|
|
 |
|
SANTA ROSA – Reducing toxic emissions from diesel garbage trucks is the target of a public information campaign by the American Lung Association of California—Redwood Empire Branch and the Sonoma County Asthma Coalition. The organizations are alerting government officials to new California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations that require diesel garbage trucks to meet upcoming diesel emission reduction targets. The first deadline is December 31, 2004. “Reducing diesel emissions is a priority of our organization,” said Barbara Beedon, executive director of the local American Lung Association. “Diesel garbage trucks, especially the older engines, can emit significant levels of diesel exhaust. Diesel is a known toxin that can contribute to asthma and lung cancer. As long-time advocates for air quality, we are encouraging cities and counties to require their garbage vendors to choose control strategies that achieve the highest possible level of emissions reduction and public health benefits.” The CARB rule applies to owners of solid waste collection vehicles, or those diesel-fueled trucks over 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight with model-year engines from 1960 to 2006 used to collect residential and commercial solid waste. All are required to clean up their trucks by using what CARB defines as the Best Available Control Technology (BACT) for reducing diesel particulate matter (PM). Control devices that achieve reductions in both particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution are eligible for incentive funds through the state Carl Moyer fund and local Transportation for Clean Air Funds. Replacing or repowering vehicles to use new engines also has the advantage of achieving reductions of both PM and NOx. In Santa Rosa, the American Lung Association and the Sonoma County Asthma Coalition have been actively supporting the City of Santa Rosa’s contract with North Bay Corp to transition to an alternative fuel fleet beginning January, 2006. Some garbage companies have considered using biodiesel to reduce toxic diesel emissions. According to the new regulations, biodiesel does not comply with the CARB Refuse Truck Rule. In light of the new CARB regulations, the American Lung Association is encouraging cities and counties to require any contractor to submit a clear implementation plan for compliance, based on a cost benefit analysis for compliance technologies. These currently include diesel with after treatments, or alternative fuel engines such as compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas, etc. “We believe this will help cities and counties decide which strategy most cost effectively meets the needs of the citizens and achieves the most significant health benefit,” said Kate Lorenzen, project director of the Sonoma County Asthma Coalition. The American Lung Association supports compressed natural gas (CNG) as the cleanest and most cost effective compliance strategy. CNG currently fuels Sonoma County Transit buses and other city and county fleet vehicles. Additionally, the county public works department is implementing an exciting pilot project to develop renewable biogas fuel at the land fill that is projected to have enough capacity to fuel the county’s entire bus fleet and garbage fleets. For more information about the health effects of diesel exhaust, and what you can do to reduce diesel pollution, please click here.
American Lung Association
|