While trains are often touted as cleaner than trucks when equivalent freight is moved, locomotives as individual pollution sources are much dirtier than trucks given current regulation and because typically locomotives are old—lasting around 30 to 40 years. Railroads remanufacture their trains every 7-8 years rather than replace them, which means that locomotives are rebuilt to their original configurations as opposed to current standards of cleaner engines and emissions controls. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has its strictest standards for model year 2005+ trains, the vast majority of locomotives won’t be replaced for many years. The rail industry uses two kinds of locomotives: “line-haul” locomotives which move cargo long distances, and “switching” locomotives which move rail cars within a rail yard to position them for line-haul or short distance travel. Line-haul trains account for over 95% of California rail emissions (CARB, Emissions Reduction Plan for Ports and Goods Movement in California, 2006). And while switching trains account for just 5% of rail emissions, their emissions are particularly dangerous because they affect the air quality of communities nearby the rail yards. Health impacts at Rail yards: Intermodal container facilities—those facilities that bring together rail and trucks—are also “magnet sources” of high levels of toxic air pollutants such as PM, NOx, and SOx because they attract large numbers of both trucks and trains. In general, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has allowed locomotives to operate a highly unregulated industry. Before the EPA adopted Tier 0, 1 and 2 emission standards for locomotives in April 1998, rail was entirely unregulated. In spite of rail’s damage to the environmental and public health of the Southern California region and communities, the industry has done little to voluntarily clean up their practices, and have aggressively resisted attempts to implement cleaner technology. Meanwhile, the federal EPA has also acted to protect industry interests by its snail’s pace in imposing stricter requirements on rail. 
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- Health costs to Californians, so far this year, of port related pollution in California.
The Ports of LA Long Beach Clean Air Action Plan passed in November 2006, and 1500 clean trucks service the ports.
Port Pollution Facts
- In Long Beach, 20% of children under 17 have been diagnosed with asthma - nearly twice the national average.
- $67 million: The cost of respiratory problems associated with ports in CA.
- Diesel Exhaust is responsible for 84% of the cancer risk from air pollution in the Southern California Air Basin.
- $19 BILLION: Cost on health system due to port pollution. average.
- Each day the Port of LA emits over 30 tons of NOx, while a half a million cars emits less than 24 tons and the average power plant emits less than 5 tons.
- 2,400 - Estimated number of premature deaths caused by diesel emissions.
- 800,000: Number of children that pollution reduction could save from lung disease.
- Each day the Port of Los Angeles emits over 30 tons of NOx, while a half a million cars emits less than 24 tons and the average power plant emits less than 5 tons.
Trains
