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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, To protect the millions of Americans who live
3near roadways or live with a lung disease like asthma and to
4curb carbon pollution from the transportation sector, the U.S.
5Environmental Protection Agency must set a stronger clean
6truck standard; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Heavy-duty vehicles on the road release 45
8percent of the U.S. transportation sector's nitrogen oxide
9(NOx) pollution, which creates ozone, the main ingredient in
10smog, and 57 percent of the transportation sector's fine
11particulate matter pollution; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Two-thirds of all Illinois residents live in
13areas that are designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection
14Agency as areas that fail to meet minimal air quality health
15standards for ozone under the provisions of the Clean Air Act;
16and
 
17    WHEREAS, Fine particulate matter is associated with an
18increased risk of premature death, hospitalization, and
19emergency room visits, and numerous respiratory and
20cardiovascular diseases are linked to ozone and fine
21particulate matter, such as asthma, decreased lung function,
22heart attacks, and lung cancer; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, A 2020 study estimated that more than 20,000
2people die prematurely every year in the United States as a
3result of the health burden from motor vehicle pollution on
4roads and highways; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Residents living near ports, railyards,
6warehouses, and busy roads are exposed to such high rates of
7heavy-duty vehicle pollution that experts have labeled these
8areas "diesel death zones" because asthma rates and cancer
9risks are so drastically elevated; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Living within just one third of a mile of a
11highway or close to ports, warehouse distribution centers, or
12other freight corridors is devastating for lung health and can
13lead to early death; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Low-income and communities of color comprise many
15of the residents in these regions, causing significant
16aggravated health problems and risks for these Americans; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In Illinois, transportation has recently
18overtaken fossil fueled power plants as the largest emitter of
19carbon dioxide, the largest contributing factor to global
20warming and climate damage; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Poor and minority communities bear much of the
2brunt of climate change in Illinois, including damage from
3flooding and excessive heat, in addition to already being
4burdened by air pollution; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Trucks and buses only account for 4 percent of
6vehicles on the road, and yet, they are responsible for nearly
725 percent of total transportation sector greenhouse gas
8emissions; emissions from trucks are the fastest growing
9source of greenhouse gases, and the number of truck miles
10traveled on the nation's roads is forecast to continue to grow
11significantly in the coming decades; and
 
12    WHEREAS, A strong clean truck standard will expand the
13market for new, advanced technologies and create jobs; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Over a quarter-million people were employed in
15the clean vehicle industry in 2019; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Electric trucks and buses, regardless of who owns
17them, can reduce electric bills for all customers by using the
18electric grid to charge when electricity demand is low; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Today, at least 70 electric truck and bus models
20are on the market, and manufacturers are expected to make many
21more new models commercially available over the next decade;

 

 

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1and
 
2    WHEREAS, Electric vehicles are being produced in Illinois,
3and Rivian has a contract to produce 100,000 electric delivery
4vans within this decade at a factory in Normal; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Navistar International, headquartered in Lisle,
6is already manufacturing and selling electric school buses and
7has begun building a facility to manufacture and sell electric
8trucks as soon as 2022; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Multi-State Medium and Heavy Duty Zero
10Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), organized
11by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management
12(NESCAUM), calls for 30 percent of new truck and bus sales to
13be zero-emission by 2030 and 100 percent zero-emission by
142050; and
 
15    WHEREAS, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine,
16Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina,
17Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington,
18as well as the District of Columbia, have issued an MOU
19outlining a coordinated effort to expedite the deployment of
20zero emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles; and
 
21    WHEREAS, This multi-state initiative is vital for enabling

 

 

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1the policies with regulations, and it fosters cost-effective
2vehicle electrification needed to achieve state climate
3commitments and air quality improvement goals; therefore, be
4it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
6ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Governor to
7sign the Multi-State Memorandum of Understanding calling for
830 percent of new truck and bus sales to be zero-emission by
92030 and 100 percent zero-emission by 2050.