Arizona residents deserve cleaner skies when it comes to trucks on our state roadways and highways.
That was the message Friday as Arizona state Sen. Brian Fernandez, Yuma City Councilmember Carol Smith and JoAnna Mendoza, a board member of Arizona VetsForward, spoke to reporters at the Robert Moody Demonstration Garden.
The three community leaders said they want to encourage public support for the adoption of robust clean heavy-duty truck standards to help put Yuma on the path to zero emissions from the transportation sector.
"Growing up, I was instilled with the belief that we should all be good stewards of this land because it nourishes us," said Mendoza, who has served at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. "We must create an environment where our children can flourish, where they can breather clean air and live in a world that values their well-being."
The speakers are in favor of the the Biden Administration and EPA's proposal for heavy-duty vehicle emission standards. Those have been proposed for model years 2027 to 2032.
Smith, who is a nurse educator in her day job, said it's a matter of health as pollution from trucks can lead to an increase in respiratory diseases. She said about 20,000 people in Yuma have asthma, with about 4,000 of those being children.
"Without stronger clean truck standards, we will continue to pollute the air and harm our health," Smith said.
Fernandez is a member of the Arizona Senate Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee.
"The clean truck standards are not just an environmental imperative, they're a vital component of preserving the health and economic vitality of Yuma and Arizona as a whole," he said. "This translates to meaningful improvements in our daily lives."
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Scroll down for more coverage from KAWC and NPR on clean truck standards and the goal of zero emissions.
