Addressing Freight Pollution at the Source

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) developed a spatial analysis using dasymetric mapping and source-specific buffers to quantify population exposure to freight pollution in the contiguous US. The research found that over 66 million people live near freight facilities and corridors, with higher concentrations of facilities strongly correlating with increased cancer risk, diesel particulate matter, and social inequities. To address this, the document reviews indirect source rules (ISRs), which require facilities to mitigate the pollution attracted by their operations through options such as zero-emission vehicle deployment, charging infrastructure, and on-site renewable energy.

• Approximately 66 million people, representing nearly 20% of the United States population, reside in proximity to freight corridors and facilities.
• There is a strong positive correlation between the concentration of freight facilities and elevated cancer risk, as well as higher levels of diesel particulate matter and days exceeding National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM2.5 and ground-level ozone.
• Freight-related pollution burdens intersect with social inequities, as areas with higher concentrations of freight facilities are more likely to have higher proportions of people of color and residents living below 200% of the federal poverty level.
• To account for varying pollution intensities, the analysis applied a 1-kilometer buffer for railyards, principle port terminals, and clustered freight facilities, and a 500-meter buffer for primary freight corridors and single freight facilities.
• Indirect source rules (ISRs) offer facilities various compliance options to reduce pollution, ranging from the deployment of zero-emission vehicles and cargo handling equipment to the installation of charging infrastructure and the use of mitigation fees.

APA

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

Chicago

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

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wilson |first1=Sam |title=Addressing Freight Pollution at the Source |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=May 2026 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/addressing-freight-pollution-at-source-methodology.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wilson2026addressing, author = {Wilson, Sam}, 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-methodology.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }