Congressmen Payne & Sires Call on Gov Murphy to Replace Older Diesel Trucks
Today, Congressman Payne and Sires released a joint letter calling for the replacement of older port trucks (attached). These trucks emit significant amounts of diesel pollution and contribute to elevated asthma, cancer and premature death rates of port workers and in port communities like Newark.
This call for action is especially important as the raising of the Bayonne Bridge now enables Panamax ships to enter Ports Newark and Elizabeth. These supersized ships will unload twice as much cargo and dramatically increase truck and rail traffic.
In 2017, the Port Authority of NY & NJ (PANYNJ) reneged on its commitment to ban all pre-2007 engine trucks from the port and pilot a program to capture ship emissions with an approved mobile capture and control system.
“We need to get a clean trucks strategy rolling again,” said Amy Goldsmith, State Director, Clean Water Action and Chair, Coalition for Healthy Ports. “We applaud our congressmen for their efforts and call on Governor Murphy to exercise his power to protect the health and well-being of New Jersey’s port communities.”
See attached letter and link to press release posted on Congressman Payne’s website:
Impacts of not reinstating the PANYNJ truck ban are significant. Read report or factsheet at:
The Coalition for Healthy Ports is the lead organization working on port diesel and related issues. Since its founding in 2007, Clean Water Action has served as its chair. www.coalitionforhealthyports.org
Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. We will protect clean water in the face of attacks from a polluter friendly Administration and Congress. Clean Water Action has 150,000 members in NJ and nearly 1 million nationwide. www.cleanwater.org/nj
