Dr. David Hill: CT missed opportunity to adopt life saving healthy air policies

Maybe we have all forgotten what happened in June 2023 when smoke from climate change-fueled wildfires caused unprecedented levels of air pollution in Connecticut

It has been a stunning disappointment to see Connecticut back away from its decades-long commitment to protect public health through common sense clean vehicle policies.

As a pulmonologist who sees the significant burden of asthma in our state, I am outraged by the political circus surrounding the Advanced Clean Car and Advanced Clean Truck policies.

Connecticut has the worst air quality east of the Mississippi River and I see all too often the impact of that air on the ability of our residents to breathe. These effects disproportionately affect communities of color who are more likely to live along highway corridors; poor air quality affects the health of everyone who breathes.

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Last year, we had an opportunity to adopt strong policies to significantly reduce the pollution we breathe from our transportation system. Specifically, the Advanced Clean Trucks rule would slash diesel pollution that overburdens our black and brown communities.  Medium and heavy-duty vehicles represent approximately six percent of the on-road fleet as of 2020 but generate 59 percent of ozone and particle-forming NOx emissions and 55 percent of the particle pollution.  Air pollution causes health emergencies including asthma attacks, heart attacks and other lung and cardiovascular diseases.  Maybe we have all forgotten what happened in June 2023 when smoke from climate change-fueled wildfires caused unprecedented levels of air pollution in Connecticut and across the country?  Climate change only makes it harder to clean up the air we breathe.  We must act now to improve our health and protect our air.

Yet, somehow the very real health benefits that would come to our communities from these policies have been ignored and the public has been incited to anger for things they’re told about these policies that simply aren’t true.

The auto market is already transitioning to a zero-emission future, but no one is going to take away the cars currently on the roads or prevent anyone from shopping for used gas-powered vehicles.  Participation in the clean cars and clean trucks programs helps us meet clean air standards and get to our statutory greenhouse gas emissions goals while making zero emissions vehicles more accessible and affordable right here in Connecticut.

We should be focusing political discussions on how to best prepare our electric grid for a green transition and how to make sure that charging infrastructure is equitably distributed rather than delaying a necessary and gradual transition to clean life-saving technology.

Perhaps the most disappointing consequence of the state’s inaction on these programs is the lack of attention paid to the Advanced Clean Trucks standard, which is a separate pollution reduction program from the clean cars policy.  Cleaning up toxic pollution from heavy-duty trucks that drive on our highways and pollute communities across the state would be plentiful and provide a massive benefit for our health and health equity.  In fact, the state legislature passed a bill in 2022 asking the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to adopt the new truck standards.  So what are we waiting for?

A report issued last year by the American Lung Association noted that the transition to zero-emission trucking on our most heavily traveled roads could yield stunning benefits. By 2050, the transition to zero-emission technologies coupled with clean energy resources could generate over $10 billion in public health benefits. That’s nearly a thousand lives saved, over 21,000 asthma attacks prevented and over 111,000 lost work days avoided because our air will be that much cleaner. Boosting passenger vehicle sales to zero-emissions only adds to these benefits. We can’t delay any longer.

We have already fallen behind our neighboring states to address the air quality and health burden fueled by our transportation system.  The good news is that it is not too late to do the right thing. I urge our decision makers to take action and adopt Advanced Clean Trucks and continue our participation in Advanced Clean Cars this legislative session.

We must not wait to take action on these policies. Lives depend on it.

Dr. David Hill is director, Clinical Research, Waterbury Pulmonary Associates and Chair-Elect, National Board American Lung Association