Chapter 173-423 WAC, Clean Vehicles Program Rulemaking Formal Comment Period

Hello, uh, this is Sarah Cate, uh, S-A-R-A, first name. Last name, Cate, C-A-T-E. Um, as a physician who has cared for families in Yakima for the past 30 years, treating the environment in which respiratory conditions arise is the most important fact...↓or in improving the health of the community overall. The American Lung Association gives Yakima a grade F as one of the 23 most polluted cities in the U.S. for particle pollution. This particle pollution comes from a variety of sources, including diesel burning vehicles. Diesel emissions have doubled since 1990. The Department of Ecology has identified East Yakima, bordering on Interstate 82, as having one of the highest rates of asthma and chronic lung disease and a less than 10th percentile for life expectancy. Transportation is the biggest source of climate pollution, and putting cleaner burning trucks on our roads is key to improving this pollution and saving lives. Thank you very much.

Hello, my name is Rachel Roberts. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I live in the Briarcrest neighborhood in Shoreline. Ecology has identified Briarcrest as an overburdened community, precisely because of its exposure to particulate matter fr...↓om diesel truck exhaust. My neighborhood is surrounded by state routes on two sides, and there are trucks going through them all the time. I have asthma, so I'm even more impacted by high levels of PM2.5 than many of my neighbors. Between the fire smoke and the truck exhaust, it can get pretty difficult to breathe in late summer ,even for simple things like walking my dog. So I'm happy to see Ecology take action on this issue, and I support adoption of the proposed rule.

Thanks. Uh, good evening, Tom Van Heeke with Rivian Automotive. T-o-m-v-a-n-h-e-e-k-e. Thanks for the opportunity to speak today in support of ACT amendments. I'm Senior Policy Advisor at Rivian Automotive. We're an independent American company, and ...↓we design, manufacture, and sell all electric vehicles, including the R1T pickup, R1S SUV, and a commercial van, widely used by Amazon here in Washington. A variant of the van is now also in service with other customers. As a manufacturer, Rivian is subject to the ACT standards, and we support them. Standards are a crucial driver of our industry's transformation into one that is cleaner and more technologically advanced. And while recent federal actions have destabilized regulations such as ACT, we applaud Washington's continued commitment to transportation electrification. In 2024, California adopted amendments to the regulation that were described earlier today, pursuant to the terms of the Clean Truck Partnership, developed with the input of the Truck Manufacturing Industry. These amendments increase compliance flexibility for diesel truck makers at their request, and were broadly supported. Washington needs to adopt these changes to remain harmonized with California's regulation, as required by federal and state law. Finalizing and implementing these amendments in Washington as soon as possible will remove at least one source of the regulatory uncertainty that is increasingly plaguing our industry. It will also position Washington to realize the benefits of the ACT regulation at the earliest opportunity, pending as yet unresolved legal challenges to recent federal actions that seek to block enforcement of the rule. Therefore, Rivian strongly supports finalizing these amendments, and thanks… thanks Ecology for their hard work bringing this to the table today. Thanks again for the opportunity to comment. I'll be following up with some comments, in writing, on behalf of the company. Thanks again.

I am Martin Gibbins, M-A-R-T-I-N G-I-B-B-I-N-S. Representing the 2,400 members of the League of Women Voters of Washington as their Climate and Energy Issue Chair. For years, the League of Women Voters has advocated for clean vehicles and clean fuels...↓ in Washington state, because these are necessary steps in doing our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve our air quality. Air quality is worse with legacy truck engines operating in high-density communities including neighborhoods and near schools. And this degrades health, as described in the policy review we just heard. I might say that I am personally grateful for the clean truck policy when I see electric Delivery trucks passing quietly and pollution-free through my neighborhood. Our members at the League of Women Voters are highly committed to participating in the creation of government policies such as this because citizen participation is a significant element of a democracy. We use careful studies to form our policy positions on these issues and those positions align with the policies under consideration here tonight. To increase viability of transitioning to clean trucks, we encourage adopting Ecology's proposed rules on ACT and HDO. Every state must enable this transition. Thank you for this opportunity to describe our policies and position.

