The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will assess and make recommendations on how to mitigate pollution from locomotives in response to petitions from several California organizations.
The announcement came in response to petitions from the California Air Resources Board, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association calling on the EPA to address nitrogen oxide and particulate matter being emitted from locomotives, according to a Nov. 9 news release.
“Locomotives remain a significant source of emissions, often disproportionately impacting the health of communities that are located near railyards and ports,” Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air and Radiation Joseph Goffman said. “EPA’s response reflects a commitment to deliver significant and needed public health benefits for underserved communities across the country that are overburdened by higher levels of diesel exhaust.”
The EPA also intends to revise existing locomotive regulations to ensure California and other states have adequate authority to address air quality issues, according to the release. The EPA established a rail study team to evaluate several areas related to locomotive emissions, including technology that might be able to reduce those emissions and "policy options to accelerate locomotive fleet turnover to newer, cleaner technology." The rail study team will consult with environmental justice organizations and industry stakeholders for input.
“I’m proud to help lead the charge in California to defend our nationally leading clean air protections and reduce vehicle emissions,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said in the release. “But EPA must also do their part by regulating emissions from locomotives nationwide. That’s why I’m grateful to EPA for heeding my calls and those from California’s air pollution agencies. Workers and neighborhoods near ports and industrial rail yards have been subject to increased air pollution from locomotives for decades, facing higher instances of respiratory illnesses and premature death. Thanks to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the time to make a generational investment in transitioning to cleaner locomotives is now.”
