In support of cleaner non-road diesel engines

I sent the letter below, based on a pre-written letter by Environmental Defense, to the Environmental Protection Agency via Environmental Defense’s Action Network.

I then sent the same letter (approximately) to Kennedy, Kerry, Markey, Bush, and Cheney (that is, all of the people I can theoretically vote for to theoretically represent me at the national level: Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Senator John F. Kerry, Representative Edward J. Markey, President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney) using Juan Cabanela’s site Contacting the Congress.  See an archived copy of the excellent response form which includes the message one sends.

Please support the EPA's proposed rules requiring cleaner nonroad engines and cleaner diesel fuel. Air pollution from nonroad diesel engines are associated with thousands of premature deaths and hospitalizations. These proposed rules will help protect my health and the health of most people in the U.S. (and even beyond, as manufacturers start to sell cleaner engines everywhere).

Please hold the line on these strong new regulations, particularly those requiring sulfur reductions in diesel fuel to 15 ppm, which will promote state-of-the-art pollution control technologies. Oppose any exemptions for very large or small nonroad diesel engines. All nonroad diesel engines should meet the same rigorous emission standards.

The EPA needs to establish cleaner emission and fuel standards for all major categories of diesel engines, including stationary diesel generators, locomotives, and commercial marine vessels. These high-polluting engines should be required to use ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (15 ppm of sulfur or less), have the best available engines, and utilize state-of-the-art pollution control technology.

The proposed rule, when finalized, will close one of the dirty diesel loopholes and help protect public health. Thank you for proposing to clean up diesel fuel and diesel engines. Please finalize the proposed rule without delay, so we all have cleaner, healthier air.

I also urge Congress and the EPA to work to reduce the concentrated air pollution that occurs in cities and disproportionately affects poor children. Perhaps a tax on expected sulphur emmissions from trucks, which takes into account expected traffic, and that increases in population centers, could be one part of the solution in cleaning up our cities. The simpler and more important reform remains upgrading the standards for non-road diesel engines, and I ask you to be vigilant on this and not let the proposed rule be dropped or weakened. Thank you.

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