The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed new standards to reduce
diesel pollution from the nation’s trains, boats, and ships, which are large,
long-overlooked pollution sources.
Diesel pollution contributes to lung cancer, heat attacks, asthma
attacks, strokes, and premature deaths.
“Diesel
pollution is dirty, dangerous, and needs to be cleaned up,” said Jason Barbose,
an advocate at Environment California.
EPA’s
proposal covers engines used in locomotives and marine vessels, such as small
fishing boats, tug boats, barges, and ferries.
These engines have very weak, if any, pollution controls and, as a
result, are among the dirtiest diesels in the nation.
The
new standards would apply to new locomotive and
marine engines but would not be fully phased in for more than a
decade. In addition, EPA is proposing new standards
for the existing fleet of locomotives, when their engines are rebuilt –
a
requirement that should apply to existing marine engines as well, noted
Barbose. Environment California also called on EPA to accelerate
the pace of the cleanup and to finalize the standards by the end of the
year.
In 2000,
the Clinton
administration finalized new standards to reduce pollution from diesel trucks
and buses by more than 90%. In 2004, the
Bush administration finalized similar requirements for off-road equipment used
in construction, farming, and heavy industry.
Today’s action, if finalized, would complete the clean up of new diesel
engines by establishing comparable standards for trains, boats, and ships – an
action the Bush administration committed to undertake nearly three years ago.
“This is
a promising proposal from an administration that has worked closely with
special interests to weaken other health and environmental protections. Today’s action is a breath of fresh air, but
the Bush administration must follow through and strengthen and finalize its
proposal,” concluded Barbose.
