From: Robina Suwol
Date: 15 Jun 2004
Time: 23:20:04
Remote Name: 68.116.132.61
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) today released a new report
evaluating the human health and economic impacts of diesel exhaust in
California. The study, Sick of Soot: Reducing the Health Impacts of Diesel
Pollution in California, finds that in 2004 alone, diesel pollution will cause
an estimated 3,000 premature deaths in California - well above California's
homicide rate.
Here's some key findings of the report:
This year alone, Los Angeles area residents will breathe more than 30 percent of
California's emissions of toxic diesel soot and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and
experience nearly half the state's health consequences from diesel pollution,
including an estimated 1,400 premature deaths, 1,300 cases of chronic
bronchitis, and 2,100 hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory
illnesses. Los Angeles and the South Coast have more diesel related deaths and
illnesses than anywhere else in the state, followed by San Francisco, San
Joaquin, San Diego, and Sacramento Valley Air Basins.
Using financial data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the UCS
analysis finds that the cost of diesel health impacts statewide is $21.5 billion
per year. The health costs for the South Coast alone total $10.2 billion per
year. Comparing the costs of health impacts with those of pollution reduction
measures, the report finds that diesel cleanup creates enormous savings for
Californians. California's diesel cleanup incentive program officially known as
the Carl Moyer Program can achieve ten times
more benefits than costs.
Recently approved new engine standards alone are not enough to protect
Californians from harmful diesel pollution because diesel engines typically
remain in operation for decades, with the older engines releasing the greatest
amount of pollution. The report finds that in 2020, there will be an estimated
1,500 premature deaths in California due to diesel pollution. While California
has made some progress in reducing diesel emissions, state retrofit regulations
for existing engines do not address over 85 percent of diesel pollution sources.
And California's voluntary cleanup programs, Moyer and Low Emission School
Buses, have been chronically underfunded. Unlike new engine standards, measures
to address existing diesel engines result in health benefits and cost savings
immediately.
Diesel soot is a dangerous pollutant that penetrates deep into the lungs and can
cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, chronic bronchitis,
cancer, and premature death. In 2000, the California Air Resources Board
estimated that diesel soot was responsible for 70 percent of the state's risk of
cancer from airborne toxics.
The UCS analysis represents a conservative estimate of costs associated with
diesel pollution because many potential health and environmental impacts - such
as smog-related respiratory problems, increasing asthma rates (especially for
children), and damage to agricultural crops and forest habitats - are not
quantified.