Environmental Justice and Transportation
In 2021 President Biden directed the entire federal government, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to prioritize protecting and investing in overburdened and underserved communities across America. Following this executive order, EPA's strategic plan (pdf) ( 532 KB) added a fourth essential principle to EPA's commitments to follow the science, follow the law, and be transparent: to advance justice and equity. These four principles form the basis of the Agency's culture and will guide EPA's day-to-day work and decision-making today and in the future.
Pollution from the transportation sector has been a long-standing obstacle to advancing environmental justice, as many communities of color and low-income families live near areas where pollution from vehicles and engines is abundant, and therefore experience disproportionate exposures to this pollution. Through regulations, interagency partnerships, federal funding, and other actions, EPA seeks to address these inequities as it works to reduce pollution from the transportation sector.
On this page:
- New Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks
- Emissions from School Buses and Diesel Vehicles
- Mobile Source Emissions in Ports
- Partnerships with State and Local Agencies on Reducing Mobile Source Air Pollution
- Partnerships with Federal Agencies on Truck Electrification
- Piston-Engine Aircraft Lead Emissions
- Emissions from Aircraft, Rail, Marine, and Nonroad Sectors
- Inflation Reduction Act
New Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Trucks
As identified in President Biden’s Executive Order 14037, Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks, EPA is issuing a series of regulations to reduce pollution from trucks and buses and to harness improvements in vehicle technologies. EPA’s “Clean Trucks Plan” would result in significant emissions reductions from new medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and will be a major step towards improving air quality and addressing the climate crisis.
The regulatory actions that make up the Clean Trucks Plan are as follows:
- Setting more stringent nitrogen oxide standards for heavy duty trucks beginning in model year (MY) 2027.
- Setting more stringent emissions standards for medium-duty commercial vehicles for MY 2027 and later. This category of vehicles includes many “last mile” delivery vehicles which deliver products to people’s doorsteps every day across the country, and which are rapidly electrifying. These new standards are being proposed in combination with new multipollutant standards for light-duty vehicles for MY 2027 and beyond.
- Setting “Phase 3” Greenhouse Gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles beginning as soon as MY 2027 that are significantly stronger than the existing Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas standards.
In the first action, EPA established new, lower NOX emission standards starting in MY 2027 for heavy-duty engines, which w ill result in improved health outcomes attributable to lower ozone and particulate matter concentrations in communities across the United States. The largest air quality improvements are predicted to occur in areas with the worst baseline air quality.
An EPA analysis (pdf) (7.3 MB, December 2022, EPA-420-R-22-035) reports that larger numbers of people of color are projected to reside in these areas and would have the greatest benefits from the standards.
Communities near high-traffic roadways experience higher rates of numerous adverse health effects, so this rule is especially important for the estimated 72 million people who live near truck freight routes in America. EPA concluded that there is substantial evidence that, relative to the rest of the population, residents of these communities are more likely to be people of color and/or have lower incomes.
- Heavy-duty Greenhouse Gas “Phase 3” for Model Years 2027 and Later - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
- Light- and Medium -Duty Proposed Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later
Emissions from School Buses and Diesel Vehicles
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Clean School Bus Program, which provides funding to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses, allows EPA to prioritize applications that propose to replace buses that serve high need local educational agencies, low-income and rural areas, and Tribal schools. In October 2022, EPA awarded nearly $1 billion to school districts spanning all 50 states, Washington DC, and several Tribes and U.S. territories. These awards are the first $1 billion of a five-year, $5 billion program created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
EPA is also designing the next rounds of program funding to launch in the coming months, which will include an ambitious grant competition. Through future rounds of funding, EPA will make available another $1 billion for clean school buses in Fiscal Year 2023. EPA is encouraging eligible applicants not selected in the first round of rebates – and those that did not apply this funding cycle – to participate in future rounds.
In addition to the Clean School Bus program, EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Program funds projects that protect human health and improve air quality by reducing harmful emissions from diesel engines. DERA targets older, dirtier diesel vehicles that lack modern emission control systems to be replaced with new diesel, alt-fuel, and zero emissions vehicles, or upgraded with emission control systems and idle reduction technologies.
The DERA program offers three funding opportunities: state grants, national grants, and tribal and insular area grants. From 2008 through 2018, DERA has upgraded over 73,000 legacy diesel engines and vehicles, with over 50% of projects targeted to areas with air quality challenges. Since 2012, EPA’s school bus rebates have awarded over $73 million to replace more than 3,000 old diesel school buses.
DERA supports environmental justice by prioritizing emissions reductions in areas receiving disproportionate impacts. In addition, DERA, along with the Ports Initiative, is a Justice40 pilot program. Justice40 is a whole-of-government approach that mandates that at least 40% of the benefits of certain federal programs must flow to overburdened communities.
EPA is also exploring how the newly released Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool can be used to quantify benefits to underserved communities for both programs.
Mobile Source Emissions at Ports
Through its Ports Initiative, EPA prioritizes steps to improve air quality in communities close in proximity to ports and other goods movement centers that may experience higher concentrations of heavy-duty diesel vehicles, vessels, and equipment.
