Addressing Freight Pollution at the Source

The report highlights that over 66 million people in the US live near freight facilities, with higher concentrations of warehouses linked to increased cancer risks and air pollution. It advocates for Indirect Source Rules (ISRs), which require facilities to mitigate the 'indirect' emissions they attract, citing California's WAIRE program as a successful model for increasing zero-emission vehicle adoption and infrastructure.

• Over 66 million people, representing nearly one in five residents in the United States, live near freight corridors and facilities. This exposure disproportionately affects low-income populations and people of color, who make up nearly 80 percent of those living near the highest concentrations of freight facilities, despite being about 40 percent of the national population.
• Increased clustering of freight facilities is directly associated with higher levels of air pollution and health risks. Areas with more than 10 nearby freight facilities see diesel particulate matter (DPM) concentrations 85 percent higher than the national average, twice as many high ozone days, and nearly 60 percent more days of elevated fine particulate pollution (PM2.5). Residents in these census tracts face a 32 percent higher likelihood of developing cancer from air toxics compared to the national average.
• Indirect Source Rules (ISRs) are presented as a promising tool for state and local governments to reduce inequitable pollution by requiring facilities to address emissions attracted by their operations. The Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) Program in California's South Coast Air Quality Management District serves as a pioneer example; between 2021 and 2024, it contributed to a over 900 percent increase in zero-emission yard truck use and a nearly six-fold increase in visits by zero-emission Class 8 trucks.
• The document identifies specific US states with the highest shares of populations living near freight hubs. New Jersey has the highest share at 31.25%, followed by New York (28.47%), Illinois (27.96%), and California (27.17%). In Illinois, approximately one-quarter of all US freight trains pass through the Chicago area, and over 40 percent of Cook County residents live near freight hubs and corridors.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2026). Addressing Freight Pollution at the Source. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/addressing-freight-pollution-at-source-executive-summary.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Addressing Freight Pollution at the Source. 2026. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/addressing-freight-pollution-at-source-executive-summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Addressing Freight Pollution at the Source |date=May 2026 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/addressing-freight-pollution-at-source-executive-summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2026addressing, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Addressing Freight Pollution at the Source}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/addressing-freight-pollution-at-source-executive-summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }