposal also requires operators to minimize intentional natural gas releases such as equipment venting and blowdowns, reducing product loss and methane emissions.

PHMSA has an important opportunity to swiftly finalize standards with clear and rigorous definitions for leak detection technology performance, detailed reporting requirements to understand safety and environmental impacts and expanded applicability of leak survey and repair standards to gathering pipelines. Gathering infrastructure has rapidly expanded over the last 20 years as natural gas production has increased, and there are now 435,000 miles of gathering lines in the U.S. Even with a much-needed gathering lines rule finalized by PHMSA in 2021, only about 90,000 miles of these pipelines are subject to basic safety requirements like emergency planning — and only 20,000 miles of gathering lines are required to conduct regular leak surveys. PHMSA should continue to expand protective standards for gathering line management to ensure greater safety and environmental protection.

PHMSA’s proposal is an important part of the White House methane action plan, as it addresses leaks from pipeline sources that are not otherwise covered by existing standards. Recently, EPA issued a protective supplemental proposal under the Clean Air Act to reduce methane pollution from new and existing sources in the oil and gas sector. In the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress also recently adopted the Methane Emission Reduction Program, which, when implemented, can help to further reduce methane pollution.

Next, PHMSA will hold a 60-day comment period on the proposal, and it will also be reviewed by the PHMSA Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee.

BOSTON – Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, in collaboration with the National Consumer Law Center, GreenRoots, Alternatives for Community and Environment, Conservation Law Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, Vote Solar, Massachusetts Climate Action Network and the Regulatory Assistance Project, today announces the release of a report making recommendations to improve opportunities for public participation in proceedings at the state Department of Public Utilities (DPU) and the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB).

The AG’s Office brought these organizations together in the summer of 2021 and tasked the group, known as the Stakeholder Working Group (SWG), with identifying barriers to meaningful participation in proceedings at the DPU and EFSB. The DPU is charged with overseeing utility rates, safety, reliability, and spending, and the EFSB is charged with siting energy infrastructure and facilities. The recommendations in the SWG’s report are focused on ways to improve historically underserved and over-burdened populations’ access to and participation in DPU and EFSB proceedings that affect energy siting and development across the Commonwealth.

“For far too long, structural inequities have prevented our underserved communities from participating in these important conversations. It is critical that all our residents have a voice in decisions that stand to impact their health and wallets.” AG Campbell said. “I am very grateful for the Stakeholder Working Group’s hard work over the last year and a half, and I am hopeful that this report will spark a much-needed conversation on how we can ensure that everyone is heard, regardless of income, zip code, or language.”

Today’s report, Overly Impacted and Rarely Heard: Incorporating Community Voices into Massachusetts Energy Regulatory Processes, was informed by the expertise of the SWG members and their respective organizations, as well as by community outreach that included interviews, a survey and focus groups. The report includes specific recommendations for the state energy regulatory agencies to adopt that would improve public engagement and ensure that agency proceedings, deliberations, and decisions reflect the voices of the public – especially residents in underserved communities who may be most impacted by the agencies’ decisions.

“Infrastructure and facilities that pollute our air, land, and waters are disproportionately sited in communities with environmental justice populations,” the report states. “The disproportionate environmental, health, societal, and financial impacts that environmental justice populations experience are significant, even deadly. Beyond the human toll, our energy system’s unequal economic burdens have resulted in many Massachusetts families experiencing a disproportionately high energy burden, energy poverty, and the ‘heat or eat’ dilemma.”

The report identifies a broad range of barriers to public participation at the DPU and EFSB. For example, the report argues that DPU and EFSB processes are too technical and complex for the public to effectively participate in and, even when individuals and groups are able to participate, agency decisions often do not respond to their concerns. The report also identifies language access and the timing and format of hearings and proceedings as barriers to participation.

To remedy these deficiencies, the SWG’s recommendations include:

• The DPU and EFSB should open generic policy investigations with the goal of revisiting their approach to regulation in response to recent climate legislation;
• The DPU and EFSB should provide plain language executive summaries of decisions for long and technical orders and orders on proceedings of particular concern to stakeholders;
• The DPU and EFSB, as well as petitioners, should respond to stakeholder comments and concerns;
• The DPU and EFSB should provide more educational resources on their websites in a variety of formats and on a variety of issues to help decode agency policies, regulations and proceedings;
• The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs should establish an Office of Public Participation to provide support for community members to provide input;
• The DPU should increase transparency and availability of information related to energy affordability, energy burden, and energy reliability; and
• The DPU and EFSB should ensure that transcripts of hearings are free and easy to access.

