Other Community Impacts

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Air pollution is just one of the ways that diesel pollution and the freight transport system behind it affects human health. A host of other factors either directly or indirectly impacts the health and well-being of people living near freight transport facilities and infrastructure. While seaports and airports often have direct connections to and from local highways, trucks often use local streets to bypass traffic or cut down on travel time. Many ports lack sufficient space for drivers to park their trucks, so they often must resort to parking overnight on local streets, reducing pedestrian visibility and an overall sense of safety in a community. Heavy-duty truck traffic on streets designed for passenger car use also increases the risk of collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians—not to mention the wear and tear on these roads that can damage private vehicles. And anyone who has ever heard a truck rumbling along at low speeds can attest to how loud these vehicles can be. The presence of railroad tracks, railyards, truck distribution centers, and large trucks on local streets (whether parked or moving)—and the noise from these vehicles—discourages people from taking walks in their neighborhood or visiting their local parks—both important forms of exercise that help people maintain healthy body weights.

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Unless otherwise notes, for citations for the above information, see Paying With Our Health: The Real Cost of Freight Transportation in California.
For additional information about the health effects of diesel, see http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/diesel/diesel-health.htm
and http://oehha.ca.gov/public_info/facts/dieselfacts.html.

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Health, Environmental Justice, Labor, Other Community Impacts,
The Community Speaks Out

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The impacts of diesel pollution are real, intense, and unjust. The black smoke from a diesel engine can trigger an asthma attack, contribute to cancer, and strain a community’s quality of life. Diesel pollution extracts a toll on those who work, live and play near the multitude of diesel sources. Below are quick snapshots of the different ways in which diesel pollution negatively affects our communities.

Health

The diesel trucks, trains, ships, and equipment used to move goods around the state emit numerous pollutants. Diesel exhaust is a major source of both diesel particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution. In all, diesel exhaust can contain an estimated 450 different chemicals, 40 of which are listed by the California Environmental Protection Agency as toxic air contaminants that are dangerous to health even at extremely low levels. There is no level at which these pollutants are considered safe.

Diesel exhaust is associated with a long list of health problems. These include early death (from effects on the cardiopulmonary system, lung cancer, and infant mortality), respiratory problems (including asthma and bronchitis), heart attacks, and reduced birth weight and premature birth. Of all air pollutants, diesel exhaust poses the greatest cancer risk to Californians. The South Coast Air Quality Management District estimates that 70% of all airborne cancer risk comes from breathing diesel exhaust. Each year in California, freight transport causes 2,400 people to die prematurely; 2,830 people to be admitted to the hospital; 360,000 missed workdays; and 1,100,000 missed days of school. Many studies have shown that diesel exhaust can irritate the nose, sinuses, throat, and eyes; damage the respiratory system; and potentially cause or aggravate allergies. Diesel exhaust leads to inflammation of the airways that may cause or worsen asthma and increase the frequency and severity of asthma attacks. Children are at particular risk from air pollution.

 Environmental Justice

Diesel isn’t an equal opportunity polluter: unfortunately, outdoor air pollution is higher among low income communities and communities of color due to the proximity of ports, freeways, and other polluting stationary facilities. (Pastor M, Sadd J, Morello-Frosch R. Still Toxic After All These Years: Air Quality and Environmental Justice in the San Francisco Bay Area. Santa Cruz, CA: University of California; 2007 – Paulette: I realize citations in the middle of a website our lousy. Any thoughts on how to handle them?) Diesel pollution isn’t just a public health issue; it’s a social injustice that should not stand. [NEED MORE HERE]

Labor

In addition to the people living side by side with sources of diesel pollution, another group of people faces equally high exposure. The dockworkers responsible for loading and unloading ships at port, the drivers who haul cargo from port to destination, the railroad workers on the many trains that chug along rail lines, and countless other workers often face the highest exposure to diesel exhaust and other job-related health and safety hazards. The health effects on these workers are more undercompensated expenses in the freight transport industry. CARB notes that “over 30 human epidemiological studies have investigated the potential carcinogenicity of diesel exhaust. These studies, on average, found that long-term occupational exposures to diesel exhaust were associated with a 40 percent increase in the relative risk of lung cancer.” Dockworkers, railroad workers, and truck drivers are three high-risk groups. Several studies have documented the link between railroad workers exposed to diesel exhaust on the job and lung cancer. The U.S. EPA has noted “typical” exposure levels for railroad workers can be considerably higher than the California statewide average. Several studies have found excess lifetime cancer risk for truck drivers—some as high as 10 times above what the Occupational Safety & Health Administration considers to be acceptable risk levels.

*  Other community impacts

Air pollution is just one of the ways that diesel pollution and the freight transport system behind it affects human health. A host of other factors either directly or indirectly impacts the health and well-being of people living near freight transport facilities and infrastructure. While seaports and airports often have direct connections to and from local highways, trucks often use local streets to bypass traffic or cut down on travel time. Many ports lack sufficient space for drivers to park their trucks, so they often must resort to parking overnight on local streets, reducing pedestrian visibility and an overall sense of safety in a community. Heavy-duty truck traffic on streets designed for passenger car use also increases the risk of collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians—not to mention the wear and tear on these roads that can damage private vehicles. And anyone who has ever heard a truck rumbling along at low speeds can attest to how loud these vehicles can be. The presence of railroad tracks, railyards, truck distribution centers, and large trucks on local streets (whether parked or moving)—and the noise from these vehicles—discourages people from taking walks in their neighborhood or visiting their local parks—both important forms of exercise that help people maintain healthy body weights.

Unless otherwise notes, for citations for the above information, see Paying With Our Health: The Real Cost of Freight Transportation in California (include link). For additional information about the health effects of diesel, see http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/diesel/diesel-health.htm and http://oehha.ca.gov/public_info/facts/dieselfacts.html.

Environmental Justice

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Diesel isn’t an equal opportunity polluter: unfortunately, outdoor air pollution is higher among low income communities and communities of color due to the proximity of ports, freeways, and other polluting stationary facilities. Diesel pollution isn’t just a public health issue; it’s a social injustice that should not stand. For but one of many sources of more information, download “Still Toxic After All These Years: Air Quality and Environmental Justice in the San Francisco Bay Area"

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Unless otherwise notes, for citations for the above information, see Paying With Our Health: The Real Cost of Freight Transportation in California.
For additional information about the health effects of diesel, see http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/diesel/diesel-health.htm
and http://oehha.ca.gov/public_info/facts/dieselfacts.html.

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Health, Environmental Justice, Labor, Other Community Impacts,
The Community Speaks Out