Rhode Island is at Risk

• Exposure to diesel particulate matter increases emergency room visits for asthma and heart attacks, lung cancer and even premature death. Diesel pollution alscontributes to chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, and decreased lung growth for children.
• 1 in 10 Rhode Island kids has asthma, and it is proven that diesel pollution can aggravate and cause asthma attacks.
• Providence County ranks in the worst 6% of all U.S. Counties for health problems caused by diesel pollution.

What is Being Done in Rhode Island

• 2006 Idling is against the law – no diesel vehicle may idle longer than 5 minutes anywhere in Rhode Island (emergency vehicles are exempt).
• 2007 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act – by 2010 all Rhode Island school buses will be equipped with advanced pollution control technology to help reduce children's exposure to diesel fumes.

• 2010 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act - Requires heavy-duty vehicles contracted on behalf of the state with federal monies to be equipped with pollution control devices, reimbursable through project funds starting in 2013; adhere to the state anti-idling law, limiting idling to 5 munites; and be fueled with cleaner burning ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD).  

• RIPTA – Rhode Island's public transit operator voluntarily retrofit 50% of the bus fleet with diesel particulate filters.
• City & towns taking action - Providence, Pawtucket, Newport and Warwick passed local ordinances in 2008 seeking greater enforcement of the state's Anti-Idle law and calling on the state to regulate diesel emissions even further. In 2009 and 2010, both Providence and Cranston passed clean construction ordinances to clean up city-owned and contracted vehicles used on large construction projects.  

Next Steps 2010

Construction equipment is the number one source of toxic diesel emissions in Rhode Island, a close second is the onroad sector, mainly transit and school buses, which are well on their way to being cleaned up. Most construction occurs in densely developed downtown areas, and disproportionately affect poor urban communities. Additionally, most major construction projects are state or federally funded, which means taxpayer dollars contribute to the diesel emissions we all breathe.  With the 2010 DERA law in place, Rhode Island will be able to turnover its fleet of dirty diesel construction equipment by 2030. However, additional action must be taken in the meantime to ensure that this law is enforced, and that the oldest, dirtiest diesels are banned from working on state projects altogehter. 

Your Role: Citizen Action

Lobby! Thank Your Legislators for Supporting S2440 & H7850!

• Contact your Senator
• Contact your Representative

Help Your Community

• Spread the word to local officials, school bus monitors and teachers 
  who can enforce idling laws.
• Urge local businesses to retrofit their diesels, and to keep unloading trucks from idling at their storefronts.
• Talk to your city council and make them pass a clean diesel construction ordinance.
• Call Clean Water Action, and get involved: (401)331-6972

Pollution Patrols

• Ordinary Citizens can monitor diesel activity in their community and educate the public about the need to curb emissions.
• Count the number of diesel vehicles that pass by a busy intersection near your home, school, or work. Record totals every 10-15 minutes.
• Use stopwatches to time idling vehicles. 5 minutes is the law!

Other types of monitoring

• Bucket Sampling
• Chemical Odor Incidence Monitoring
• Wipe Sampling

Diesel in the News

• 01/22/09 Boston Globe, "Longer life expectancy is linked to cleaner air"
• 01/21/09 CNN, "Drop in U.S. air pollution linked to longer lifespans"
• 01/05/09 Rhode Island's Future, "Comings and Goings at Clean Water Action"
• 01/04/09 Providence Journal, "Diesel emissions reduction campaigner to move on"
• 12/09/08 San Francisco Chronicle, "Diesel truckers at cancer risk from diesel exhaust"
• 12/05/08 The Phoenix, "Enviros Launch Attack on Diesel Pollution"
• 05/28/08 The Phoenix, "Campaign continues to cut diesel emission"
• 02/22/05 Green Car Congress, "Diesel PM Annually Kills 21,000 in US; Legacy"
• 02/24/09, Newport Daily News, "R.I. senator champions pollution prevention"
• 02/26/09, Brown Daily Herald, "City may require cleaner construction trucks"
• 02/26/09, Providence Journal, "Environmental advocates are concerned that stimulus projects may increase air pollution"

Resources & Links:

• American Lung Association: What is the state of your air?
• Clean Air Task Force: View health impacts from diesel soot in your community
• Northeast Diesel Collaborative
• Rhode Island "Green During Construction Phase" Initiative
• Diesel Retrofit Daily
• Diesel Technology Forum