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Comment 44 for Transportation Comments for the GHG Scoping Plan (sp-transport-ws) - 1st Workshop.
First Name: Pat
Last Name: Flanagan
Email Address: paflanagan29@verizon.net
Affiliation: The Mojave Desert Land Trust
Subject: ORV Emissions
Comment:
The Mojave Desert Land Trust (the Land Trust) appreciates the commitment shown by the Air Quality Board to develop a comprehensive approach to address climate change. However, from our prospective gained conserving land that protects ecosystem functioning in the Mojave Desert, the omission of off-highway vehicles emission control from the transportation plan is a serious oversight. Off-highway vehicles produce significant greenhouse gases. According to Fuel to Burn: The Climate and Public Health Implications of Off-Road Vehicle Pollution in California, prepared by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Clean Air Initiative, a project of the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial County, off-highway vehicles emit more than 230,000 metric tons – or 500 million pounds—of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. This is equivalent to the amount of gasoline used by 1.5 million car trips from San Francisco to Los Angeles. California Air Resources Board research finds that off-highway vehicles and all-terrain vehicles produce 118 times as much smog-forming pollutants as do modern automobiles on a per-mile basis. California has among the poorest air quality in the nation and is home to 13 of 20 counties nationwide most at risk to adverse health impacts from smog. In Imperial County one of the most popular off-highway vehicles recreation destinations in the state, air pollution contributes to the high rate of asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and allergies in this region, especially among children younger than 14 years old. Joshua Tree National Park experiences the highest ozone pollution level of any Park in the country. Both Joshua Tree and its neighbor to the north, the Mojave National Preserve post alerts warning travelers and staff of the severity of health threats from poor air quality. Research indicates that unless current trends change, climate change may eliminate 90% of Joshua trees from its namesake park by the end of this century while automobile pollutants promote the growth of invasive weeks and grasses, which contribute to wildland fires. The mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the Global Warming Solutions Act applies to all gas sources, including off-highway vehicles. It is the responsibility of California to ensure that emissions from this source are reduced at the same pace as other sources. The Land Trust concurs with the authors of Fuel to Burn that, at a minimum, emissions from off-road vehicles should be reduced to at least 1990 levels by 2020 with further reductions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Thank you for this opportunity to comment. We appreciate you website – it is a very effective tool for commenting.
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2008-08-01 12:27:37
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