Statewide Rail Yard Agreement

This page last reviewed October 30, 2009

On June 24, 2005, the Executive Officer of the Air Resources Board entered into a pollution reduction agreement with Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and BNSF Railway (BNSF). The Agreement secured the commitment of UP and BNSF to expeditiously implement a number of feasible and cost-effective measures to reduce emissions from locomotives throughout California. The Agreement initiated cooperative efforts between the railroads and the ARB to assess and mitigate public health risks around 17 major rail yards throughout the State. The Agreement also includes provisions for ongoing public involvement at each major rail yard, where community and environmental justice concerns can be addressed directly.

The Agreement became effective on June 30, 2005.

STATEWIDE RAIL YARD AGREEMENT

View text of Agreement (Execution Copy)
Factsheet on Rail Yard Agreement
- Spanish version (PDF-37k)
Q&A about the Agreement
- Spanish version (PDF-20k)
Maps of Major Rail Yards covered by the Agreement

INFORMATION SUBMITTALS BY THE RAILROAD COMPANIES

UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETINGS and COMMUNITY MEETINGS

CURRENT and PAST PUBLIC MEETINGS

BOARD MEETINGS

September 25, 2009	The Board Meeting to consider Staff recommendations to provide further locomotive and railyard emission reductions in Diamond Bar from 9:00 a.m. - Meeting Agenda. (link to the Board Meeting webpage) - Staff Recommendations to Provide Further Locomotive and Railyard Emission Reductions (PDF-487kb)
June 25, 2009	The Board Meeting to consider an update on ARB efforts to develop recommendations for further locomotive and railyard emission and risk reductions in Sacramento from 9:00 a.m. - Meeting Agenda. (link to the Board Meeting webpage) - Update on Efforts to Provide Further Locomotive and Railyard Emission Reductions (PDF-487kb)
April 24, 2008	The Board Meeting to Consider an Update on the 2005 ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement in Oakland from 9:00 a.m. - Meeting Agenda. (link to the Board Meeting webpage) - Update on the Implementation of the 2005 ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement (PDF-487kb)
July 27, 2007	The Board Meeting to Consider an Update on the 2005 ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement in Sacramento from 8:30 a.m. - Meeting Agenda. (link to the Board Meeting webpage) - Update on the Implementation of the 2005 ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement (PDF-1.92mb)
January 25, 2007	The Board Meeting to Consider an Update on the 2005 ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement in Sacramento from 9:00 a.m. - Meeting Agenda. (link to the Board Meeting webpage) - ARB Status Report on the Implementation of the 2005 ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement (PDF-348k)
July 20, 2006	The Board Meeting to Consider an Update on the 2005 ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement in Sacramento from 9:00 a.m. - Meeting Agenda. (link to the Board Meeting webpage) - ARB Status Report on the Implementation of the 2005 ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement (PDF-348k)
January 27, 2006	The Board Meeting to Consider an Update on the Implementation of the ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement and to take Action as Approriate will be held at the California Air Resources Board in Sacramento, CA from 8:30 a.m. - Meeting Agenda. (link to the Board Meeting webpage) - ARB Status Report on the Implementation of the ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement (PDF-3,660k) - ARB Staff Presentation: (PDF 1.64mb) - To send an electronic written comment to the Board, please click here (then click on the List Name:*ry2006* and follow the instructions).
October 27, 2005	The Board Meeting for the ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement was held on October 27, 2005 at the California Air Resources Board Auditorium in El Monte, CA. - Board Meeting Documents: Meeting Notice (PDF-530k) Meeting Agenda (PDF-12k) ARB Staff Presentation: Black and White (PDF-3,390k) Color (PDF-1,500k) Summary of October 27, 2005 ARB Meeting - (PDF-5k) - Staff Report for the Public Meeting to Consider the ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement Staff Report - (PDF-1.6 mb) List of Appendices: (PDF-7k) Attachment A - ARB/Railroad Statewide Agreement: Particulate Emissions Reduction Program - (PDF-196k) Attachment B - Resolution 05-40 - Dated July 21, 2005 - (PDF-9k) Attachment C - List of Individuals that Testified at the Public Consultation Meetings - (PDF-21k) Attachment D - List of Individuals that Attended the Public Consultation Meetings - (PDF-24k) Attachment E - List of Individuals and Organizations that Provided Written Comments - (PDF-19k) (If you wish to obtain a hard copy of the report, please call (916) 323-1069) - Public Comments Raising Legal Issues and Agency Responses - (PDF-1.45MB)