Good evening. My name is Caitlin Krenn, and I'm here on behalf of Washington Conservation Action, where I serve as Climate and Clean Energy Director. Washington Conservation Action, formerly known as Washington Environmental Council, has been a leadi...↓ng policy voice for the environment in our state for nearly 60 years. We develop, advocate, and defend policies that advance environmental progress and justice and we supported the 2020 legislation requiring Washington to adopt California's zero-emission vehicle standards. We commend Ecology for all the agency's work over the ensuing years to update rules in accordance with this law and aligned with our broader climate and air quality policy framework in a predictable way that supports public health, helps meet our greenhouse gas emission limits, and builds in flexibility for regulated manufacturers. The proposed updates to the advanced clean trucks and heavy-duty Low-NOX Omnibus regulations are expected to cut nearly 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide through 2050 and significantly reduced tailpipe pollution. As we heard, dramatically slashing PM2.5 pollution, aka soot, and NOx pollution. This is significant because medium and heavy duty vehicles are the primary source of diesel exhaust, which is the single most harmful air pollutant in Washington. Adoption of these rules will mean fewer hospital visits and deaths each year and fewer family members and neighbors put at greater risk for cancer, asthma, heart disease, and other devastating ailments. These benefits are why the legislature chose to join Washington with the many other states that have adopted California's vehicle emission standards. The agency's job now is to make sure that this legislative mandate is faithfully executed, which is exactly what the proposed rules for Chapter 173-423 WAC do. We strongly support adoption of the proposed rule changes, and thank Ecology for upholding the spirit and letter of the law.

Thank you. My name is Arthur Baines, that's A-R-T-H-U-R-B-A-I-N-E-S. I live in the first legislative district, and I'm here today to ask you to support the Advanced Clean Truck. Truck's rules. Um, I'm the father of a 10-month-old, and my wife has ast...↓hma and trouble with respiratory illnesses. I've worked in the field of cystic fibrosis research for the last 11 and a half years, which is a genetic disease whose most significant impacts on lifespan are related to loss of lung function over time. I attended graduate school in the UW School of Public Health, where I became familiar with the seriously detrimental impacts of environmental pollution has on our health. And that a huge portion of that impact is experienced by the poorest and least privileged communities in our state. I had to overcome significant personal fear of what the climate will look like for my child before we decided to bring another human into this world. And that was all before the Trump administration took over and started dismantling the EPA and plans to mitigate climate change. I urge you to consider the lives of all the young children today who are already growing up in a world with regular air quality issues due to pollution and yearly wildfires. We cannot afford to slow down any of the regulations we are putting in place to improve air quality. With so much already working to degrade it. Thank you for this opportunity to have my voice heard.

My name is Colleen Anderson, C-O-L-E-E-N-A-n-d-e-r-s-o-n. And I live in Yakima in the 4th Legislative District. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. Um, I'm a co-leader of 350 Yakima Climate Action. And more importantly, I'm a mother, a gran...↓dmother, and a great-grandmother. I speak today with deep concern for the health and future of my family and all children who will inherit the world we leave behind. For families like mine, this issue is personal. My son lives with asthma, and on bad air days, even breathing becomes a struggle. Diesel pollution makes these days more frequent and more dangerous. It hits hardest in communities already overburdened, especially children, low-income families and people of color. Excuse me. Yakima is an agricultural town with a high volume of truck traffic. Many people work around or inside trucks every day, exposed to diesel fumes that damage their lungs and shorten their lives. The harm is clear and measurable. Diesel emissions in Yakima are increasing. The Department of Ecology has identified East Yakima, particularly near I-82 as a hotspot for asthma, chronic lung disease, and tragically low life expectancy- among the lowest in the state. We cannot ignore the human cost of inaction. I urge you to stand with the families of Yakima and across Washington and support these proposed rules to help address the climate crisis and meet our state's climate goals. These rules are a critical step. Toward reducing transportation-related pollution. The largest source of climate emissions in our state. And it will protect public health and communities like mine. We must not let polluters roll back the progress we've made. Thank you for your leadership, and for listening.

Thank you. My name is Gregg Brown, G-R-E-G-G. B-r-o-w-n. And I'm part of the Third Act Washington Power Up Team, and a retired engineer. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in favor of adopting the proposed amendments to the ACT and HCO rules. I...↓n the late 1970s, I was a student at Caltech in Pasadena in California. And when I first arrived on campus to start my freshman year, the nearby San Gabriel Mountains were obscured by a layer of smog. Uh, to run a block meant a burning in the back of your throat, and looking out the window on many days was like staring into a yellowing Fluorescent light. Solving a blight of smog was one of the challenges that led me to study mechanical engineering. I joined a community of engineers committed to solving problems like vehicular air pollution. At first, the solutions were clunky and inefficient. Today, they're invisible. Uh, that's because society and government posed the right problems to engineers, tightening the standards that drove solutions and innovation towards solution. Every time those higher standards were defined, voices warned that cost would be prohibitive, performance would be ruined, or choice would be limited. And none of that happened. If engineers are given the right problems, they can find the right solutions. And the proposed amendments continue clear goals for cleaner trucks and provide the flexibility. To allow technical innovation to emerge. So please continue to confidently set the standards and trust the solutions will come. Thank you for my chance to speak in favor of the Department of Ecology's proposed rule amendments. Thank you.

