http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/08/11/s tate1944EDT0158.DTL
Environmental group takes legal action on diesel engines TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press Writer Monday, August 11, 2003 (08-11) 16:44 PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A major environmental group is taking legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to control air pollution from stationary diesel engines, a growing health hazard in California and other states. Environmental Defense, based in New York, on Monday notified the EPA of its intent to sue the agency for its failure to establish nationwide emission standards for diesel-powered electrical generators and other stationary diesel engines. The group also petitioned the EPA to add diesel exhaust to its list of hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. That status would require the agency to increase research and monitoring, as well as establish emission standards for diesel exhaust. "This is one remaining loophole in the effort to control and clean up diesel," said John Balbus, Environmental Defense's health program director. "Right now, there's no real mechanism to get the EPA to address these engines." The EPA acknowledged receipt of the group's petition and lawsuit notice, but had no comment on them Monday. "We do view the problem of diesel engines very seriously, its damage to the environment and its effects on human health," said Mark Merchant, an EPA spokesman in San Francisco. "To that end, we've taken dramatic steps to combat them." Numerous scientific studies have found that exposure to diesel exhaust is a likely cause of cancer, heart attacks and respiratory problems. The EPA already has strict emissions standards for diesel trucks and buses, and recently proposed tougher standards for diesel-fueled equipment used in construction, agriculture and mining. But stationary diesel engines are not regulated. Nationwide, companies are relying more on diesel-powered engines during periods of peak energy use, said Vickie Patton, a senior attorney at Environmental Defense. The issue is important in California because the state increasingly relies on diesel-powered backup generators during electricity shortages, Balbus said. It is estimated that California has more than 16,000 stationary or portable diesel engines of which 11,300 are used as backup power generators. Eight Northeastern states recently estimated they had a total of about 33,000 stationary diesel generators. Such generators are a major health threat because they usually operate in densely populated areas. A recent Environmental Defense study found that in the South Coast, San Diego, San Joaquin and Sacramento areas, about 150,000 children attend schools in zones that use backup diesel generators. Environmental Defense wants the EPA to require stationary diesel engines to meet stricter emissions standards. The group filed its intent to sue the EPA in Washington, D.C., but it may file its lawsuit in California in two months. Environmental groups are required to give 60-day notice of their intent to sue the agency. "We're hoping EPA will expand its work on diesel engines to include sources of diesel exhaust that fall through the cracks," Patton said. On the Net: www.environmentaldefense.org www.epa.gov/diesel http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pressrelease.cfm?ContentID=2942 Environmental Defense - PRESS RELEASE: Environmental Defense Takes Legal Action To Clean Up Diesel Pollution - EPA Called Upon To Protect Public Health & Declare Diesel Exhaust A Hazardous Air Pollutant ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for Your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at Myinks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/l.m7sD/LIdGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
