New Rule to Curb Construction Equipment Diesel Soot
Will Protect Lungs of Building Trades Workers on the Job
Last week's unanimous decision by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to adopt a rule that will cut diesel emissions from construction equipment is a health victory for building trades workers and everyone who lives near a construction site.
Many diesel engines used in construction lack emission controls and can remain in use for 30 years or longer. The new regulation will cut emissions by installation of diesel soot filters and encourage the replacement of older, dirtier engines with newer emission controlled models. There is an estimated 180,000 pieces of diesel equipment now in use across California. The CARB estimates that by 2020, diesel particulate matter from construction equipment will be reduced by 74 percent and smog forming oxides of nitrogen by 32 percent, compared to what emissions would be without the regulation.
Many construction workers are exposed to a wide variety of contaminants from asbestos and chemicals used in building materials to diesel particulates. The CARB action will reduce one of those risks. The CARB estimates that over its course, the new diesel emissions rule will prevent at least 4,000 premature deaths statewide and avoid between $18 billion and $26 billion in premature death and health costs. This will reduce a major expense for union health trust funds.
The CARB's new rule is a victory not only for construction workers, but for every Californian, because we all deserve to breathe cleaner air.