Radnor Township building
RADNOR – The Environmental Protection Agency is considering a Proposed EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles.
Now, Radnor officials have signed a letter of support for the changes with the Climate Mayors.
According to its website, the Climate Mayors is a non-partisan network of over 350 mayors “committed to climate action and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in our cities.”
In Radnor, the issue was brought up by the township Environmental Advisory Council.
Daniel Burnham, a member of Radnor’s Environmental Advisory Council, said he became aware of the letter through the Sierra Club.
“This letter is requesting or stating support of the EPA proposal to tighten the emission standards for existing diesel vehicles and to encourage the transition over to electric vehicles for heavy-duty transport,” Burnham said as he addressed the board.
Specifically, the letter expresses support for the EPAs proposed plan to set stronger greenhouse gas emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032.
“This letter … is a letter to POTUS to the President of the United States demonstrating our support as a township for the initiative to tighten further the emission standards for heavy vehicles, particularly tractor-trailers,” Burnham said. “Now, the diesel engines that power these machines are highly efficient and powerful. They are a really [are] a scientific achievement. However, they are polluting. They produce a lot of nitrogen oxide, which, due to the high compression temperature, is a product of nitrogen reacting with oxygen. Nitrogen oxides then go on to produce ozone and fine particulate matter, and if anybody has looked at their pollution monitor on AccuWeather or whatever, you will notice that fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides are the lead causes on a daily basis of air pollution in our area.”
According to the letter, the transportation sector accounts for 29 percent of greenhouse gas emissions nationally and is higher in cities.
“I know that I would be happy to sign it — never written the President of the United States before but happy to, especially about this,” Board President Maggy Myers.
The letter is being signed by Myers, president of the board of commissioners, and Margaret A. Reinhart, chairperson of the Radnor Township Environmental Advisory Council.
“We, the undersigned, understand that this is a historic opportunity to accelerate the adoption of heavy-duty EVs across the nation and support the strongest proposed GHG Standards for HeavyDuty Vehicles-Phase 3. We thank you for your consideration of our request as you work with EPA to finalize the strongest possible rule,” the letter reads in its final paragraph.
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