This page last reviewed March 21, 2008.

The Air Resources Board (ARB), in cooperation with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, is conducting modeling studies to estimate the health risks from diesel exhaust in West Oakland. The Port of Oakland and the Union Pacific Railroad are providing information on their local marine and rail operations for these risk assessments. The studies are underway, with draft results expected in Spring 2008. This website describes the studies as well as providing information on related community meetings and draft documents for public review.

What's New

March 21, 2008: A Fact Sheet is now available:  Diesel Particulate Matter Health Risk Assessment Study for the West Oakland Community: Preliminary Summary of Results (March 2008). West Oakland Community Meeting on March 19, 2008: Meeting Materials: Meeting Notice Presentation Draft Preliminary Summary of Results for West Oakland Community Diesel PM Health Risk Assessment Appendix A:  Draft Emissions Inventory Summary Appendix B:  Draft Additional Potential Cancer Risk Isopleths and Data Summaries Appendix C:  Draft HRA for UPRR Oakland Railyard Appendix D:  Draft Emissions Inventory for Part III Appendix E:  (will be posted when available)

Risk Reduction

Risk Assessment Basics

• These risk assessments will estimate the lifetime cancer risk and other health impacts from diesel PM in 2005 using computer models to estimate the concentration of diesel PM in the West Oakland Community
• These risk assessments will not measure the amount of diesel PM in the air or gather/use health data on local residents

Where: Emission Study Areas

1. Maritime Port of Oakland operations, at sea and on land (including on-site BNSF railyard)
2. Union Pacific Oakland Railyard operations
3. Adjacent West Oakland (landside roughly enclosed by I-580, I-980, I-880, and the Harbor Channel, plus non-port marine operations in SF Bay out to Golden Gate Bridge)

• West Oakland Map

What: Emission Sources

• Diesel trucks and buses
• Locomotives (cargo and passenger trains)
• Ships (cargo and cruise)
• Harborcraft (like tugs, ferries, fishing vessels)
• Diesel equipment at Port and railyards
• Other significant sources of diesel PM

How: Available Documents and Supporting Information

•  Draft Preliminary Summary of Results for West Oakland Community Diesel PM Health Risk Assessment (March 19, 2008)
  
  Appendix A:  Draft Emissions Inventory Summary
  Appendix B:  Draft Additional Potential Cancer Risk Isopleths and Data Summaries
  Appendix C:  Draft HRA for UPRR Oakland Railyard
  Appendix D:  Draft Emissions Inventory for Part III
  Appendix E:  (will be posted when available)
• Fact Sheet:  Diesel Particulate Matter Health Risk Assessment Study for West Oakland Community: Preliminary Summary of Results (March 2008)
• Draft matrix of emission sources, geographic domain, and activity data for each study area in West Oakland, plus information on air quality modeling parameters and risk characterization 
• Draft ARB Railyard Health Risk Assessment Guidelines
• Port of Oakland: Seaport Emissions Inventory and Port Construction Inventory Documents
• Bay Area Air Quality Management District: STI Report - Truck Related Businesses and Construction in West Oakland
  

When: Study Timing

• Studies include emissions in calendar year 2005
• Draft technical methodology documents in early Spring 2007
• Draft risk assessment results in Spring 2008

  For questions, please contact Carolyn Suer, ARB, at (916) 327-5985

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