Canadians have the right to breathe clean air—A call for federal action on heavy truck pollution

Petition: 493

Issue(s): Air quality; Compliance and enforcement; Governance; Human/environmental health; Transport

Petitioner(s): A Canadian organization

Petitioner location(s): Ottawa, Ontario; Toronto, Ontario

Date received: 5 July 2023

Status: Completed—Response(s) to petition received

Summary: The petition raises concerns about air pollution from old diesel trucks present on Canadian roads. It calls for government action to cut emissions and improve air quality because of the health risks associated with poor air quality such as premature deaths, heart disease, strokes, and lung cancers. The petition also highlights the health effects associated with traffic‑related air pollution, indicating that vulnerable communities living near roadways are disproportionately affected. The petition notes the monetary burden caused by traffic‑related air pollution, stating that it cost Canada $9.5 billion in 2015. The petition asserts that clean air is a human right under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and that the government must determine how to reduce truck emissions to protect Canadians’ right to a healthy environment as outlined in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

The petition states that diesel trucks, especially older and larger trucks, are the worst polluters. The petition calls for Canada to remove highly polluting trucks from Canadian roads to most effectively achieve rapid reductions in diesel emissions. The petition also states that the new vehicle emission standards that apply to 2007 and newer truck models are not applied to older models that still dominate the current diesel fleet, leading to high levels of diesel emissions. The petition asks the government to detail how the current emission standards are enforced and whether there are any plans to apply them to pre‑2007 vehicles.

The petition advocates that the government find alternative solutions, such as retrofitting existing vehicles. The petition asks the government to assist in 4 ways. The first way is by establishing and funding a national near‑road air quality monitoring network. The petition questions what has already been done by the government since 2019 toward that objective. The second way is by providing financial, legal, and technical assistance to Canadian municipalities to help them establish low‑emission zones (or “clean air zones”) in which all vehicles are required to meet health‑protective emission standards or pay fines. On this front, the petition questions what assessments and reviews have already been conducted. The third way is by amending the federal Green Freight Program to create new grants specifically targeting health-based retrofits for older, highly polluting trucks. The petition asks what consideration the government has given to revising this program, what assessments it has done on the achievement of the program thus far, and what its future recommendations are for further action. The fourth way is by the government providing tax incentives to trucking companies to install health‑protective retrofits to reduce harmful emissions. The petition asks the Minister of Finance if the department would be prepared to finance these 4 initiatives.

Federal departments/organizations responsible for reply: Environment and Climate Change Canada; Department of Finance Canada; Health Canada; Natural Resources Canada