My name is Ross Hunt. R-o-s-s-H-u-n-t. I live in the 48th Legislative District, and I care deeply about a clean environment and a healthy climate. I'm here to testify in support of adoption of the proposed rules for Washington's Advanced Clean Truck ...↓and Heavy Duty Low NOx rules. I am fortunate that I have not experienced difficulty breathing, even when we have received alerts about bad air conditions. I have witnessed, however, the acute urgency that my wife experiences when the low… when the Air Now Quality Index is descending through the moderate and into the unhealthy for sensitive groups categories. She has also taught me the need to quickly shift to recirculated air in our car when we get behind a vehicle that is spewing the bad exhaust that is so typical of that emitted by large trucks. And even though I do not experience the same sense of urgency, I can often feel the air quality go down when a large truck passes me as a pedestrian. I know it's not good for me. I believe that the proposed rules will help us eliminate this threat to our health. I urge you to adopt the proposed Advanced Clean Truck and Heavy Duty Low-NOX rules. Thank you for your attention.

Hi, my name is Mona Howe, and I just finished 5th grade at Kimball Elementary in Seattle. Thank you for letting me speak today. I care a lot about clean air and a healthy planet because I want to grow up in a world where I can breathe easily and wher...↓e the earth stays full of trees, animals, and safe places to explore.

In the street in front of my house, many big trucks pass by that create a lot of exhaust. It makes me cough sometimes, and I have to put my hands over my face just so I can breathe better. That’s why I really want Washington to keep its Advanced Clean Trucks rules. They can help stop the pollution that’s harming kids like me and people in my neighborhood.

In school, we learned that diesel has chemicals that can make people sick—even cause cancer. That’s terrifying. But there are clean trucks out there that won’t hurt our lungs or our future. I think adults should make choices that help everyone, especially kids. And clean trucks don’t just protect our health—they also create new jobs and help the planet.

I support Ecology’s new rules because they help manufacturers switch to clean trucks in a way that works for them too. It's kind of like getting extra time to finish a big school project so you can still do your best and turn in something great.

Please don’t delay these clean truck rules. We can’t afford to wait while more people get sick or while the planet gets hotter. We need fresh air, good jobs, and trucks that help instead of harm. I may be young, but I know this is important for everyone.

Thank you.

Hey there, my name is Wes Stewart, W-E-S. S-t-e-w-a-r-t. I'm here representing Sierra Club's Washington chapter and our 30,000 members in the state. As you folks have already shared, medium and heavy-duty vehicles like buses, delivery vans, and big t...↓rucks are responsible for nearly 30% of on-road greenhouse gas emissions. Which is why Sierra Club, as one of the largest, uh, one of the nation's largest environmental advocacy organizations has made ACT and similar rules a nationwide priority. Medium and heavy duty vehicles are responsible for 59% of NOx and 53% of particulate matter emitted by on-road vehicles. Diesel is also linked to 40 different cancer-causing compounds. And these emissions have all doubled since 1990. Today, the California Air Resource Board estimates that diesel exhaust is responsible for about 70% of cancer risk related to air toxins. In Washington, air pollution causes an estimated 1,100 deaths annually. And a delay in implementation of ACT and Omnibus will cost the state nearly $280 million in health costs. The Sierra Club's Washington chapter supports Ecology's proposed rules to advance Advanced Clean Trucks and heavy-duty omnibus, while providing flexibility for manufacturers to comply. Energy transitions can take decades, and this is an important step to kickstart the market so the cost of clean vehicles, uh, significantly drops over time. After years of investing in clean vehicle programs, incentives, and infrastructure, and in the face of federal divestments and attacks, Washington must safeguard our public health and clean air by moving forward with on-time implementation. Thank you for receiving my testimony.

