Talking Points

Cleaning Up Dirty Diesel Trains and Boats

Posted: 04-May-2007; Updated: 07-May-2007

Air pollution for trains and boats causes premature death

Pollution from dirty diesel trains and boats causes early death and disease. Diesel soot particles can cause cancer, heart disease and asthma attacks

Cleaning up diesel locomotives and marine engines will save lives. State air regulators estimate that cleaning up these engines will prevent more than 4,000 premature deaths a year.

Chicago/Seattle urgently needs to clean up trains and boats to help cut dangerous levels of smog and particle pollution.

This is a serious public health issue. Millions of people are at risk from diesel pollution - seniors, children, people with lung diseases including asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), diabetes and heart disease live in areas where the pollution levels harm their health.

EPA must finalize the rule by the end of this year (2007)

Clean up is overdue and takes too long. Each year of delay costs thousands of lives. EPA has been dragging its feet: The proposal is already more than a year overdue. (EPA promised in 2004 to complete the rules by 2006.)

EPA should speed up the cleanup for new locomotives and marine engines. Why should we have to wait a decade for cleaner trains and boats? As soon as possible and no later than 2012, EPA should require a significant reduction of at least 50%, in smog-forming oxides of nitrogen (NOx) for the interim “Tier 3” locomotive standards.

Additionally, EPA should fully implement rigorous new “Tier 4” standards (80-95% reductions) for sooty particles (PM) and NOx no later than 2014 for the largest marine engines. These same steep reductions in PM and NOx should be fully implemented for the smaller marine engines and all locomotives as soon as possible and no later than 2015.

It’s time to close this dirty diesel loophole. Diesel trucks, buses and heavy equipment will have to meet tough new standards over the next several years. Trains, boats and ferries must clean up, too.

Clean up existing trains and boats

Diesel engines can last for decades, so EPA’s program should not be limited to new engines. All locomotive and marine engines should be required to install modern pollution control equipment when they are brought into the shop to be rebuilt. This is feasible, cost effective and will provide immediate benefits. This requirement should be implemented next year (2008) for all existing engines and should be fully implemented as soon as possible.

EPA must not cave in to pressure to slow or derail these important clean air rules.