The DERA Program prioritizes funding for projects at ports that develop publicly available air pollution emissions inventories and emissions reduction targets, and that engage communities to inform project plans and ensure continued efforts to improve air quality after the completion of DERA projects. DERA funding has supported zero emission port projects, including drayage trucks, cranes and yard tractors, ferry and tugboat replacements, and shore power installations. We expect to see even more applications for zero emissions equipment as new technologies become available. For more information, visit the DERA grants awarded for port projects.
EPA’s Ports Initiative provides tools and technical assistance to accelerate adoption of cleaner technologies and planning practices at ports. These resources include updated port emissions inventory guidance, assessments of emissions reduction strategies such as marine vessel shore power, and community-port collaboration resources to support effective communication and engagement between and among port stakeholders to help advance projects that are responsive to community priorities in improving air quality. EPA will prioritize engagements with affected communities that have environmental justice concerns to ensure DERA and Ports Initiative programs address impacts in these communities.
Through the Ports Initiative, EPA advises our federal partners on how best to ensure port-related federal infrastructure investments, including those in the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, lead to cleaner air, climate protection, and environmental justice for communities living near freight facilities.
On February 28, EPA announced funding opportunities under the new Clean Ports Program, a $3 billion program created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, to fund zero-emission port equipment infrastructure as well as climate and air quality planning at U.S. ports. The funds will be awarded through two competitions. The Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition will fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions (criteria pollutants, air toxics, and greenhouse gases) at U.S. ports, delivering cleaner air for communities across the country. The Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition will fund climate and air quality planning activities at U.S. ports; including emissions inventories, strategy analysis, community engagement, and resiliency measure identification, all of which will build the capacity of port stakeholders to continue to reduce pollution and transition to zero-emissions (ZE) operations over time. Both opportunities are open NOW through the application deadline at 11:59 PM ET on May 28, 2024.
EPA’s Partnerships with State and Local Agencies on Reducing Mobile Source Air Pollution
EPA provides guidance on control measures that result in emissions reductions that may be applied in Clean Air Act-required state implementation plans and in regional emissions analyses for transportation conformity determinations. For example, EPA has provided guidance on quantifying emissions reductions from measures to replace or retrofit diesel powered vehicle and nonroad equipment. These measures can reduce emissions in communities near facilities such as highways, ports, and warehouses.
EPA updated its transportation conformity guidance for conducting PM hot-spot analyses used for estimating the emissions and air quality impacts of federally supported transportation projects such as new or expanded highways or transit facilities with significant increases in diesel truck or bus traffic. In this update, EPA noted that the guidance may apply for analysis of transportation projects for other purposes, including assessing near-source air quality in communities with environmental justice concerns. Such sources include roads, freight terminals, and railyards.
EPA’s Partnerships with Federal Agencies on Truck Electrification
EPA is working closely with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation on building support for greater application of electric vehicle technologies. This includes developing materials for stakeholder outreach, identifying and supporting funding opportunities, and partnering on technical research that is needed to support the development of our long-term light-duty vehicle and our Phase 3 greenhouse gas truck standards. Combined, these efforts will support environmental justice initiatives across the country.
Piston-Engine Aircraft Lead Emissions
Protecting children’s health and reducing lead exposure in overburdened communities are two of EPA’s top priorities. EPA has been investigating emissions of lead from aircraft operating on leaded fuel and the impact of these emissions on lead air pollution, including assessing lead concentrations in air near airports and evaluating the potentially exposed population.
Although levels of airborne lead in the United States have declined 99% since 1980, piston-engine aircraft that operate on leaded fuel are the largest remaining source of lead emissions to air.
Lead exposure can result from multiple sources, including leaded paint, contaminated soil, industrial emissions from battery recycling or metals processing, and the combustion of fuel or waste containing lead. Children’s exposure to lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects. No safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention and academic achievement. In adults, health effects from lead exposure can include cardiovascular effects, increased blood pressure and incidence of hypertension, decreased kidney function, and reproductive issues.
EPA issued a proposed determination (pdf) (626 KB) in October 2022 that lead emissions from certain aircraft engines cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare. EPA refers to this action collectively as the "endangerment finding." After evaluating comments on the proposal, EPA plans to issue any final endangerment finding in 2023.
Emissions from Aircraft, Rail, Marine, and Nonroad Sectors
EPA is working with our federal colleagues, and state and local partners, to understand and explore regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to reduce air emissions from the aircraft, rail, marine, and other nonroad sectors, especially in communities that are most severely impacted by these emissions.
- Regulations for Emissions from Aircraft
- Regulations for Emissions from Locomotives
- Regulations for Emissions from Marine Vessels
- Regulations for Emissions from Nonroad Vehicles and Engines
EPA’s Approach to the Inflation Reduction Act
EPA will begin launching Inflation Reduction Act transportation programs in the coming years. These programs will have a focus on environmental justice and Justice40.