Hello, my name is Arvia Morris, A-R-V-I-A, V as in violin,-I-A Morris. And I'm a climate advocate speaking in favor of the proposed rules for clean trucks. I'm a resident of Seattle. Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Trucks make up a dispropo...↓rtionate amount of the climate pollution in the transportation sector, which is the largest contributor to greenhouse gases in the state. Transitioning one truck has an outsized benefit… beneficial impact compared to transitioning a passenger car, for example. Changes to our climate are caused by greenhouse gases are real and getting worse. I worry about my elderly mother, who is stuck in a heat dome on the East Coast for the last 3 days and we've been texting about her stomach cramps, which I'm sure are heat-related. I worry about children in frontline communities who suffer with asthma. I experienced asthma growing up in the 1970s smog. Much of that smog is gone, but low-income communities along freeways and truck routes experience it, and have worse health outcomes compared to other neighborhoods. I strongly support Ecology's proposed rules for Advanced Clean Trucks. And HDO. Please do not delay or halt progress on transitioning trucks to cleaner fuels. Thank you for your leadership, Uh, to the Department of Ecology. Thank you for the chance to testify.

Thank you very much, I hope you hear me now. My name is Mansour Masoudi from Emissol. We are here in Washington State, a little north of Seattle. Spelling, M-A-N-S-O-U-R, my first name, last name, M-A-S. O-U-D-I. Uh, we thank Washington Ecology for t...↓heir leadership and their efforts to reduce NOx emission, especially from medium and heavy duty vehicles. Let's remember, a major portion of medium and heavy duty vehicles will remain combustion engines for the foreseeable future. That is, the Ecology rules will allow some of… some to continue to use legacy diesel engines, even moving forward in the coming years. Historically, whenever tailpipe emissions are proposed to be reduced, there are reservations from manufacturers that it will be costly, or would it be hard to implement, or they bring up other concerns. Uh, we suggest that in the event Ecology faces such reservations, Ecology includes demonstrations showing the proposed emission targets are indeed practical. Here at Emissol, we have developed some of these technologies. Uh, we have been in emission control by almost a quarter of a century. Um, we have developed technologies 100% funded by prior federal awards using your technologies are being tested by some of the world's largest engine manufacturers. Uh, these are the ones that are looking to meet ultra-low NOx emission regulations. These novel technologies have been shown, and some have been published in peer-reviewed publications. They have been shown to reduce NOx emissions by more than a hundred-fold practically reducing NOx emissions to virtual zero to few parts per million, or ppm. We are happy to help support Ecology in their new rulemaking, and if any demonstration comes up. We are happy to have closer communication, and get into the details of how we can support this undertaking. Thank you very much for the opportunity.

This'll just take 2 minutes. Hi, this is Donna Albert. Can you hear me? D-o-n-n-a A-L-B-E-R-T. Global climate emissions continue to rise as we leave the Paris Goal behind us. The Earth Herself is responding to an accelerated energy imbalance with acc...↓elerated warming. Meanwhile, children, pregnant women, seniors, people with existing health conditions and overburdened or disadvantaged communities are unfairly burdened with unnecessary air pollution. Big trucks are already a tenth of Washington state climate emissions. Without the Advanced Clean Truck rule, big truck climate emissions in our state will grow dramatically by 2050 while climate emissions from our electricity falls to near zero. Right now is the time to fully implement the Clean Truck Rule. Every day of delay means more diesel trucks on the road, more climate emissions, which we cannot take back, and more climate heating. 100% electric trucks emit zero climate emissions and zero air pollution from the tailpipe. The Advanced Clean Truck Rule is an epic strategy to cut transportation climate emissions, because each new electric truck takes a dirty diesel truck off the highway, immediately improving air quality in neighborhoods near highways and for workers, and immediately cutting climate emissions. We cannot afford to delay these benefits. The heavy duty Low Nox Omnibus Rule protects vulnerable communities and workers from unfair and unnecessary air pollution, which we know how to prevent right now. Now is the time for this rule to be fully implemented. Thank you.

My name is Joelle Robinson, spelled J-O-E-L-L-E. Robinson, R-O-B-I-N-S-O-N. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak today. I live in Bellingham, and….Knowing that nearly half of our country is currently dealing with dangerous heat, extreme w...↓eather, and flash flooding worries me deeply, and also reminds me of nearly 4 years ago in November, when it rained a month's worth of rain in two days here in Whatcom County. My parents were living in our family home that my dad built over 50 years ago. I called my mom at 6am to check on them, and they already had 4 inches of water in their house. I called 911 3 times that day, as my parents are in their 80s, and there is no upstairs. But I was told that they had over 50 families that they were trying to help. It was freezing cold, and my sisters and I were worried that they would get hypothermia if they had to stay there overnight as the waters kept rising. Finally, a neighbor was able to rescue them by driving his fishing boat onto their deck and took them to safety. It was so scary, and in the end, my parents had to move. I strongly support your work and ecology's proposed rules to help address the climate crisis, and to protect the very tiny lungs of my 5-year-old and all children. Thank you so much.

