A coalition of 13 attorneys general have urged the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to finalize a proposal to require state and local planning agencies to collect data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and set targets to reduce the emissions associated with the federal highway transportation system.
The proposed GHG Emissions Measure would provide a consistent set of data to reduce GHG emissions and inform highway investment and planning decisions. The FHWA would collect data on GHG emissions from the national highway system; and evaluate that data regarding state and local agencies’ GHG emissions reduction targets.
Nearly one-third of all GHG emissions in the United States come from the transportation sector, with 40 percent coming from California alone.
The coalition indicated the GHG Emissions Measure is consistent with the FHWA’s legal authority under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act and Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act.
The letter was signed by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, and Vermont.
The GHG Emissions Measure is in response to climate change caused by GHG emissions. In 2090, it is forecasted that climate-related damage to paved roads in the U.S. will reach $20 billion annually.