[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 116 (Thursday, September 23, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9638-S9639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mr. Jeffords):
  S. 2842. A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to require 
motor carriers to comply with vehicle emission performance standards 
established by the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, today I am introducing legislation to 
protect communities from pollution

[[Page S9639]]

emitted by heavy-duty diesel trucks. I am pleased to be joined in this 
effort by Senators Feinstein and Jeffords. The Clean Trucks Act will 
require all trucks operating within the United States to comply with 
Federal clean air requirements. It will also require the Federal Motor 
Carrier Safety Administration to collect and provide information on 
long-haul heavy-duty truck travel and fuel consumption to the United 
States Environmental Protection Agency to enable the EPA to estimate 
emissions.
  More than 130 million Americans continue to breathe dirty, unhealthy 
air. The Los Angeles and San Joaquin Valley air basins have the highest 
levels of ozone, or smog, pollution in the Nation, and are among the 
most polluted from particulate matter, or soot. Many other areas of 
California also face severe air quality threats, including the Imperial 
Valley as well as Riverside, Sacramento, and Ventura Counties.
  According to the California Air Resources Board, almost 59 percent of 
California's pollution is from mobile sources. Although overall mobile 
source emissions have decreased since 1975, the percentage contributed 
by diesel vehicles has increased. In California, heavy-duty diesel 
trucks account for 4 percent of vehicle traffic, but cause 40 percent 
of all nitrogen oxide emissions, which is a cause of smog. Emissions 
from diesel-fueled engines include over 40 other cancer causing 
substances, particulate matter, and ozone-forming pollutants.
  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, hazardous 
pollutants in the air increase the risk of cancer--and 78 percent of 
that increased risk is due to diesel exhaust. Individuals are also at 
greater risk of developing asthma, respiratory conditions, and 
cardiovascular disease.
  Pursuant to the NAFTA and a recent Supreme Court decision, the United 
States will begin allowing foreign heavy-duty diesel truck to operate 
freely within the United States. But, under current law, those trucks 
will not be required to meet Federal or state air quality standards. 
This will only make the air quality problem and the health risk worse.
  The Clean Trucks Act is a reasonable measure to protect our 
communities as millions of foreign trucks are added to our highways. It 
simply says that all trucks, foreign and domestic, must meet the same 
emissions standards. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this measure.
                                 ______