In-Use Locomotive Regulation Concepts
Background In 1998 and 2005, California Air Resources Board (CARB) entered into enforceable agreements with the two major freight railroads operating in California, Union Pacific and BNSF, ensuring an improved average emission standard for fleets (Tier 2), and wide adoption of idle-limiting devices on most locomotives. Although the agreements ensured faster adoption of cleaner technologies than otherwise would have occurred at the time, additional emissions reductions are critical to address locomotives’ continued health impacts on communities. Figure 1: Higher Tiers emit fewer pollutants, yet railroads are increasing use of Tier 2+ locomotives and purchasing fewer, if any, Tier 4 locomotives. Though moving cargo by trains produced fewer emissions than trucks in the past, by 2023 trucks will become the lower emission technology in California unless railroads replace older locomotives with the cleanest commercially available locomotives (currently Tier 4)...