SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California approved an ambitious first nationwide rule to curb rail pollution to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions emissions in the state’s latest move to assert itself as a global leader in the fight against climate change.
The rule would ban locomotive engines over 23 years old by 2030 and increase the use of zero-emission technology to transport goods from ports and across railway plants. It would also ban locomotives in the state from idling for longer than 30 minutes if they are equipped with an automatic shut-off system.
“It’s time to start the next transition, with trains,” said Davina Hurt, a California resident. Air Member of the Resource Committee.
The standards will also reduce chemicals that contribute to smog. They can improve air quality near railways and ports.
But some say it’s too early for locomotive standards. Wayne Winegarden, senior fellow at the Institute of Pacific Studies, said the regulation would be costly for rail companies and the increased costs would mean higher prices for many goods transported by air. rail.
The Association of American Railroads said in a statement “there is no clear path to zero-emission locomotives.”
Mandating that outcome ignores the complexity and interconnectedness of rail operations as well as the realities of the location of zero-emission locomotive technology and supporting infrastructure, the group writes.
Freight rail is an efficient means of transporting approximately 1.6 billion tons of freight nationwide across nearly 140,000 miles (225,308 km), much cleaner than if those goods were transported. transport by truckIt says.
The transportation sector contributes the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions nationally in 2020, according to the Report I have to go to school every day. But railways account for only about 2% of those emissions.
Kristen South, a spokeswoman for Union Pacific, said in a statement that the rail company was “deeply disappointed” by the vote, adding that the regulation was too ambitious for technology and facilities. current infrastructure.
Union Pacific is working to cut some of its greenhouse gas emissions by spending $1 billion to modernize locomotives and test electric engines. the batteryNam wrote.
Cecilia Garibay, project coordinator for the 50-member Moving Forward Network based at Occidental University, said California needs “the strongest, most protective locomotive regulation” to set an example for the nation. family.
The standards will need approval from the Biden administration to continue. They follow the rules approved by EPA to cut emissions from heavy trucks.
The locomotives pull wagons loaded with food, timber, oil and other products through railroad plants near residential areas in Oakland, Commerce, San Bernardino and other California cities.
They run on diesel oila fuel that is more powerful than gasoline, producing greenhouse gases and harmful pollution to nearby residents.
Other states could sign on to try to apply California’s rule if agreed to by the Biden administration.
The rule is the most ambitious of its kind in the country.
“Regulation of locomotives has the potential to change the course of history for Californians, who have already suffered from this situation,” said Yasmine Agelidis, an attorney with environmental nonprofit Earthjustice. train pollution for so long and I hope that our federal regulators will follow California’s lead.” , in a statement.
Diesel engine exhaust is a health hazard. According to California regulators, diesel emissions are responsible for about 70% of Californians’ cancer risk from toxic air pollution. This rule will limit emissions for an engine type that emits more than 640 Tons of microscopic pollutants can penetrate deep into a person’s lungs and worsen asthma, while also emitting nearly 30,000 tons of smog-forming emissions known as nitrous oxide. The rule would also dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions from locomotives, equivalent to removing all heavy-duty trucks from the state by 2030.
It is important to address emissions from an area that often burdens people and low-income communities. colorand there are plans to expand passenger rail, said Air Resources Committee Chairman Liane M. Randolph.
The agency said rail companies could participate in state-run incentive schemes to reduce the cost of switching to zero-emission locomotives.
California has already begun major emissions cuts in other regions. State approved conversion to zero emission cars and a roadmap to achieving carbon neutrality, meaning it would eliminate as much carbon emissions as possible by 2045. The council is also considering a rule to electrify a group of heavy-duty transport trucks. goods through the port.
For activists and residents living in areas affected by heavy rail pollution, the fight for cleaner trains has been going on for decades.
Jan Victor Andasan, an East Yard Community activist for Environmental Justice, grew up in West Long Beach and now organizes residents there. It’s a neighborhood near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach that is “surrounded by pollution” from trains, trucks and industry.
“We support railways, but we support railways if they are doing their best to reduce emissions,” Andasan said.
Residents shared stories on Thursday of children living near railroads having to share inhalers to relieve asthma symptoms and families taking extreme measures to eliminate diesel fumes from their homes.
Some activists want California to go further, such as limiting locomotives’ idling time to 15 minutes. They are also concerned that the growing demand for online shopping is causing more rail traffic to burden the community.
The EPA recently passed California rules that require zero-emission trucks, depending on type, to account for 40% to 75% of sales by 2035.
Heidi Swillinger lives in a mobile home park in San Pablo, a small city in the San Francisco Bay Area, along the BNSF Railroad. She estimates that her home is only 20 feet (6 meters) from the tracks. She said it was not uncommon for diesel fumes to enter her home, resulting in a “strong, pungent, dirty smell”.
“No one wants to live next to the railroad tracks,” says Swillinger. “You move next to the tracks because you have no other choice.”
