Environmental Justice and Transportation
EPA's goal is to provide an environment where all people enjoy the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to maintain a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work. EPA’s environmental justice mandate applies to all of its work – including standard setting, regulations, awarding grants, and more. EPA's strategic plan (pdf) ( 532 KB) includes four essential principles: to follow the science, follow the law, be transparent, and advance justice and equity. These four principles form the basis of the Agency's culture and 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. In 1970, Congress passed the landmark Clean Air Act, which gave the newly-formed EPA the legal authority to regulate pollution from cars and other forms of transportation. Since then, EPA and the State of California have led the national effort to reduce transportation pollution by adopting increasingly stringent standards. Through regulations, interagency partnerships, voluntary programs, federal funding, and other actions, EPA seeks to address these inequities as it works to reduce pollution from the transportation sector. Some of these efforts resulted in cleaner air after eliminating lead from fuels resulting in other pollutants being reduced as well, such as sulfur levels declining more than 90 percent compared to levels prior to regulation. Additionally, U.S. cities are seeing improved air quality, despite ever increasing population and increasing vehicle miles traveled.
On this page, you will find information on the variety of regulations, funding, and other programs that contribute to improving public health and furthering EPA’s environmental justice goals.
On this page:
- Heavy-Duty Vehicles “Phase 3” Greenhouse Gas Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later: Final Rule
- Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for MY 2027 and Later: Final Rule
- 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
Heavy-Duty Vehicles “Phase 3” Greenhouse Gas Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later: Final Rule
On March 29, 2024, EPA announced a final rule, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3,” that sets stronger standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles beginning in MY 2027. The new standards will be applicable to HD vocational vehicles (such as delivery trucks, refuse haulers, public utility trucks, transit, shuttle, school buses, etc.) and tractors (such as day cabs and sleeper cabs on tractor-trailer trucks). The final standards will reduce dangerous air pollution, especially for the 72 million people in the U.S. who live near truck freight routes, bear the burden of higher levels of pollution, and are more likely to be people of color or come from low-income households. This will result in fewer premature deaths and serious health effects such as hospital admissions due to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.
Addressing air pollution in overburdened communities is among the highest priorities of the Biden Administration, and this final rule is just one component of an all-of-government approach to addressing environmental justice and reducing disparities.
The final “Phase 3” standards build on EPA’s Heavy-Duty Phase 2 program from 2016 and maintain that program’s flexible structure, which is designed to reflect the diverse nature of the heavy-duty vehicle industry. The standards are technology-neutral and performance-based, allowing each manufacturer to choose what set of emissions control technologies is best suited for them and the needs of their customers.
The final heavy-duty greenhouse gas standards complete EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollutants including nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and air toxics from heavy-duty vehicles through a series of rulemakings. These rules include the Phase 3 standards as well as EPA’s recently finalized light- and medium-duty vehicle multipollutant standards for MY 2027-2032 (which covers Class 2b and 3 trucks), and EPA’s December 2022 rule to control smog- and soot-forming emissions from heavy-duty engines and vehicles. The Clean Trucks Plan represents the most protective set of EPA regulations ever for the on-road sector, significantly reducing pollution, protecting public health, and responding to the urgency of climate change.
Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for MY 2027 and Later: Final Rule
On March 20, 2024, EPA announced a final rule, Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for MY 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles, that set new, more protective standards to further reduce harmful air pollutant emissions from light-duty and medium-duty vehicles starting with MY 2027. The final rule builds upon EPA’s final standards for federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks for MY 2023-2026 and leverages advances in clean car technology to unlock benefits to Americans ranging from improving public health through reducing smog- and soot-forming pollution from vehicles, to reducing climate pollution, to saving drivers money through reduced fuel and maintenance costs. These standards will phase in over MY 2027-2032.
Emissions from School Buses and Diesel Vehicles
School buses travel over four billion miles each year, providing the safest transportation to and from school for more than 25 million children every day. However, diesel exhaust from older buses can contribute to air quality problems and has a negative impact on human health, especially for children, who have a faster breathing rate than adults and whose lungs are not yet fully developed.
With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the EPA Clean School Bus Program provides $5 billion over five years (FY 2022-2026) 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. Through the program’s multiple funding opportunities, EPA is accelerating the clean transformation of the nation's fleet of nearly 500,000 school buses, which is creating the future that our children deserve - a future with cleaner air on the bus, in bus loading areas, and in the communities in which they operate. For more information on the Clean School Bus Program and it’s development, explore the annual Clean School Bus Reports to Congress.
Furthermore, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides EPA with nearly $1 billion to fund the replacement of non-zero-emission Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles (such as box trucks, refuse haulers, dump trucks, street sweepers, delivery trucks, bucket trucks, and utility trucks) with zero-emission vehicles. With these funds, EPA has developed the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicle technology in the medium- and heavy-duty sector through Inflation Reduction Act funding. The zero-emission vehicles funded under this program will result in cleaner air and better health outcomes for the communities in which they operate increasing the quality of life for drivers, passengers, and maintenance staff who work closely on the vehicles.
In addition to the Clean School Bus and Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Programs, 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, alternative –fuels like propane, and zero emissions vehicles, or upgraded with emission control systems and idle reduction technologies.
The DERA program offers three reoccurring funding opportunities: state grants, national grants, and Tribal and territory grants. DERA supports environmental justice by prioritizing emissions reductions in areas receiving disproportionate impacts. From 2008-2018, DERA has upgraded over 73,000 legacy diesel engines and vehicles, with over 50 percent of projects targeted to areas with air quality challenges.
Since 2012, EPA’s DERA school bus rebates have awarded over $73 million to replace more than 3,000 old diesel school buses. A 2023 study from the University of Michigan and University of Washington showed that, between 2012 and 2017, school districts that replaced existing school buses with cleaner buses funded by EPA had greater attendance improvements than school districts that did not, resulting in over 350,000 estimated additional student days of attendance each year.
Each of these funding programs are subject to Justice40, a whole-of-government approach which mandates that at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain federal programs must flow to overburdened communities. EPA is also exploring how to incorporate the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool to quantify benefits to underserved communities from the funding programs.
For more information on the DERA Program and progress made, explore the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Reports to Congress.
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 a report quantifying and characterizing near-port populations in the conterminous United States, 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 operations over time. Both opportunities closed at 11:59 PM ET on May 28, 2024. Selected applications were announced on October 29, 2024.
EPA’s Partnerships with State and Local Agencies on Reducing Mobile Source Air Pollution
EPA works closely with state, local, and Tribal governments to reduce air pollution and implement the Clean Air Act. EPA provides guidance on control measures that result in emissions reductions that may be applied in Clean Air Act required State Implementation Plans, Tribal 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
Electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions and typically have a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline cars, even when accounting for the electricity used for charging. To support the application of electric vehicle technologies across the U.S. and U.S. Territories, EPA is working closely with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, who provide support and expertise to a multitude of programs that seek to deploy a network of electric vehicle chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses. This support also 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. Additionally, the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program offers funds towards electrifying fleets, but also the purchase and installation of refueling infrastructure that will support vehicles replaced under its program. This also includes driver/mechanic training related to the maintenance and operation of new technologies, and vehicle warranties. 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 U.S. have declined 99 percent 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. Read more information on the impacts of lead on children.
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.