With the issuance of today’s recommendations, the SWG members are committing to collaborating with the DPU and EFSB, as well as legislators and the Executive Branch to implement the report’s recommendations.

The AG’s Office is similarly committed to advocating for improved public participation at the agencies. AG Campbell’s Office recently made several similar recommendations in comments filed in March on the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ Draft Environmental Justice Strategy, as well as in ongoing proceedings that the DPU and EFSB opened to improve public participation in their proceedings. Last month, AG Campbell led a multistate coalition urging the federal government to meaningfully engage communities in distributing grant funding.

By statute, the AG’s Office of Ratepayer Advocacy represents the interest of ratepayers in proceedings at the DPU. As the ratepayer advocate for Massachusetts, AG Campbell is committed to advocating for an equitable and just transition to a clean energy system for all Massachusetts residents. In her inaugural address earlier this year, AG Campbell pledged to create safer and healthier communities across Massachusetts by fighting to protect the environment and ensuring that marginalized communities who have been disproportionately and directly impacted by environmental injustices have meaningful opportunities to participate in the proceedings that affect their lives and communities.

The report, and additional information pertaining to the Stakeholder Working Group, can also be found online here.

Statements of Support from the Stakeholder Working Group

CLF

“Everyone deserves to have a say in what takes place in their neighborhood,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “The impacts of the climate crisis are hitting first and worst in historically underserved communities, which are too often left out of the decisionmaking process. It’s time for state energy officials to center the voices and needs of those most impacted.”

GreenRoots

“For far too long environmental justice populations have borne the brunt of inequitable and unjust siting of Massachusetts energy infrastructure,” said Roseann Bongiovanni, Executive Director of GreenRoots, an environmental justice organization based in Chelsea. "Those shouldering the disproportionate burdens have been excluded, shut out and rendered voiceless at the hands of the state's Energy Facility Siting Board. As we move towards a greener future for Massachusetts, we must prioritize environmental justice populations; and that starts by ensuring they have a seat at the table and equitable access to information. The recommendations we propose must be implemented fully and swiftly.”

EDF

“This report outlines ways to make sure that the energy regulatory decision-making process in Massachusetts is more inclusive, more equitable, and aligns with recent Massachusetts legislation and policy initiatives. The report has specific, comprehensive recommendations that would allow a better pathway for all citizens of the Commonwealth to get involved in making decisions that are important for their future – and for a clean energy future for all of us.” – said Jolette Westbrook, Director & Senior Attorney of Equitable Regulatory Solutions at Environmental Defense Fund.

MCAN

“MCAN is grateful to the Attorney General's Office for convening this Stakeholder Working Group and for supporting this thorough process to identify necessary reforms that will make Massachusetts' energy policy and energy facility siting more just, more accessible to impacted communities, and better aligned with our legally binding climate goals. We urge decision-makers at the DPU, the EFSB, and in the Legislature to use this report as a roadmap to make changes that will enable our institutions to better serve the needs of low-income communities and communities of color who continue to be the most impacted by our energy siting decisions,” said Logan Malik, Interim Executive Director at Massachusetts Climate Action Network.

NCLC

“The utility regulatory agencies have placed high entry barriers to proceedings that environmental justice and community groups should be encouraged to participate in,” said Charlie Harak, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. “These proceedings include determinations of how much ratepayers will pay for energy facilities and where new facilities will be placed, and community members need to be allowed into agency proceedings, and provided technical and financial support to ensure their voices are heard.”

Vote Solar

“Centering equity and accessibility is essential,” said Elena Weissmann, Northeast Regional Director, Vote Solar. “We’re urging the DPU and EFSB to take action on these recommendations, so we can have an energy system that is just and benefits all Bay Staters, especially folks that experience the highest burdens and heaviest impacts of our polluting fossil fuel system.”

RAP

“An important common goal of these recommendations is to lower the historical barriers to entry for participating in the regulatory process,” said Nancy L. Seidman, senior advisor with the Regulatory Assistance Project. “By integrating environmental justice into agency structures, making meeting schedules and digital tools more accessible, and undertaking other initiatives to address these barriers to entry, Massachusetts’ utility regulators can model a leading-edge approach to advancing equity in the energy transition. And all citizens of the Commonwealth will benefit.”

(Washington, D.C. – May 4, 2023) Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp today testified before the Senate Budget Committee about the climate- and public health-related benefits that House Republican leaders aim to undo as part of their debt ceiling plan.

