South Coast AQMD adopted the most ambitious Air Quality Management Plan in its history in December. This plan shows that emissions in the South Coast region must be reduced from sources primarily regulated at the federal level to meet national ambient air quality standards for ozone. While heavy duty trucks are currently the top source of emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx, the primary component to smog), emissions from ships, planes and locomotives continue to grow. By 2037, emissions from these three federally-regulated sources alone will surpass the emissions level required to attain the 8-hour ozone standard.

South Coast AQMD continues to advocate at the federal level – including with the White House, Congress, and federal agencies – to reduce emissions from sources that are primarily under federal authority. Below are some recent actions the federal government has taken which affect South Coast AQMD.

In November 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) responded to a 2017 petition by the CARB, with South Coast AQMD support, to address NOx and particulate matter emissions from locomotives. U.S. EPA plans to develop both regulatory and non-regulatory options to address pollution from new and existing locomotives.

In response to a 2016 petition led by South Coast AQMD, U.S. EPA adopted a new rule on heavy-duty trucks in December 2022. While South Coast AQMD advocated for more stringent standards, this rule will require new trucks to reduce NOx emissions more than 80 percent. U.S. EPA is now working on a follow-up regulation to address greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles, with a proposed rule expected to take effect by 2030.

However, despite these actions, the South Coast needs more reductions from federal sources to meet federal air quality standards; it is critical that U.S. EPA take more action on sources outside of the South Coast AQMD’s regulatory control.

In August 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). South Coast AQMD’s advocacy efforts helped contribute to the inclusion of numerous investments in air quality and clean energy in this landmark legislation. IRA’s funding opportunities include energy efficiency and clean vehicle tax credits; $1 billion in grants to replace medium-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles ($400 million set aside for non-attainment areas); and $3 billion to reduce air pollution at ports ($750 million set aside for non-attainment areas). IRA builds on clean energy investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) of 2021. South Coast AQMD has been engaging with Congress, the Biden Administration and agencies to advocate for uses and allocations of BIL and IRA funding to address air pollution, environmental justice, climate, goods movement and other issues.