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U.S. Department of Transportation
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Transportation and the Environment
Source: EPA. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, 1990 to 2006.  2008.
Surface transportation has a significant impact on the environment:
□1.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel each year
□Transport sector accounts for 28% of GHG emissions in the US
□Vehicles represent almost 80% of the transport sector GHG
Mobile sources account for more than half of all the air pollution in the United States. The primary mobile source of air pollution is the automobile. EPA studies show that today's cars emit 75 to 90 percent less pollution (for each mile driven) than their 1970 counterparts, thanks largely to advancements in vehicle and fuel technology. But today's motor vehicles are still responsible for up to half of all the emissions released into the air. The specific pollutant categories include 45 percent of the volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, 50 percent of the nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions, approximately 60 percent of the carbon monoxide (CO) emissions and 50 percent of the hazardous air pollutants in urban areas.
(Source: EPA Air Pollution Control Orientation Course http://www.epa.gov/apti/course422/ap3a.html)