PUBLIC CONSULTATION MEETINGS and DOCUMENTS

June 10, 2009	The fifth public meeting to discuss potential future emission control measures to reduce railroad emissions as part of the Statewide Rail Yard Agreement from 8:30 A.M. to 4:45 P.M. in Sacramento, California Revised Agenda (PDF-23k) - 06/08/2009 Meeting Notice and Agenda: (PDF-1.4mb) Webcast Panel Discussions and Presentations: 1. Panel Discussion: U.S. EPA's 2008 Locomotive Rulemaking U.S. Environmental Protection Agengcy General Electric ElectroMotive 2. ARB Perspective: California's Needs for Further Locomotive and Railyard Emissions Reduction ARB Staff Presentation (PDF - 44k) 2. Railroad Perspectives: U.S. EPA 2008 Locomotive Rulemaking - One Year Later Union Pacific Railroad BNSF Railway 3. Updates on Locomotive Exhaust Aftertreatment Southwest Research Institute (PDF - 1.8mb) 4. Updates on Locomotive Projects South Coast Air Quality Management District (PDF - 197k) 5. Update of SCR Systems in Medium Duty Regional Locomotives Progress Rail Services (PDF - 1.4mb) 6. Update on Solutions for Low Emission Locomotives Cummins Inc. (PDF - 1.4mb) 7. Panel Discussion: How Technology is Proven Suitable and Durable ElectroMotive U.S. Environmental Protection Agengcy General Electric Union Pacific Railroad (PDF - 437k) BNSF Railway South Coast Air Quality Management District (PDF - 196k) 8. Panel Discussion: Retrofits - Lessons Learned in the Field South Coast Air Quality Management District (PDF - 52k) Union Pacific Railroad (PDF - 277k) BNSF Railway 9. Union Pacific Railroad Comments on Future Locomotive Aftertreatment Union Pacific Railroad 10. BNSF Railway Comments on Future Locomotive Aftertreatment BNSF Railway
December 31, 2008	2007 Progress Report on Semiannual Public Meetings to Evaluate Future Railroad Emission Control Measures - A joint effot between the ARB, BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad (PDF-49k)
November 28, 2007	The fourth public meeting to discuss potential future emission control measures to reduce railroad emissions as part of the Statewide Rail Yard Agreement from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. in El Monte, California Meeting Notice and Agenda: (PDF-58k) Webcast Presentations: 1. ARB Perspective - The Need for Retrofit Technology ARB Staff Presentation (PDF - 455k) 2. Railroad Perspective - From Idea to Market: Successes and Limitations of New Technologies BNSF Railway Union Pacific Railroad (PDF - 491k) 3. Updates on Locomotive Exhaust Aftertreatment Retrofit Technology Freight Applications "U.S. Locomotive Aftertreatment Retrofit Progress Report, SwRI Test Programs" by Southwest Research Institute (PDF - 2.8mb) Passenger Applications "Three Locomotive Demonstration Projects" by South Coast AQMD (PDF - 700k) "ARB Rail Technology Symposium: Diesel Oxidation Catalyst" by MotivePower (PDF - 3.1mb) 4. Other Technologies in Development "Fuel Cell Locomotives for Zero-Emissions Urban Rail" by Vehicle Projects LLC (PDF - 2.9mb) "Hybrid on the main line" by General Electric Company (PDF - 1.1mb) "Evaluation of Natural Gas-fueled Locomotives" (PDF - 1.1mb)
June 06, 2007	The third public meeting to discuss potential future emission control measures to reduce railroad emissions as part of the Statewide Rail Yard Agreement from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. in Sacramento, California Meeting Notice and Agenda (PDF-37k) Revised Agenda (June 5th, 2007) (PDF-43k) Webcast Presentations: 1. U.S. EPA Proposed Locomotive Rulemaking "EPA's Locomotive (and Marine Diesel) Proposal" by U.S. EPA (PDF-498k) "Emissions Control Technology for Tier 4 Locomotive Applications" by U.S. EPA (PDF-1.5mb) 2. Summary of Locomotive Aftertreatment Applications "Summary of Locomotive Aftertreatment Applications" by Southwest Research Institute (PDF-5.8mb) 3. Locomotive Aftertreatment Design Concepts "Locomotive Aftertreatment Concepts" by Southwest Research Institute (PDF-1.5mb) 4. Aftertreatment Perspective "Aftertreatment Perspective" by General Electric Company Summary (PDF-1mb) Full version (MOV-128mb)* recorded via webcast Note: This is a QuickTime file format, if you encounter difficulties viewing this file please download the QuickTime player. 