The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is charged with providing the cleanest and safest air possible to for all Californians. CARB's mission, is to,"Promote and protect public health, welfare and ecological resources through the effective and efficient reduction of air pollutants."

Black soot belched from diesel vehicles like trucks, ships, cranes, and trains, contains diesel particles, including microscopic ones that can lodge deep within our lungs, and even in our blood stream and cellular structure.  Diesel particulate matter (diesel PM) can also absorb the chemicals found in diesel, over 40 of which have been classified as cancer-causing. Diesel PM is a toxic---causing cancer, premature death and a host of other health damages. 

Researchers have also found that the soot and other black carbon produced by diesel exhaust contributes to the dangerous warming of the earth--second only in damaging potential to the greenhouse gas C02.

Immediate reduction of diesel PM will bring about immediate health benefits as well as the essential work of reducing California’s impact on climate change.  CARB’s job is to enact policies and regulations so that California meets the federal standards for microscopic diesel soot (PM 2.5). And our work is to ensure that CARB does its job by mandating cleanest available technology, fuel standards, and regulations.