FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, April 3, 2025
40 Groups Call for Maryland to Implement Clean Cars and Clean Trucks Standards Without Delay
House Bill 1556 would deprive communities of urgent clean air and public health benefits
Contact: Lesley Paredes, lesley.paredes-hernandez@sierraclub.org
Annapolis, MD – Over forty organizations are urging Maryland uphold the current statute and ensure the timely implementation of the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) and Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) standards.
The groups sent a letter to Governor Moore, Senate President Ferguson, and House Speaker Jones demonstrating that the ACC II and ACT standards are essential for achieving net zero-emissions by 2045, reducing harmful air pollution, and addressing public health inequities by directly cutting emissions from the state’s transportation sector.
“House Bill 1556, which seeks to delay the penalty enforcement mechanism of the ACC II and ACT programs for two model years, would effectively remove Maryland from these programs during the critical ramp-up period for zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) and zero-emission (ZE) medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) truck sales. This delay would allow manufacturers to stall on delivering cleaner vehicles to Maryland residents, disproportionately harming low-income communities and communities of color, who bear the brunt of health-threatening transportation pollution.”
We are calling for urgent program implementation without delay so that Maryland can curb sufficient ozone pollution to meet federal air quality standards as indicated in the fiscal note by the Maryland Department of Environment. The Baltimore region and Cecil County are designated in serious nonattainment of the ozone standard.
Delaying enforcement of ACC II and ACT would only serve manufacturers that are resistant to complying with the regulations at the expense of Marylanders’ health, climate, and economic goals. Weakening of these programs in the wake of proposed federal rollbacks to our nation’s clean air standards is unacceptable. It has never been more critical for Maryland to stand firm in its commitment to public health and climate leadership.
The letter points out that protective standards are essential in order to address that disproportionate impact.
The following groups signed the letter:
350 Montgomery County
ACEEE
Advanced Energy United
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
American Lung Association in Maryland
BaltPOP - Baltimoreans for People-Oriented Places
Bikemore
Blink Charging
Central Maryland Transportation Alliance
Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund
Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility
Clean Air Task Force
Climate Communications Coalition
Climate Reality Greater Maryland
Earthjustice
Elders Climate Action Maryland Chapter
Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington DC
Environmental Defense Fund
Evergreen Action
Fix Maryland Rail
Generation180
Green Sanctuary of Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring
GreenLatinos
HoCo Climate Action
Indivisible HoCoMD Environmental Action
Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa)
League of Conservation Voters (LCV)
League of Women Voters of Maryland
Maryland League of Conservation Voters
Maryland Legislative Coalition - Climate Justice Wing
Maryland Sierra Club
Mobilize Frederick
Moms Clean Air Force
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
One Montgomery Green
Plug In America
Progressive Maryland
Public Citizen
St. Vincent Green Team
Transit Choices
Union of Concerned Scientists
You can read the full letter here.
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