Clean Air News

Over 30,000 Diesel Vehicles Targeted

As the new home of NJPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Jersey can be contacted regarding this news release. 

TRENTON—Public health advocates joined legislative co-sponsors Sen. Bob Smith (D-17) and Asm. John McKeon (D-27), chairs of their respective environment committees, today to push for passage of the diesel reduction bill on Monday. The legislation - S1759/A3182 and SCR113/ACR228 - will clean up over 30,000 diesel engines on the state's fleet of school buses, transit buses, garbage trucks and other diesel vehicles over a 10-year period, reducing soot levels by 10 percent and removing over 400 tons of soot pollution annually from the air.

""This is the most comprehensive diesel bill in the nation right now," said Asm. John McKeon (D-27). "We have let diesel pollution go under the radar screen for too long. This bill will have a substantial impact on the health of New Jersey residents - especially those who are most vulnerable."

The legislation will start to mitigate the health impact of diesel soot pollution. A Clean Air Task Force report, using EPA methods, showed that soot pollution - a known carcinogen - was attributable for over 800 deaths, over 1,300 heart attacks and over 17,000 asthma attacks annually in New Jersey and the state had the second worst cancer risk rate in the nation.

"New Jersey has the unenviable position of suffering from some of the nation's worst air quality, leading to increased rates of asthma and bronchitis, as well as heart attacks and early deaths," said Sen. Bob Smith (D-17). "Reducing diesel pollution will mean less people will die early because of the air they breathe."

The legislation will use clean-up technology, like diesel filters, to reduce soot levels by up to 90 percent, and will prioritize the clean-ups of diesel school buses. The legislation will also enforce anti-idling restrictions and speed up the use of cleaner diesel fuel.

"New Jersey's health has been compromised by diesel pollution for far too long. With this bill, New Jersey makes a big leap from doing next to nothing to control diesel pollution to establishing one of the comprehensive diesel reduction programs in the nation," said Doug O'Malley, NJPIRG's Environmental Advocate.

The legislation passed out of the Senate Budget Committee in May and passed out of Assembly Budget on Wednesday. The Senate funding bill already passed the Senate this Monday, but the other three bills will be up next Monday for final passage.

"Monday's votes are important steps in our ongoing effort to clean up the air from the greatest and best documented environmental threat, dirty diesel, to the health of those most vulnerable - our kids, the sick, and seniors," said David Pringle, campaign director for the New Jersey Environmental Federation. "Governor Codey, Commissioner Campbell, Senator Smith and Assemblyman McKeon deserve kudos for seeing this through."

The legislation will prioritize the clean-ups of school buses because of the additional health threat they pose to children. Already, asthma is the number one reason why kids miss school in New Jersey. School children spend an average of over an hour on the bus each day, and the bus cabins act as diesel exhaust incubators, as soot pollution from the exhaust and the engine floods inside at each bus stop. A University of California study showed that school children breathe in collectively more diesel soot than the entire surrounding metro area and up to 70 percent more diesel soot than the average commuter.

"The importance of this bill is that it is targeted to help the most vulnerable of our population; our children. This bill will go a long way to help ensure that our kids' health will be protected from diesel emissions," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

The need to increase efforts to attain diesel soot reductions is highlighted by having 13 New Jersey counties out of EPA attainment for overall soot pollution, and annual healthcare costs from diesel soot pollution that the state DEP estimates top $10 billion.

"The diesel committee of the NJ Environmental Justice Alliance appreciates these initial steps to reduce diesel emissions, but this is an ongoing process, and we strongly urge Gov. Codey to issue an executive order to require off-road diesel construction equipment under public contracts to be retrofitted and we would hope that new legislation would be introduced in the next session which also requires the retrofitting of private fleet diesel vehicles," said Valorie Caffee of the NJ Environmental Justice Alliance.

Even if the legislation is passed, the issue will still need to go to the state's voters in November because funding for the bill alters constitutionally dedicated environmental funds. Currently, 4 percent of the CBT revenue is constitutionally dedicated to environmental programs. The legislation proposes to shift 17 percent of these existing environmental funds from site remediation to reduce diesel pollution, as well as allowing a kick-start appropriation of up to $10 million from an $80 million surplus for underground storage tanks. The clean-up program will cost $16 million a year over a 10-year period.

"The benefits of reducing diesel pollution are directly proportional - every pound of soot removed means a direct health benefit," O'Malley concluded. "We need to reduce diesel pollution hotspots, and this legislation is a big step forward to reduce the diesel danger."

Dr. Paul Lioy; EOHSI; 732-445-0155
Dr. Leonard Bielory; UMDNJ Asthma and Allergy Research Center; 973-972-2762
Christine Mosier, Sen. Smith
Phone: 732-752-0770