ATA Opposes Suit to Block Mexican Trucks

The American Trucking Associations Thursday stated its opposition to a lawsuit filed by public advocacy and labor groups, joined by the California Trucking Association, which would have the effect of preventing Mexican trucks from operating in the U.S. under rules which were to take effect May 3.

The 9th U.S. Court of appeals in San Francisco rejected the lawsuit, the Associated Press reported early Friday morning. (Click here for the full story.)

The ATA statement said:

American Trucking Associations, Inc. strongly opposes the lawsuit filed May 1, 2002, by a number of organizations, including the California Trucking Association, which alleges that the final rules for the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement’s trucking provisions should be set aside on environmental grounds. The plaintiffs make several statements about human health effects from exposure to diesel exhaust which simply are not true.

Since CTA is affiliated with ATA, William Canary, ATA President said, “I want to set the record straight that CTA does not speak for ATA on these issues.”

ATA is a strong advocate for ensuring that all carriers operating in the U.S. – Canadian, Mexican or U.S. carriers – meet all U.S. safety and environmental standards. ATA supports the NAFTA because NAFTA has been very successful: U.S.-Mexico trade has grown from $81 billion in 1993 to $233 billion in 2001.

Mexico today is our second largest trading partner after Canada. Trucking plays a critical role in the success of NAFTA moving over 80% of the value of U.S.-Mexico trade, and over 70% of U.S.-Canada trade.

egarding the lawsuit’s allegations about diesel exhaust exposure, ATA, unlike the plaintiffs in this lawsuit, comes down on the side of sound science.

The scientific evidence fails to demonstrate a causal relationship between diesel exhaust exposure and cancer in humans. To suggest otherwise, as the plaintiffs do here, is simply wrong. This lawsuit also claims that diesel emissions are “believed to” cause some chronic and acute conditions and immunological effects.

After reviewing years of scientific data, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that the science does not support such claims (See EPA Health Assessment Document for Diesel Exhaust [EPA 600/8-90/057E] July 25, 2000).

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