Hi. Um, first I'd like to thank you for the information that you provided during this webinar. It was very specific, and I understand things even better now. I will say that I'm a generalist, and I'm going to be speaking about overall. Um, outcomes. ...↓My name is Susan Kane, S-U-S-A-N. K-a-n-e. I'm from East Wenatchee, and I am concerned about my grandchildren's future. As an individual, I am doing everything that I can to lower my carbon footprint. I drive an electric car, I have cut way, way back on the amount of meat that I eat. I do not fly by air when I travel. And so, I'm doing what I can. And that's why I'm here today. I can't do much more on my own. I really need your help, and I support these rule changes, because we must transition to zero-emission trucks and vans if we really want to have a chance to meet our climate targets. Now, would you do one thing with me? Could everybody just take a big breath? And exhale. Well, that really helps me calm down; I've never done this before. Now imagine that you are stuck behind a big diesel truck that is moving forward. We've all been there, and sucked in that disgusting vapor. Which of these breaths do you want your grandchildren breathing? You are making a decision that affects the very air we breathe, and I really appreciate you for listening to me. Thank you.

My name is Rich Voget, that's V as in Victor, O-G-E-T. Currently, 100,000 early deaths in the U.S. are caused by particulate air pollution. I live in Seattle, where it has been documented that the life expectancy in South Park and Georgetown, where t...↓he residents are subjected to diesel pollution from trucks driving to the Port of Seattle, is 10 years less than residents living north of the ship canal. The auto industry has a long history of resisting implementing new governmental regulations. Seatbelts, airbags, and catalytic converters were seen as adding cost and complexity to their products, but the industry complied and lives were saved. Now, the auto industry is asking for amendments to ease compliance to the Clean Vehicles Program's rules. I support Ecology's proposed amendments, because they are a three-way winner. First, the amendments provide the flexibility desired by manufacturers. Second, not compromising the climate outcomes needed to meet Washington's emissions reductions goals. And third, not compromising the clean air outcomes needed to meet Washington's emissions reductions goals, and that will save lives and protect the climate. Thank you.

Good morning, my name is Abigail Doerr, A-B-I-G-A-I-L. Doerr, D-O-E-R-R, and I am here on behalf of Climate Solutions, but also as somebody who cares deeply about the air we breathe and the future we're leaving for the next generation. Climate Soluti...↓ons strongly supports the proposed updates to Advanced Clean Trucks and the low-nox standards (Heavy-Duty Low NOx standards). Heavy-duty trucks and buses make up such a small share of the vehicles. On the heavy-duty trucks, medium and heavy-duty trucks, make up such a small share of the vehicles on the road, as you mentioned, just 10%. But the dirty diesel emissions cause an outsized impact, and are especially harmful to frontline communities who live and work near our most congested roadways and ports, where these diesel emissions, um, are very strong. What we're thrilled to see, and as you just presented, the standards are already working. Um, 5 years ago, it would have been really hard to imagine that there were any medium and heavy duty trucks possible to be zero emissions, and as you just presented, there's over 4,000 zero-emission medium and heavy-duty trucks already on the roads in Washington, and we need our manufacturers to be building and creating, um, creating these tools. And ACT is such a critical tool to help do this, and these amendments strike a really, the right balance. They add flexibility while delivering the public health and climate benefits that we really need. Um, and even as these federal challenges loom, Washington has the opportunity and the responsibility to lead, and we just wanted to express our gratitude and thank the Department of Ecology and the state for your leadership, and we look forward to continuing this important work together. 

