Rule Will Clean Up Marine &
Train Engines But Won’t Start Cleaning Up NJ Air Until Next Decade
Trenton, NJ —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 is one of the most toxic types of air
pollution in our neighborhoods,” said Doug O’Malley, field director for
Environment New Jersey. “This is a good first step but this alone won’t clean
up New
Jersey’s air quality; we also need strong state action.”
Thirteen
counties in New Jersey are out of compliance with EPA
health standards for soot pollution, and the state ranks as the second worst in
the country for cancer risks from diesel soot pollution. The state must meet a
2010 federal deadline – under the State Implementation Process (SIP) – to
reduce soot pollution levels and reach attainment in these 13 counties, which
include most of north Jersey and the South Jersey Philadelphia suburbs.
New Jersey voters approved Ballot Question 2
in the fall of 2005 to start cleaning up public diesel vehicles like school
buses, garbage trucks, all transit buses and other public diesel vehicles. However,
the state must propose and approve additional measures to clean up some of the
oldest and dirtiest on-road and off-road diesel vehicles.
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
O’Malley. Environment New Jersey also called on EPA to speed up
the timeline for the new requirements 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 O’Malley.
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Environment New Jersey is one of the
state’s largest citizen-based environmental advocacy groups, representing over
20,000 citizens members across New Jersey, and works to
protect New Jersey’s air, water and open spaces.
