California passes 1st-in-nation emission rules for trains

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Air Resources Board approved Thursday a first-in-the-nation, ambitious rule limiting rail pollution.

The goal is to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions from locomotives. The standards would also reduce a group of chemicals that contribute to the formation of smog. They could improve air quality for people living near railyards and ports.

The standards would need approval from the Biden administration to move forward. They follow rules approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to cut emissions from heavy trucks. The locomotive rule is part of the state’s plan to establish itself as a global leader in the fight against climate change.

“It is time to kickstart the next step of transformation with trains in this regulation,” said Davina Hurt, a board member.

Locomotives pull rail cars filled with food, lumber, oil and other products through railyards near neighborhoods in Oakland, Commerce, San Bernardino and other California cities.

They run on diesel, a more powerful fuel than gasoline, and burning all that diesel produces pollution that is harmful for people who live nearby, as well as greenhouse gases.

The rule will ban locomotive engines more than 23 years old by 2030 and increase the use of zero-emissions technology to transport freight from ports and throughout railyards. It would also ban locomotives in the state from idling longer than 30 minutes if they are equipped with an automatic shutoff.

Other states can sign on to try to adopt the California rule if it gets the OK from the Biden administration.

The rule is the most ambitious of its kind in the country.

“It's going to be groundbreaking, and it's going to address the diesel crisis that's been poisoning communities near railyards for literal decades,”...