New Analysis Shows Death, Disease Toll From Overdue EPA Emissions Standards for Diesel...

New Analysis Shows Death, Disease Toll From Overdue EPA Emissions Standards
for Diesel Trains and Ships

Environmental Defense Urges EPA to Immediately Finalize Clean Air Standards

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new technical analysis shows
that even a one year delay by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in
implementing overdue emission standards for diesel trains and ships will allow
serious health effects to go unaddressed over the course of EPA's program. The
adverse health consequences include: 1400 premature deaths, 3000 heart
attacks, and 24,000 asthma attacks. The technical analysis by the national
nonprofit group Environmental Defense is based on EPA's own data and
methodologies, and is summarized in a one page fact sheet available from
jscott@ed.org or scrowley@ed.org .

In 2004, EPA announced plans to put in place new standards for the nation's
fleet of diesel locomotives and ships by mid-2006, but missed the deadline. In
March 2007, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson issued draft federal standards
that would reduce particulate pollution and smog-forming nitrogen oxides from
each engine by 80 percent or greater when fully phased in. Collectively, this
pollution reduction is equivalent to taking three-quarters of a million diesel
trucks off the road each year. At the time the draft standards were released,
Administrator Johnson said the agency would "finalize [the proposed rule] by
the end of the year [i.e., 2007]," but EPA has now missed this deadline.

"EPA's delay in adopting clean air standards for diesel trains and ships has
serious human health consequences in the real world and will allow thousands
of deaths, heart attacks and asthma attacks to go unaddressed," said
Environmental Defense staff attorney Janea Scott. "We urge EPA to fulfill its
commitments to the American people by immediately adopting protective clean
air standards for high-polluting diesel trains and ships."

Most of the ships and trains in the U.S. today are powered by diesel engines.
Diesel trains and ships, such as ferries and tugboats, are major sources of
air pollution. Diesel exhaust contains toxic chemicals that together with
diesel particulate matter pose a cancer risk greater than that of any other
air pollutant. Each year, diesel locomotives and commercial ships together
emit nearly two million tons of smog-forming oxides of nitrogen. Both are
major sources of lethal particulate pollution.

Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents
more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense has linked
science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create
breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems.
www.environmentaldefense.org

Contacts:

Janea Scott, 213-386-5501 ext 102, jscott@environmentaldefense.org

Sean Crowley, 202-572-3331, scrowley@environmentaldefense.org

SOURCE Environmental Defense

Janea Scott, +1-213-386-5501 ext 102, jscott@environmentaldefense.org, or Sean
Crowley, +1-202-572-3331, scrowley@environmentaldefense.org, both of
Environmental Defense