Up Links
Program Links
- Background
- Commitments
- 1998 Agreement
- Railyard Health Risk Assessments
- 2005 Agreement
- CARB Diesel Regulation
- Technology and Verifications
- Incentive Funding
- Railyard and Communities
- Other Key Links
Resources
Rail Emission Reduction Program
This page last reviewed April 12, 2013
The Air Resources Board (ARB) has developed and implemented a number of measures to significantly reduce locomotive and railyard emissions in California, including regulations, enforceable agreements, and funding of clean technology. Information on these efforts can be found below.What's New
Key Major Program Links
Proposed Commitments
The Commitments
are proposed binding voluntary agreements between ARB and the railroads
(UP and BNSF) that are applicable to
four high priority railyards in the South Coast Air Basin:
BNSF San
Bernardino, BNSF Hobart, UP Commerce, and UP ICTF/Dolores.
The proposed Commitments would require the
four high priority railyards to reduce 2005 diesel
particulate matter (PM)
emissions by 85 percent or more, irrespective of growth, by
2020.1998 Agreement
The
Locomotive Fleet Average Agreement was signed by ARB, UP, and BNSF in
1998. The 1998 Agreement requires
cleaner locomotives to operate in Southern California between 2010
and 2030. In combination with U.S. EPA regulations for cleaner
locomotives, the 1998 Agreement is estimated to provide the South
Coast Air Basin with a 65 percent reduction (up to 24 tons per day in locomotive NOx emissions)
between 2000 and 2010. Railyard Health Risk Assessments and Mitigation Plans
Under provisions of
2005 Statewide Railyard Agreement, UP and BNSF were
required to collect diesel PM emission inventory data and conduct air dispersion modeling for 17 major
railyards. Based on this information, the ARB prepared health risk
assessments for the 17 major railyards. The health risk
assessments were critical in identifying risk reduction measures and in the development of draft mitigation plans.2005 Statewide Railyard Agreement
The
Statewide Railyard Agreement between ARB, UP, and BNSF was signed by
the ARB Executive Officer in June 2005. The Agreement required
UP
and BNSF to reduce diesel particulate matter
emissions in and around UP and BNSF railyards
throughout the state by up to 20 percent between 2005 and 2008.
The Statewide Railyard Agreement also required the preparation of
health risk assessments and mitigation plans (see above).Regulatory Activity
Since 2004, ARB has approved several regulations
that significantly reduce diesel emissions in and around railyards throughout the state.Locomotive Technology Demonstrations and Emission Verifications
This page describes a number of locomotive advanced
technology demonstration projects which ARB has funded or participated in.
This page also provides information on ARB verifications of locomotive
advanced technology emission levels to determine eligibility for ARB
incentive funding programs.Locomotive Incentive Funding Projects
This
page provides information regarding a number of U.S. EPA, ARB,
and air pollution control district, incentive funding programs that have funded cleaner locomotives in
California.Railyard and Community Links
This page provides railyard compliance and field survey data from ARB's rail emission reduction programs.
