Studies Show Diesel Pollution Bad for Just About All Parts of You; Dueling California Policies Show Potential to Help, Exacerbate Situation

By Traci Sheehan
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

Diesel truck pollution has devastating impacts on the health of all Californians. These pollutants can cause inflammation of the lungs and brain, leading to pulmonary diseases like lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchitis; cardiovascular diseases like heart attack, stroke, and asthma; and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimates that in 2005 diesel pollution from trucks alone was responsible for 1,500 premature deaths in California with a total economic cost of approximately $12 billion due to hospitalizations, asthma attacks, and missed work and school days.

Two major upcoming decisions will shape how the state responds to diesel pollution in the years ahead:

CARB staff is now developing an On-Road Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle Rule to clean up the toxic emissions from trucks, buses, and other diesel-powered vehicles. If properly crafted, the Diesel Rule would be the first of its kind in the nation and would be crucial to alleviating California's poor air quality and meeting federal air quality improvement deadlines.

To get involved, join CARB on April 15 in El Monte and April 25 in Sacramento as they develop a strategic plan for enforcement of diesel emission reduction regulations.

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has also recently released their list of projects to be funded by Proposition 1B monies for infrastructure improvements along trade corridors. Unfortunately the CTC ignored local air quality impacts as a screening criterion in selecting projects and has recommended specific projects that have been deemed to have a negative localized air quality impact and are located in close proximity to schools, day care centers, homes and other places that are especially vulnerable to air pollution.

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