Passage of policies to reduce pollution in Md. applauded

Maryland has become the latest state to exercise its authority to better protect public health against transportation pollution. The Maryland Department of the Environment has approved the Advanced Clean Trucks rules to reduce emissions from new medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold in the state. These rules complement Maryland’s recent adoption of Advanced Clean Car II rules and will ensure vehicles ranging from passenger cars to medium- and heavy-duty trucks become cleaner over time, while the state transitions to zero-emission vehicles over the coming decades. These policies will save lives and reduce asthma attacks by clearing the air and work to curb climate pollution that threatens public health.

Aleks Casper, director of advocacy with the American Lung Association in Maryland, issued the following statement in response:

“We will all breathe easier when zero-emission technologies are the norm. Maryland is home to some of the most polluted communities in the United States, and there’s no doubt that climate change is making the job of clearing our air more difficult. Cleaner transportation requirements are critical for the nation’s health. We applaud Maryland’s leaders for taking action to reduce harmful exhaust as new passenger vehicles and trucks are introduced over the coming years. Maryland is moving toward a cleaner air future, and these new policies to control harmful emissions are a major step toward that goal.”

Transportation is a leading source of harmful air and climate pollution threatening the health of Marylanders. The Lung Association’s “Zeroing in on Healthy Air” report, released in March 2022, noted that the pollution reduction benefits of the transition to zero-emission transportation and electricity generation could yield $27.8 billion in public health benefits, save 2,500 lives and avoid 63,000 asthma attacks and 315,000 lost work days in Maryland by 2050.

Everyone in Maryland will benefit from the cleaner air that these rules provide. This is especially true for the more than 92,000 children and 454,000 adults with asthma, as well as the tens of thousands of Marylanders more vulnerable due to age or medical conditions, according to the Lung Association’s “State of the Air” 2023 report.

Valerie Gleason

American Lung Association

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