CC - 2005-14 - Support for AB 1222 - AB 888 - SB 459• 0
RESOLUTION NO. 2005-14
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR
ASSEMBLY BILL 1222 (JONES); ASSEMBLY BILL 888 (DE LA TORRE); AND
SENATE BILL 459 (ROMERO);
WHICH WOULD ENACT LOCOMOTIVE AND RAIL YARD EMISSIONS REDUCTION
AND MITIGATION PROGRAMS; A REMOTE SENSING PROGRAM; AND CALL
UPON U.S. EPA TO FURTHER LIMIT LOCOMOTIVE EMISSIONS
WHEREAS, the South Coast Air Basin is one of two "extreme nonattainment" air
basins for ozone in the United States and to achieve attainment of federal and state
public health standards requires extraordinary effort by federal, state and local
regulatory authorities working in concert; and
WHEREAS, federal and state health-based ambient air quality standards for
ozone and PM10 are exceeded regularly and by a wide margin in the South Coast Air
Basin: and
WHEREAS, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has recently adopted
more stringent 8-hour ozone and PM 2.5 standards that will require even greater
emission reductions in the South Coast Air Basin; and
WHEREAS, emissions from locomotives and rail yard equipment in the South
Coast Air Basin contribute significantly to exceedances of federal and state ozone and
PM 10 standards, as well as to emissions of diesel exhaust, a toxic air contaminant; and
WHEREAS, in order to attain state and federal standards for ozone and PM2.5, it
is necessary that emissions from locomotives and rail yard equipment be controlled or
otherwise mitigated; and
WHEREAS, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has authority to.adopt
regulations limiting emissions from locomotives and rail yard equipment, but state and
local regulatory authority to control emission from these sources is restricted by federal
law. In order to attain state and federal ambient air quality standards, it is necessary
that emissions from locomotives and rail yard equipment be controlled or mitigated by
the federal government or, if necessary, by state or local governments using authorities
available to them; and
• •
WHEREAS, in 1998, the California Air Resources Board entered into a
Memorandum of Understanding with the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad
Company, and the Union Pacific Railroad Company, under which the railroads agreed
to utilize locomotives in the South Coast Air Basin that would meet certain emissions
limitations; and
WHEREAS, in 2003, the South Coast Air Quality Management District adopted
the most recent revision to its Air Quality Management Plan. The 2003 Plan includes
stringent emissions standards for factories, power plants, on-road and off-road mobile
sources and other sources that are within the regulatory jurisdiction of the South Coast
District and the California Air Resources Board - including sources powered by diesel
engines similar to locomotives and rail yard equipment. The percentage of emission
reductions that will be achieved by significant sources subject to state and local
authority is substantially greater than the percentage of emissions reductions that will be
achieved by locomotives under existing federal regulations and the 1998 MOU; and
WHEREAS, the 2003 South Coast District Plan proposes a significant amount of
emissions reductions through means that are yet to be specifically determined. To the
extent that emissions from locomotives and rail yard equipment are not controlled,
additional emissions reductions from sources subject to state and local regulatory
jurisdiction, which have already been stringently regulated, will be required; and
WHEREAS, one means of mitigating emissions from locomotives is by funding
programs to reduce equivalent emissions from other sources that contribute to ozone,
PM10, PM2.5, or toxic air pollution. For example, the lack of grade separations
between rail lines and surface streets in the South Coast Air Basin contributes to
emissions from idling vehicles and is an indirect emissions impact of increasing rail
traffic in the Alameda Corridor and Alameda Corridor-East. Funds obtained through a
locomotive emissions mitigation program could be utilized to establish additional grade
separations, as well as other control strategies; and
WHEREAS, unless and until the federal Environmental Protection Agency adopts
regulations requiring locomotives in the South Coast Air Basin to achieve all feasible
emission reductions as necessary to achieve federal clean air standards, the South
Coast Air Quality Management District should be authorized to adopt a locomotive
mitigation fee for locomotive emissions that is proportionate to the health and
environmental harms resulting from those emissions, provided such mitigation fee does
not result in a shift or increase in emissions to other parts of the Basin; and
WHEREAS, it is therefore necessary that legislation authorize the South Coast
Air Quality Management District to implement a locomotive emission reduction and
mitigation program; and a retrofit requirement for rail yard equipment; and
•
WHEREAS, it is therefore necessary that legislation authorize the California Air
Resources Board to implement a statewide remote sensing program to detect high
polluting locomotives operating in the state;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ROSEMEAD DOES HEREBY DECLARE AND RESOLVE THAT ASSEMBLY
BILLS: 1222 & 888; & SENATE BILL 459;
are 'necessary Jo protect'the health and welfare of 'our residents' from" cancei
causing toxic.air pollutants, especially children and seniors,
• are essential to reduce diesel emission's from locomotives in Southern Calrfomia
ao meet deadlines between, 2010 and 2021 for clean air established by.'federal
government
• are critical in ensuring the burden for emission reductions in the regionjs not
unfairly` placed on ,local' businesses, and that: significant 'future ;reductions are
sepa"r`ationsbetween-rail lmesand,locaI, urface.streets to reduce,~emiss ions from
itlling=trams, `ands for programs to .address accompanying health effects from
diesel emissions
i
ensure that,`emissions, from rail yard egWpment impacting local communities will
be controlletl; , ,
ensure that high polluting locomotives m the. state will'be identifietl and that
annrmnriataar4nairc will hp-rprnHpatpri Is lo j
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ROSEMEAD HEREBY URGES CALIFORNIA LEGISLATORS TO ENACT AB 1222;
AB 888; AND SB 459; AS PROPOSED AND URGES THE GOVERNOR TO SIGN
THEM INTO STATE LAW WITHOUT DELAY.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 10T" DAY OF MAY 2005.
O
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK
• •
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS.
CITY OF ROSEMEAD )
I, Nancy Valderrama, City Clerk of the City of Rosemead,.do hereby certify that the
foregoing Resolution No. 2005-14 being:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD,
EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR ASSEMBLY BILL 1222 (JONES); ASSEMBLY BILL
888 (DE LA TORRE); AND SENATE BILL (ROMERO); WHICH WOULD ENACT
LOCOMOTIVE AND RAIL YARD EMISSIONS REDUCTION AND MITIGATION
PROGRAMS; A REMOTE SENSING PROGRAM; AND CALL UPON U.S. EPA TO
FURTHER LIMIT LOCOMOTIVE EMISSIONS
was duly and regularly approved and adopted by the Rosemead City Council on the 10`h
day of May 2005, by the following vote to wit:
YES: CLARK, NUNEZ, IMPERIAL, TAYLOR, TRAN
NO: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
Nancy Va a, CMC
City Clerk