5. Locomotive Experiences* "Summary of Locomotive Aftertreatment Applications" by Electromotive Diesel, Inc (PDF-2.1mb) 6. BNSF Comments On Future Locomotive Aftertreatment "Locomotive Aftertreatment Concepts" by BNSF Railway (PDF-1.6mb) 7. UPRR Comments On Future Locomotive Aftertreatment "Comments on Future EPA (Tier 4) Locomotive Emissions Aftertreatment Technologies" by Union Pacific Railroad (PDF-1.6mb)
October 20, 2006	2006 Progress Report on Semiannual Public Meetings to Evaluate Future Railroad Emission Control Measures - A joint effot between the ARB, BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad (PDF-49k)
July 13, 2006	The second public meeting to discuss potential future emission control measures to reduce railroad emissions as part of the Statewide Rail Yard Agreement from 9:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. in Sacramento, California. Revised Meeting Notice and Agenda (PDF-86k) Meeting Flyer (PDF-42k) Presentations: 1. "EPA’s Rulemaking for Clean Diesel Locomotives" by U.S EPA (PDF-1,000k) 2. European Locomotive Experiences "European Locomotive Experiences: South Coast AQMD Perspective" by South Coast AQMD (PDF-224k) "Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Technology for New & Retrofitted Locomotives in the US and Europe" by Union Pacific (B&W: PDF-588k) "Exhaust Emissions Controls for Diesel Locomotives – Experience in Europe" by MIRATECH Corp. (PDF-1,117k) 3. Locomotive Research and Demonstration Projects "Locomotive Research and Demonstration Projects: Advanced Locomotive Emission Control System Demonstration at Roseville Rail Yard" by Placer County Air Pollution Control District (B&W: PDF-4,020k) "Controlling Diesel Locomotive Start-Up and Idle Exhaust Emissions at SNCF l’Ourcq (Paris)" by Southwest Research Institute (PDF-990k) "California Emissions Program: PM Reduction from EMD Switcher Locomotives" by Southwest Research Institute (PDF-990k) "Low-Emission Locomotive Projects" by South Coast AQMD (PDF-1,572k) " Hybrid Locomotives: Better Economics, Better Environment" by Rail Power Technologies Corp. (PDF-1,280k) "Ultra-low Emissions "Genset" Switchers" by Union Pacific (PDF-914k) 4. United States Locomotive Experiences "Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. Locomotive Experiences" by Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. (B&W: PDF-875k) "GE Transportation: Driving toward lower emissions" by General Electric (PDF-1,060k)
April 25, 2006	The initial public meeting to discuss potential future emission control measures to reduce railroad emissions as part of the Statewide Rail Yard Agreement from 8:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. in El Monte, California Meeting Notice and Agenda (PDF-131k) Presentations: 1) "Multi-Engine GenSet - Ultra Low Emissions Road-Switcher Locomotive" by National Railway Equipment Company (PDF-24,046k) 2) "Hybrid Locomotives" by Railpower Technologies Corp. (PDF-6,801k) 3) "AESS and Other Emission Reduction Strategies" by ElectroMotive (PDF-40k) 4) "Smart Start" by ZTR Control Systems (PDF-10,070k)
August 31, 2005	Southern California: August 31, 2005 from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. in the City of Commerce, CA Meeting Notice and Agenda (PDF-94k) ARB Staff Presentation (PDF-556k) SouthCoast AQMD Staff Presentations (1), (2), (3)
August 10, 2005	Northern California: August 10, 2005 from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. in Sacramento Meeting Notice and Agenda (PDF-94k) ARB Staff Presentation (PDF-40k) South Coast AQMD Staff Presentation (PDF-1560k)

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.

For more information about the ARB's Railyard 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.

Rail Yard Emission Reduction Program