This story is republished from BridgeDetroit.
The Wayne County Commission on Thursday passed a resolution looking to prevent trucks and other commercial vehicles from idling across Wayne County.
Idling trucks release pollutants harmful to humans that also contribute to global climate change, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“This is a major health issue and a major cause of air pollution,” Commission Chair Alisha Bell, D-Detroit, said in a press release. Vehicle exhaust contains particulate matter pollution that can enter the lungs and bloodstream and cause lung damage, aggravate asthma and increase the risk of heart disease. The resolution comes in response to resident complaints.
Detroit tried to address the issue by passing its anti-idling ordinance more than a decade ago, but community members say the law is weak and has failed to make a difference.
The commission’s resolution strongly encourages state lawmakers to adopt anti-idling legislation to reduce exposure to toxic pollutants associated with vehicle exhaust to improve the health of residents. It also encourages truck drivers to turn off engines during pick-ups and other waiting times voluntarily and supports the transition of municipal vehicles to electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. Wayne County is the 13th most populous county in the country, containing 43 cities and townships.
As of 2019, 29 states and the District of Columbia had some variation of an anti-idling law, according to the Department of Energy.
Trucks are one of the largest sources of air pollution in Wayne County which received an F grade for air quality last year by the American Lung Association. In 2022, Detroit, which is in Wayne County, was named the nation’s “asthma capital” by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. For years, parts of Wayne County have been out of attainment of national air quality standards for ozone, which is emitted from industrial facilities and vehicle exhaust and can pose significant health risks like impairing lung function.
Commissioners Tim Killeen and Monique Baker McCormick co-sponsored the resolution. Commissioner Terry Marecki cast the sole ‘no’ vote. She could not be immediately reached Thursday for comment.
“As Wayne County moves to a carbon neutral community, we wanted to bring this to light, these old trucks, buses and other commercial motor vehicles that idle are not only a nuisance to residents, but also create a dangerous serious health problem,” Baker McCormick said during the commission’s Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday. “We are concerned about the health and welfare of residents exposed to excessive motor vehicle exhaust.”
In addition to posing a health risk, idling generates approximately 60 million tons of carbon dioxide each year in the United States, according to a 2015 U.S. Department of Energy fact sheet. Carbon dioxide is the human-created greenhouse gas most responsible for climate change, accounting for 79% of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans.
Not idling is more economical for businesses because it reduces gas consumption. Idling for more than 10 seconds is more wasteful than turning your car off and back on again, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
In 2018, former Gov. Rick Snyder passed legislation that legalized idling on private property.
In 2010, Detroit passed an anti-idling ordinance allowing the police department to issue a ticket to any truck idling for more than five minutes in a 60-minute time period, after the first warning. But a decade later, no tickets had been issued, according to a 2021 report from Planet Detroit, despite residents reporting frequent issues with truck idling, from the west side to the east side of Detroit.
Raquel Garcia, executive director for the nonprofit Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, has advocated that the city’s anti-idling ordinance be replaced with one that’s effective. Garcia has also been a part of a contingent that for years has asked the city to pass a truck route ordinance to prevent heavy trucks from traveling through residential neighborhoods.
In one case, residents living next to an east side warehouse used by automanufacturer Stellantis, experience nearly one truck per minute passing by their homes, according to a BridgeDetroit and Outlier Media investigation.
A truck route ordinance has been discussed for the city since at least 2018. District 6 Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero has said she is studying the issue and will sponsor an ordinance sometime soon.
“We are extremely excited that the county is entertaining this anti-idling resolution,” Garcia said during the Thursday meeting. “Anti-idling is a simple behavioral change, it means shutting your engine off while standing. There is no vehicle modification or cost to individuals or companies.”