Good morning, I'm Chris Covert-Bowlds, C-H-R-I-S-C-O-V-E-R-T-B-O-W-L-D-S. I'm a father and family doctor in Seattle. I'm a co-chair of the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility Climate and Health Task Force. Washington Physicians for Social...↓ Responsibility strongly supports this clean truck rule for the health of all Washington residents. As a family doctor, I treat many adults and children with asthma, Emphysema, heart failure. They should all breathe easier with cleaner, less polluted air that this rule will provide. Personally, our son struggled with asthma as a toddler. And seeing your child gasping for breath is very scary, something no parent should ever have to face. So please support this rule as proposed. As the lung association says, “When you can't breathe, nothing else matters”. Thank you

Hi, my name is Wendy Ellison, W-E-N-D-Y-E-L-L-I-S-O-N. I am a resident of the Mighty 36 Legislative District in Seattle, and I'm 68 years old. I have recently, in the past few years, but particularly in the last year developed an extreme sensitivity ...↓to nitrogen dioxide. And although this is rare, it is very serious. I have developed chronic pain when the nitrogen dioxide levels are high. I developed this chronic pain throughout the chest corridor, and it turns into a burning sensation when it's really bad. I can't take the full breath that Susan asked us to take a few minutes ago. I take a breath, and…. It stops before the breath is full. The worse the nitrogen dioxide is, the less I can breathe. The other symptoms are headaches, dizziness, and sickness. I've been to 10 to 12 doctors. There is no treatment. None. There's nothing they can give me to reduce the pain of the symptoms. Nothing. The only thing I can do is avoid nitrogen dioxide, which is in the air. And you can't avoid the air. Nothing matters more than the ability to breathe. Thanks.

Thank you. I'm Virginia Lohr, V-I-R-G-I-N-I-A. L-o-h-r, and I live on Vashon Island. My husband drove tractor-trailer trucks in the 1970s for a few years. Even then, he was aware and concerned about climate change and lobbied his company to put airfo...↓ils on their cabs to reduce diesel use. He got to drive the first cab they put one on. The fuel economy was so evident, they put them on all their cabs. A great success. There wasn't, however, an easy way to deal with polluted air while driving. He suffered difficulty breathing, and his lungs hurt. Fortunately, he doesn't have long-term damage from trucking. Not all truckers are so lucky. Exposure from diesel pollution from their trucks, other vehicles, and the places they drive, such as shipping ports, can cause asthma and cancer. Frontline communities and other populations suffer similar health risks. We all need clean air. Now is not the time to delay solving these problems. A new report released just this month from 60 prominent climate scientists shows that things are getting much worse, much faster than science and earlier research indicated. Thank you for all that you are doing to implement the rules on our clean truck regulations. We must have rules that are both strong and effective without delay. Let's have another great success. Thank you.

Good morning, my name is Christine Cooley, I'm the Executive Director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The agency strongly supports the proposed amendments in the Clean Vehicles Program rules to incorporate changes to the Advanced Clean Trucks an...↓d Heavy Duty Low-NOX Omnibus regulations adopted by the California Air Resources Board. We recognize that these regulations are important policy tools for addressing climate change and improving air quality in the Puget Sound region. The proposed amendments support a flexible program for successful implementation. Despite federal uncertainties, prompt adoption is needed to meet our state-mandated climate targets and improve air quality, especially in overburdened communities. We know that transportation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in the Puget Sound region. It accounts for 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions in our region, according to our Puget Sound Regional Emissions and Inventory, and it also significantly contributes to public health risks. Diesel particulate matter, a component of diesel exhaust, accounts for 80% of potential cancer risk from all air toxics in our region, according to our most recent Seattle-Tacoma Air Toxic study. This risk can be greater for overburdened communities living near roadways as demonstrated in our EPA-funded study on air toxics in Tacoma and Seattle. The proposed amendments to the Clean Vehicles Program rules are a meaningful step toward addressing climate change and improving public health outcomes in our region. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency fully supports Ecology's efforts to design the Clean Vehicles program rules with flexibility needed to meet our climate goals and improve air quality. Thank you.

B-e-t-s-y N-e-w-n-u-m. I care deeply about healthy air and a healthy climate. I strongly support upholding Washington's Advanced Clean Truck Rules, and keeping them up to date to correspond with California and other states' rules. I live on a state r...↓oad, and being retired, I enjoy daily walks. I can feel in my lungs when trucks and heavy vehicles are passing by. Also, there's a daycare right across the street, and it's a pleasure to hear the kids' laughter, but I'm concerned as to how much the particulates in the NOX may affect them longer term. Mostly, I'm concerned on becoming a grandparent. With lingering concerns, as may be understood by some of you here. The lingering concerns I have about global heating and our next generation's future world. I believe the amendments will expedite the manufacture of lower-emission diesel trucks, thus less NOx, and help keep our air clean. It seems Ecology and California see the need to work with industry to obtain longer goals. This would offer… this… this language would offer a couple of paths for industry to adjust and comply. I'm proud to be a resident of a state with these kind of concerns, and willing to act on getting us some clean air. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.