Letter: Take the step to set truck emissions limits

It's good news that Illinois is starting to electrify transportation, but it needs to do more. Subsidizing new zero-emission trucks is a great jump start to move larger electric vehicles onto our roads to clean the air, prevent global warming and make Illinois' economy more competitive. Yet subsidies only get you so far and the money will run out.

The state needs to plan for the long term and set sales expectations for new electric trucks that increase over time.

Gov. JB Pritzker now needs to join 17 other states working jointly to make this happen. He needs to sign Illinois onto an existing memorandum of agreement that sets goals of 30% of new truck sales being zero-emission by 2030 and 100% by 2050. He then needs to ensure Illinois implements provisions to reach those goals.

Diesel trucks are a huge source of pollution in Illinois. Although only 7% of vehicles on the road, they emit 59% to 67% of deadly local air pollution and 36% of greenhouse gases.

A study found that over 400 people are expected to die in Illinois next year just from breathing diesel exhaust.

Subsidizing electric vehicles and charging stations establishes beachheads for clean electric transportation, but we need a full-scale invasion to protect our health and livelihoods from the growing threats of dirty air and global warming.

Brian Urbaszewski

Director of Environmental Health Programs