"Research shows Black neighborhoods bear the brunt of diesel pollution. New EPA changes could make that burden worse."
For decades, highways and industrial corridors have exposed Black communities to disproportionate levels of diesel pollution. As the Trump administration eases clean truck standards, environmental advocates warn those neighborhoods could once again pay the highest price.
"The research is conclusive: Black communities are disproportionately exposed to diesel exhaust and other traffic-related pollution. So when Biden-era crackdowns on diesel emissions were scheduled to take effect, Black neighborhoods near freeways or industrial corridors anticipated breathing easier.
But a new move by the Environmental Protection Agency could mean the air in those communities could get worse, and soon.
The Trump administration has announced it is pushing back or adjusting diesel emission restrictions that had been tightened under President Joe Biden, calling the regulations “unnecessary and unworkable.” Originally announced in 2023 and set to take effect this year, the regulations would have required trucks and other diesel engines to use more advanced, emissions-reducing technology."
