Press Release: 7/15/2025

Court Rules CLF’s Tailpipe Pollution Case Can Move Forward

 

Academy Express bus company will stand trial this fall for Clean Air Act violations

JULY 14, 2025

Vehicle emissions can cause lung damage, aggravate conditions like asthma and bronchitis, and have been linked to increased incidence of heart disease, multiple kinds of cancer, and premature death. Photo: Shutterstock

July 14, 2025 (Boston, MA) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) can move forward with its lawsuit against Academy Express to ensure clean air for residents throughout Greater Boston. CLF recorded Academy’s buses repeatedly idling beyond the legal limit, pumping exhaust pollution into nearby neighborhoods. A judge has ruled against Academy’s motion to dismiss the case.   

“This ruling brings us one step closer to protecting the health of our communities and ensuring that polluting companies violating clean air laws can’t avoid accountability,” said Heather Govern, CLF’s vice president for clean air and water.  

Academy Express operates shuttle buses for Boston University and provides long-distance and shuttle bus service throughout New England, with stops in Boston, Newton, and Cambridge, and bus lots in Braintree, Massachusetts, and Bridgeport, Connecticut. CLF sued Academy Express in January 2020 after documenting more than 140 instances of Academy vehicles illegally idling for prolonged periods in densely populated residential areas, including locations near schools and parks. 

Vehicle emissions can cause lung damage, aggravate conditions like asthma and bronchitis, and have been linked to increased incidence of heart disease, multiple kinds of cancer, and premature death. Children are particularly susceptible to these harms. 

CLF recently won a 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that said breathing polluted air, enjoying recreation less, and fear of health impacts are injuries that allow a plaintiff to enforce air pollution laws. This decision sets a strong precedent for environmental groups protecting communities from air pollution.   

A trial in the case is expected to take place in the fall of 2025. 

The full decision can be read here. 

CLF experts are available for further comment.