In back-to-back rulings, the Californian Air Resources Board approved the nation's strongest climate protection plan and the strictest on-road diesel emissions plans that will mean the oldest, most polluting trucks and buses will soon be no more.
"The (diesel) regulations, approved one day after the California Air Resources Board's landmark vote to curb greenhouse gases (see related article), require all trucks and buses, whether or not they are registered in the state, to retrofit or replace their rigs starting in 2010.
Truck owners would be required to install filters on their exhaust, and most would have to do so by 2014. Truckers also would have to replace their engines between 2012 and 2022 or buy a new truck with an engine made with 2010 specifications.
Air board officials estimate that the rule will save the lives of 9,400 people between 2011 and 2025.
Board member Dr. John Balmes said after the vote that while the change might cost the industry more than $5 billion (with only $1 billion in state funding assistance to offer), the savings in public health costs are estimated at as much as $50 billion.
Air board officials said their top priority is public health, adding that failure to meet clean air standards in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California would put $2 billion in federal highway money at risk."
FULL STORY: Air board adopts strict rules on diesel exhaust
Two New California Laws Take Aim at Pollution from Heavy-Duty Trucks
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A Departing Blow to Clean Air on Pruitt's Final Day
Friday may have been disgraced EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's last day in office of the agency in charge of protecting the nation's environment, but he still managed to roll back a regulation to create lasting air pollution far greater than VW did.
California to Invest $1 Billion in Electric Trucks, Buses, Charging Infrastructure
The investment comes not from the state legislature but from two regulatory bodies, the Air Resources Board and the Public Utilities Commission, authorizing the expenditure of VW settlement funds and utility ratepayer funds, respectively.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Maine Approves Rent Relief Program
Legislators hope the assistance program will help struggling low-income households avoid eviction.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
New York Passes Housing Package Focused on New Development and Adaptive Reuse
The FY 2025 budget includes a new tax incentive, funding for affordable housing on state land, and support for adaptive reuse and ADUs.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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