“The House Republicans’ plan to tie the debt ceiling increase to repeal of critical Inflation Reduction Act provisions threatens our economy, our health and our clean energy future,” Krupp testified.

Krupp’s testimony focused on the proposed repeal of the Methane Emission Reduction Program in the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes investments to curb methane pollution and puts a price on emissions, incentivizing operators to deploy practical solutions to stop them. “It’s an illustrative example of the smart policies and tremendous opportunities that would be taken away by the House-passed bill,” Krupp testified.

If GOP lawmakers continue to refuse to raise the debt ceiling, the U.S. could default on its debt as early as June 1 according to recent reports. That would leave the government without money to pay the military, federal employees, and beneficiaries of programs like Social Security and Medicare, among others.

Krupp’s full written testimony can be found here.

EDF’s statement on the House Republican debt limit proposal can be found here.

(Washington, D.C. - May 3, 2023) EDF's Eric Wriston today joined more than 200 other people to testify at a multi-day public hearing about EPA's proposal to reduce climate pollution from heavy-duty vehicles like freight trucks, delivery vans, and buses. 

“We urge the agency to finalize protective final standards that are consistent with and build from the agency’s proposals,” Wriston testified. “These standards must help to ensure we are on a path to zero tailpipe emissions from new vehicles by 2035.”

Heavy-duty vehicles make up less than 10% of the traffic on America’s roads but are responsible for more than half the health-harming pollution and a quarter of the climate pollution from the U.S. transportation sector. Two weeks ago, EPA proposed limiting that tailpipe pollution from both passenger vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles. The proposals would create jobs, save people money, and provide cleaner air and a safer climate for all.

EPA is holding hearings on its heavy-duty proposal first. In his testimony, Wriston called on the agency to further strengthen its proposed standards.

“EPA’s proposal is firmly supported by the investments and commitments made by manufacturers and fleets as well as state leadership and these features support even more protective standards that help to ensure levels of [zero-emission vehicles] consistent with [California’s Advanced Clean Trucks Rule] nationwide,” he testified. Wriston also identified “especially vital opportunities for EPA to strengthen standards for key segments, including tractor trailers and school buses.”

Wriston noted that investments in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are making new heavy-duty vehicles more affordable and more easily available. A new report by Environmental Defense Fund and WSP USA found more than $120 billion in investments in electric vehicle manufacturing and 143,000 new U.S. jobs have been announced in the last eight years – with more than 40 percent of those announcements happening in the last six months, since passage of the IRA. Other analyses show the tax credits in the IRA are dramatically accelerating purchase price parity for medium and heavy-duty zero-emitting vehicles. A study from ERM found that, with IRA tax credits, electric day cabs will reach purchase price parity with diesel vehicles in 2027 and sleeper cabs in 2031.

Wriston also testified that “protective final standards are critical to reducing that pollution and saving lives, especially in communities of color and low-income communities, which are exposed to a disproportionate amount of vehicle pollution.”

In addition to the hearing, EPA is accepting written comments on the proposed standards for heavy-duty vehicles until June 16.

You can read Wriston’s full testimony here.

(NEW YORK – May 2, 2023) Today, Governor Hochul and the legislature finalized a budget that makes important progress on a suite of climate policies to help the state meet its climate goals, tackle pollution, protect disadvantaged communities and reduce costs. The budget advances labor and investment provisions for a cap-and-invest program, ensuring that revenues raised would be directed to programs that lower costs and climate pollution, but leaves many of the key details to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). These details include setting an overall limit—or cap—on the state’s emissions that lowers over time, and establishing the guardrails necessary to protect and benefit disadvantaged and low-income communities.

“Gov Hochul and state leaders have moved New York one more step toward adopting an ambitious and equitable climate program,” said Alex DeGolia, Director for U.S. Climate at EDF. “Now, we need regulators to swiftly adopt strong cap-and-invest rules capable of achieving the state’s climate goals, while building in robust guardrails to ensure affordability and protect disadvantaged communities.”  

In addition to cap-and-invest, the state budget advances zero-emission homes and buildings, starting in 2026 for small buildings and 2029 for large buildings. It also invests $400 million in utility bill relief, as well as weatherization and electrification programs, to help alleviate the energy burden facing low-income New Yorkers. The budget did not include NY HEAT, an important proposal that would have stopped the extension of costly natural gas infrastructure, reduced emissions, and put money back in the pockets of low- and middle-income households.

