Diesel Emissions Limited Under New State Law
Monday, June 28, 2010
A new state law aims to reduce diesel emissions from construction equipment and schools buses.
Rhode Island is among the top five worst states for the health risks associated with diesel pollution and has the eighth highest asthma rate, according to Senator Joshua Miller, D-Cranston, Warwick, a sponsor of the bill.
Construction projects generate about 40 percent of that pollution, according to Rep. Raymond Sullivan, D-Coventry, West Greenwich.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“There are ways we can cut down on that pollution, and some of those solutions are just simple changes in practices,” Sullivan said. “Just turning off engines instead of idling makes a huge difference in eliminating unnecessary waste, and keeping engines as far away as possible from homes, schools, nursing homes and hospitals will cut down on health risks that they cause.”
The law requires that companies who work on state contracts set up staging areas aware from schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods, and, when possible, limit engine idling to less than five minutes (click here to read the Senate bill and here to read the House version).
In 2013, heavy-duty equipment being used on state projects worth more than $5 million will have to abide by the emissions controls in the law. One percent of the budget of these projects will have to go to retrofitting their equipment to meet the new emissions standards.
The new law also targets diesel emissions from school buses, using federal funds to retrofit them with equipment that will reduce the emissions. The retrofitting will begin with city school buses.
