Rail Yard Emission Reduction Program

This page last reviewed June 11, 2009

Background:

The Air Resources Board is undertaking several efforts to reduce the emission impacts of rail yards on local communities. These efforts include an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and BNSF Railways to reduce locomotive emissions near rail yards, and the development of new regulations to address on- and off-road vehicles at rail yards. Information on these efforts will continually be added to this web site as the development and implementation of those program progresses.
Please consider joining one or more of ARB's Rail Yard Emission Reduction-related e-lists.


new  Presentations from the 2009 Railroad Technology Symposium For more information...


What's New
  • Technical Evaluation Document Regarding Potential Options to Reduce Locomotive and Railyard Emissions.  For more information...
  • Draft Mitigation Plans
BNSF Barstow UP City of Industry
BNSF Commerce Eastern UP Colton
BNSF Hobart UP Commerce
BNSF Richmond UP ICTF/Dolores
BNSF San Bernardino UP LATC
BNSF San Diego UP Mira Loma
BNSF Sheila UP Oakland
BNSF Stockton UP Stockton
BNSF Watson

File A Complaint Information on how to report an excessive idling or smoking locomotive.

Upcoming Events Upcoming Board Meetings

Upcoming Community Meetings

Community Overview of the activities in the statewide communities surrounding the designated and covered rail yards: Bakersfield, Commerce, Colton, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Stockton, Oakland, Roseville, and more...

Rail Yard Agreement The ARB and Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and BNSF Railway entered into a voluntary agreement which became effective on June 30, 2005. The Agreement obligates UP and BNSF to reduce locomotive and associated diesel particulate emissions in and around California's railyards.

Railroad Companies' Submittals: As required by the Rail Yard Agreement, Railroad Companies (BNSF and UP) agree to provide detailed information of implementation to the ARB.

Health Risk Assessments of Railyards Under the provisions of the Agreement, ARB staff will perform Health Risk Assessements (HRA) at 17 railyards in the state of California. One HRA (for Roseville) has already been completed. The HRAs at the remaining 16 railyards will be developed with community and air district participation, and the finalized HRAs will be used as the basis to identify longer-term mitigation measures that can be implemented at each designated rail yard.

California Diesel Risk Reduction Plan In September 2000, the Air Resources Board (ARB) approved a comprehensive Diesel Risk Reduction Plan (Plan) to reduce diesel emissions from both new and existing diesel-fueled engines and vehicles. The goal of the Plan is to reduce diesel PM emissions and the associated health risk by 75 percent in 2010 and 85 percent by 2020. The Rail Yard Agreement is another step in the continuing effort by ARB to achieve the risk reduction goals of the Plan.

Related Links This webpage provides links to other railroad and locomotive company webpages as well as government agencies that have jurisdiction over railroad activities.

Locomotives This web page provides more information on other programs related to reducing locomotive emissions such as the 1998 South Coast NOx MOU, CARB Diesel Fuel requirements for Intrastate Locomotives, and U.S. EPA's locomotive emission standards and proposed rulemakings.


List Serve

If you would like to subscribe to the list server for "Railyard" in order to be advised of changes to this area of the website, this link will explain how you can subscribe.

Contact Information:

For more information about the ARB's Rail Yard activities, please contact Harold Holmes at (916) 324-8029 or via email at 
hholmes@arb.ca.gov. If you have comments about this webpage, please refer them to Hector Castaneda at (916) 324-0367 or via email at hcastane@arb.ca.gov.

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