“While the Governor and legislature have taken steps to provide New Yorkers with a safer and more affordable future for their families and communities, the threats from pollution and climate impacts continue to put disadvantaged and low-income communities at greater risk. Additional action is necessary to establish stronger guardrails that ensure pollution cuts are prioritized in disadvantaged communities, direct cap-and-invest funding toward driving down costs and pollution, and halt expansion of natural gas infrastructure,” added DeGolia.  

“Gov Hochul and state leaders have positioned the state for progress on climate action, but it is just the start of the urgent work that’s needed to achieve the state’s climate goals and secure the strongest possible future for New York communities. It is enormously important that state leaders follow these actions with next steps to make the clean energy transition affordable, equitable and just for working families across New York.” 

(Florida – April 28, 2023) - In recent weeks, new legislation has advanced the prioritization of climate resilience in the state of Florida. And with another hurricane season fast approaching, increased funding and efforts to support communities vulnerable to storm risk will prove essential.  

HB 111, a bill introduced by Representative Christine Hunschofsky, aims to expand the requirements of Florida’s Sea-Level Impact Projection (SLIP) studies. Currently, publicly funded projects within the coastal construction zone are required to perform a SLIP study before breaking ground. But under this new bill, that requirement will expand to projects in all areas threatened by current and projected sea level rise, not just in areas directly on the coast. Moving through the Senate with unanimous House approval, this bill exemplifies a bipartisan effort to build climate and flood resilience in Florida. 

Additional enabling legislation authorized the state to be eligible for FEMA’s Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund program. This now allows Florida to apply for federal funding that will provide local governments with direct low interest loans that reduce risks from natural hazards and disasters. This revolving loan program, intended to reduce the burden of grant applications, has the potential to support building climate resilience, offer opportunities to implement natural infrastructure, address multiple flood risks and prioritize environmental justice across Florida. 

On behalf of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Rachel Rhode, manager for EDF’s Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds program in Florida, commends lawmakers for recognizing the importance of building climate resilience and empowering Florida communities to better combat flood risk and sea level rise. “It's exciting to see Florida take advantage of additional federal funding opportunities to better prepare all communities throughout the state against the ever-increasing climate impacts,” said Rhode. “We encourage Florida leaders to continue on this trajectory by making decisions based on science, prioritizing nature-based solutions and recognizing the complex challenges communities face in the wake of devastating climate impacts.” 

(SACRAMENTO, CA ) The California Air Resources Board unanimously voted today to adopt the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule, protecting millions of Californians from the dangerous pollution emitted by new medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 

“Today’s action by CARB will have significant positive health impacts and will help provide benefits for residents in communities exposed to high truck traffic. The Advanced Clean Fleets Rule will speed the transition to zero-emission trucks which is one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce climate pollution, address equity, improve our health and lower the cost of operating these trucks.”

• Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California State Director, Environmental Defense Fund

The Advanced Clean Fleets Rule is a requirement for medium- and heavy-duty fleets to purchase an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks. The ACF will complement the previously adopted Advanced Clean Trucks regulation requiring manufacturers to sell ZEV trucks and school buses. The rule sets a 100% ZEV truck sales target for 2036, with a clear and achievable ramp up for fleets to meet that ultimate 100% zero-emission goal.

At the end of March, the Environmental Protection Agency granted California’s request for a Clean Air Act preemption waiver for the ACT, granting support to this life-saving clean trucks rule, and lending support for California’s efforts to slash pollution from heavy-duty vehicles. 

California has some of the worst air quality in the country; heavy-duty trucks account for only 6% of vehicles on the road in the state, but they make up 9% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and account for a whopping 73% of the nitrogen oxide from vehicles that harms local health. And because these fleets are often associated with warehouses, depots and distribution centers more likely to be sited in already pollution-burdened communities, these vehicles have a significant hand in the disproportionate health impact faced by residents of these communities.

Electric trucks are market-ready in all vehicle classes, and California has made major progress in ZEV truck model availability and fleet commitments in the past few years. Both California regulators and electric utilities are stepping up to commit major public funds and make plans to bring charging online for these vehicles. Recently, California authorized another $1 billion of electric utility customer funds with a majority allocated to help support the fleets making this transition in communities overburdened with diesel truck pollution.

“In adopting such a rule, California’s air regulators have shown confidence that both the zero-emission vehicles and the supportive charging infrastructure will be available in a way that significantly reduces air and climate pollution and provides benefits in the state’s overburdened communities. California is continuing to lead full speed ahead.” 

• Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California State Director, Environmental Defense Fund

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a Congressional Review Act resolution (CRA) repealing the EPA’s Heavy-Duty NOx Final Rule. The CRA now heads to House of Representatives for a vote. President Biden has announced that he will veto the CRA if it passes the House. 

In December 2022, EPA finalized more protective nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions standards that will apply to new medium and heavy-duty diesel vehicles sold in model years 2027 and later, the first update to the standards in over 20 years. These NOx standards are an important part of a broader and critical set of EPA efforts to reduce tailpipe pollution from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. 

“NOx standards are needed to protect communities from harmful pollution,” Elizabeth Gore, EDF’s senior vice president for political affairs, said in a statement. “Tailpipe pollution causes adverse health impacts to people of all ages, and disproportionately harms those who live closest to our nation’s roads and highways, ports and freight depots.” 

Truck routes are more likely to run through the neighborhoods of people of color and those with lower incomes, causing disproportionate harm to those communities. In total, the EPA estimates these new protective NOx standards will prevent almost 3,000 deaths and numerous hospitalizations and respiratory illnesses each year by 2045.

On Tuesday, EDF released new research showing that some 15 million people live within a half-mile of a warehouse in 10 states across the country. The report, Making the Invisible Visible: Shining a Light on Warehouse Truck Air Pollution, provides a window into the burden of truck-related air pollution exposure experienced by people living in close proximity to warehouses. In many states, Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian communities and areas of low wealth are disproportionately exposed to this pollution. 

“The Inflation Reduction Act has changed the transportation landscape and will dramatically reduce the cost of zero-emitting vehicles,” Gore said. “It’s already accelerating deployment of clean trucks and buses and creating high-quality jobs across our nation. The industry shift to cleaner trucks is gaining momentum, as companies are spending tens of billions of dollars to manufacture and deploy medium and heavy-duty zero-emitting vehicles that will protect the public from the health impacts of tailpipe pollution.”

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted on a reckless debt ceiling package that would hobble America’s flourishing clean energy economy. House Republican leadership is threatening our economy with a financial crisis and global downturn of substantial severity if they aren’t allowed to repeal the historic clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Democratic and Republican presidents over the last five decades as well as legislative leaders Sen. Schumer, Sen. McConnell and Rep. Jeffries, have all said the United States must never default on its obligations.

If GOP lawmakers continue to refuse to raise the debt ceiling, the U.S. could default on its debt as early as June. That would leave the government without money to pay the military, federal employees, and beneficiaries of programs like Social Security and Medicare, among others.

“Many of the new jobs and clean energy projects from the Inflation Reduction Act are already expanding in areas represented by Republicans,” said Elizabeth Gore, Environmental Defense Fund’s senior vice president for political affairs. “It makes no sense that Speaker McCarthy would target these important incentives that will help revitalize communities and help combat the climate crisis.”

The GOP debt limit plan would repeal broad swaths of the tax policies meant to move us toward a clean energy future, including a partial end to popular tax credits for electric vehicles. Late-night amendments to the plan would repeal funding for critical programs that reduce air pollution at the local level.

Companies have announced more than 142,000 new clean energy jobs since the Inflation Reduction Act’s passage in August 2022, according to newly released data from Climate Power. These are family-sustaining jobs for electricians, mechanics, construction workers, technicians and many others.

Roughly two-thirds of the major projects are in districts whose Republican lawmakers opposed the Inflation Reduction Act, Politico reported in January after analyzing energy manufacturing announcements made since the bill’s enactment.

Their plan also includes the harmful energy package H.R. 1, as well as the dangerous REINS Act, which would obstruct the federal government from carrying out actions mandated by Congress, including laws with strong bipartisan support, preventing or delaying critical public health and safety protections.

SACRAMENTO — Today the California State Senate released a budget plan to “Protect Our Progress,” intended to take a responsible approach to budgeting while protecting core state programs including several Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) priorities on water, natural resources, zero-emission transportation and building decarbonization. This proposed plan responds to Governor Newsom’s January budget plan and affirms several of the governor’s proposals while rejecting others.

Statement from Katelyn Roedner Sutter, California State Director, Environmental Defense Fund:

“EDF applauds the Senate’s commitment to addressing the needs of California families and communities in their budget proposal. Restoring and protecting the groundwater that grows the food that feeds Californians and the world is vital. Reducing air pollution by decarbonizing our buildings, cleaning up our ports, and zeroing out the emissions from heavy duty transportation will help address the ongoing public health threats from poor air quality. Senate leadership recognizes that these budget priorities can and must be addressed in a responsible manner that centers Californians and their desire to prioritize the climate and clean air crisis that is wreaking havoc on their daily lives. 

