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According to reports of the Mario Molina Center, diesel trucks are the primary source of emission of fine particles in the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City. The smaller the particles, the more easily the body is affected depending on the amount of time the population is exposed to these particles and the genetic conditions and health of each individual.
Even though there is technology available to counter the emission of these particles, most of the trucks circulating in the metropolitan area are 18 years old. According to 2015 statistics from the Ministry of Communications and Transport (SCT) around 806,405 cargo trucks circulate in Mexico City.
Gisselle García, expert from the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA), considers that updating the norm NOM-044 that establishes the maximum emission of diesel trucks is essential. Erick Velasco, Ph.D. in environmental engineering who has worked for several years in the field of air pollution, said that the norm NOM-044 exemplifies the slow implementation of policies that affect the interests of certain powerful groups.
"The project to update the norm to limit the emission levels of heavy cargo vehicles was published in the Official Journal of the Federation in December 2014. The law establishes that people have 60 days to make comments. Since then, 13 months have gone by and the final version has not been published. The new norm proposes to establish the same emission standards as in the United States (EPA-2010) and Europe (Euro VI) starting in 2018."
The expert notes that there are scientific studies that demonstrate the economic and public health benefits that enforcing this norm would bring. Researchers at the International Institute for Clean Transportation (ICCT) found that its enforcement would prevent the premature death of 50,000 people over a period of 20 years, and save the country 123 billion dollars in public health costs and would also have a positive effect on climate change by reducing black carbon emissions.
He added that "unfortunately the freight industry is controlled by a few and for owners of large fleets, replacing their old trucks, in many cases more than 30 years old, represents a heavy spending so for them it is cheaper to lobby leaders and representatives to continue deferring the implementation of the new norm NOM-044.
