• by Tanya Gazdik , June 6, 2023

As the Environmental Protection Agency prepares to consider new rules governing emissions standards for passenger vehicles and heavy trucks, Public Citizen today launched a six-figure print and digital ad campaign encouraging individuals to support the strengthened emissions standards. 

The proposed EPA rules limiting pollution from cars and trucks take a strong step in protecting health and keeping air clean, says East Peterson-Trujillo, clean vehicles campaigner with Public Citizen. 

“The air we breathe must be protected, and the public deserves to have a voice in encouraging the EPA to set strong standards,”  Peterson-Trujillo says in a release. “While the fossil fuel industry works to undermine these vital protections, to protect the health of our communities, Administrator Regan and the Biden Administration must adopt the strongest option in the proposal and increase the pace to require only zero-emission vehicle sales after 2035.”

The ad campaign will run on billboards in the Washington, D.C. metro area, online, and on streaming platforms through the end of the comment period. Public Citizen’s ads call on the public to submit comments in support of strong emissions standards to the EPA.

The EPA considers all comments received during a 60-day comment period following the publication date in the Federal Register.

The EPA released proposed standards in April in an attempt to reduce air pollution from light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles for model years 2027-2032. According to the agency, the proposed standards aim to improve air quality across the U.S., especially in communities dealing with the burden of polluted air. 

If enacted as they currently stand, the rules would cut 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions, and reduce America’s reliance on approximately 20 billion barrels of oil imported from outside the U.S.