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August 24, 2005
WHAT: South Coast Air Quality Management District officials,
joined by elected officials, environmental group representatives and
community activists, will testify before a state Air Resources Board (CARB)
panel on the need to significantly strengthen or abandon CARB’s recent
agreement with the railroads. The agreement concerns the growing problem of
air pollution from locomotives, one of the dirtiest mobile sources in the
state.
WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 31, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
WHERE: Commerce City Hall Council Chambers, 2535 Commerce Way
BACKGROUND: In June, CARB signed an agreement with Union
Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway, the two major freight railroads serving
the state. While the agreement purports to reduce air pollution from
locomotives, its measures are generally vague and less stringent than what
could have been achieved through state legislation or local regulations. It
also contains a provision that seeks to deter local agencies such as AQMD
from adopting more stringent measures.
AQMD officials will urge CARB to pursue legislative and/or regulatory
solutions to locomotive pollution instead of its highly flawed agreement.
In addition to toxic diesel emissions, locomotives in Southern California
emit about 37 tons per day of smog- and particulate-forming nitrogen oxides.
That is more than the combined nitrogen oxide emissions from the area’s 320
largest facilities, including all of the oil refineries, power plants and
major manufacturing plants.
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