Tell CARB to Fight Port Pollution and Global Warming

Dear California Air Resources Board,

I urge the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Governor Schwarzenegger to maintain California's status as the world's leader on global warming by adopting the strongest possible Early Action Measures as part of the implementation of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.

The goods movement industry - the trucks, ships, and trains that come to and transport products here and to the rest of the country - is responsible for about 30% of all smog-forming NOx and 75% of all diesel Particulate Matter (PM) emissions in California. Annually, these "criteria pollutant" emissions are responsible for 2400 premature deaths, higher cancer rates, and respiratory disease across California. In addition to poisoning the air we breathe, diesel Particulate Matter and NOx, also contribute more to global warming than the leading greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), as CARB has reported.

So I urge you to reverse your decision to leave goods movement pollution reduction strategies out of your Early Action Measures for addressing global warming. By limiting PM and NOx pollution as part of your AB 32 Early Action Measures, the Air Resources Board can act aggressively to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gases.

Specifically, I believe that CARB should include the following Early Action measures:

• Require the cleanest available Heavy-Duty Trucks. (Each truck should meet the EPA's highest clean air standards - for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and diesel particulate matter (DPM) - at the time of purchase. Dirtier trucks should not be grouped with clean trucks, thereby allowing fleets to lower their average criteria pollutant emissions.)


• Require the cleanest available Cargo Handling Equipment (such as "yard tractors").


• Require large ocean going vessels to use cleaner shore-based electrical power ("cold ironing") when in port harbors (instead of burning dirty bunker fuel).