“We look forward to working with the Newsom administration and leadership in both the Senate and Assembly to craft a final budget that is both inclusive and sustainable – this is exactly the moment to double down on California’s leadership role in advancing meaningful climate solutions.”

“I am pleased that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has advanced the nominations of two talented and experienced leaders in public service to fill vital positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPW Committee has now approved Joe Goffman to lead the Office of Air and Radiation and David Uhlmann to lead the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance. The full Senate should follow swiftly and confirm these highly qualified, dedicated, and outstanding candidates.

“Joe Goffman has dedicated his career to public service in protecting human health and the environment. As Assistant Administrator of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation Joe will undoubtedly continue to focus on protecting the health of American families and communities, anchor his decisions in law and science, and carry out the President’s vision for a stronger and cleaner economy.

“David Uhlmann has deep experience as a prosecutor at the Justice Department under two different administrations, where he earned a reputation for handling environmental violators firmly and fairly. David’s significant institutional knowledge of the EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice on environmental enforcement means he will serve Americans well as EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

“Both these positions are critical for protecting the millions of Americans who are harmed by pollution and ensuring that polluters are held accountable. We need strong leaders like Joe Goffman and David Uhlmann at EPA.”

            - Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – April 25, 2023) New research from Environmental Defense Fund on U.S. warehouse proliferation shows that some 15 million people live within a half-mile of a warehouse in 10 states across the country. The report, Making the Invisible Visible: Shining a Light on Warehouse Truck Air Pollution, provides a window into the burden of truck-related air pollution exposure experienced by people living in close proximity to warehouses—in many states, Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian communities and areas of low wealth are disproportionately exposed to this pollution. 

“As corporations taught consumers to expect just-in-time products and delivery, warehouses have moved closer to people’s homes in more communities than ever before, bringing harmful air pollution from trucks with them,” says Aileen Nowlan, EDF’s U.S. policy director, Global Clean Air Initiative. “It’s important to understand who is bearing the brunt of health burdens associated with living close to heavy truck traffic in order to develop and implement smart, targeted policies that protect public health and reduce emissions.” 

Mapping shows unequal burden 

EDF researchers combined warehouse industry data with a Geospatial information System (GIS) application known as Proximity Mapping, which applies areal apportionment to estimate the characteristics of populations living near specific facilities and pollution sources, using the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-Year estimates. Among the findings of the 10 states1 EDF analyzed: 

• Some 17,600 warehouses are located within 10 states; 

• More than 1 million children under 5 live within a half-mile of warehouses; and 

• Warehouse proliferation does not distribute the risk evenly. In some states like Illinois, Massachusetts and Colorado, the concentration of Black and Latino residents around warehouses is nearly double the state average.  

Diesel trucks bring harmful air pollution 

While warehouses can bring jobs and other economic growth opportunities to communities, they also attract diesel trucks and their harmful air pollution. Each warehouse generates hundreds, if not thousands, of truck trips every day, and trucks can emit more pollution while idling or traveling at slow speeds than while driving at faster speeds. 

Exposure to air pollution from these trucks is linked to a range of health issues, including the risk of developing childhood asthma, heart disease, adverse birth outcomes like premature birth and low birth weight, cognitive decline, and stroke. 

Affordable solutions exist today 

The report calls for several interventions, including increased air quality monitoring, that can provide a better understanding of air pollution around warehouses and help accelerate investments in zero-emissions goods transport.  

While the Energy Information Agency maintains a database of oil and gas infrastructure, nothing similar exists for current and proposed warehouses. More transparency around plans for warehouse expansion can help local leaders and communities plan for and address the challenges that come with these new facilities. 

Further, zero-emission options exist for delivery vans, yard trucks and regional haul trucks, and manufacturers are investing billions to expand zero-emissions for long-haul trucking as well. States and cities can spur the transition to zero-emission trucks through policies such as the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, easing permitting requirements for charging infrastructure installation and purchase incentives. 

Finally, EPA recently proposed tailpipe regulations designed to ensure that up to half of new urban delivery and freight vehicles sold by 2032 will be zero-emitting. Taken together with historic investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, these recent moves are turbocharging investments in clean trucks, charging infrastructure and job creation. 

“Communities deserve to know more about the businesses that operate near their homes and schools, especially if they pose a health threat,” Nowlan says. “Solutions exist today to reduce truck-related air pollution and protect public health. Greater transparency around warehouse locations and the pollution they attract is critical.”