NY Cracks Down on Urban Truck and Bus Pollution

[porttalk]

NY Cracks Down on Urban Truck and Bus Pollution

11/7/2008

By MARY ESCH
The Associated Press


ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York is launching a statewide program to crack down on truckers and bus drivers who violate laws intended to reduce health problems from diesel fumes.

"Protecting the environment isn't just about lakes, rivers, mountains and wilderness," Gene Kelly, Region 4 director of the Department of Environmental Conservation, said Friday. "It's about safeguarding our urban communities as well. That's what our 'Stop Smoking' initiative for trucks is all about."

Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis said the effort is based on a successful pilot program last year in East Harlem, a neighborhood with heavy truck traffic and hospitalization rates for asthma four times the national average.

There, DEC officers pulled over 363 diesel trucks to test exhaust emissions and issued 163 tickets for state air quality violations. They also ticketed 10 drivers for breaking the city's 3-minute limit on idling.

Based on that 2007 action, officials estimate nearly 20 percent of trucks traveling through East Harlem daily don't meet clean air regulations. A similar operation a week ago had similar results.

On Friday, DEC officers were doing spot checks of trucks in Albany's South End neighborhood, where a steady stream of tractor-trailers and tanker trucks rumbled past low-income public housing near interstate highways, railroad tracks and the Port of Albany.

Trucks with excessive levels of soot in their exhaust were issued tickets, which carry a fine of $700 for a first violation and $1,300 for each subsequent violation. Fines can be reduced to as low as $150 if the driver quickly corrects the problem that caused the smoky exhaust and has the truck pass a new inspection, Kelly said.

"Across the state, neighborhoods that are disproportionately affected by pollution, also known as 'environmental justice neighborhoods,' are suffering from smoking and idling trucks and buses," Kelly said.

Under the new initiative, DEC will carry out regular, unannounced checks in hot spots across the state where heavy truck traffic enters or exits a neighborhood or in places where diesel trucks and buses gather, Kelly said.

Lisa Garcia, DEC's chief advocate for environmental justice and equity, said studies have found a link between the fine particles in diesel exhaust and asthma, lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses. In addition, the asthma rates among residents of poor urban neighborhoods near heavy industrial sites are higher than the national average, she said.

"The reason we're focusing on environmental justice areas is that they're definitely overburdened with more polluting facilities and more truck traffic," Garcia said.

Asthma, one of the nation's fastest growing chronic diseases, affects more than 20 million people, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In some low-income neighborhoods, hospitalization rates for asthma can reach more than five times the national average.

[petedabroker]

I love statistics, they just seem to lie at every turn.
"5 times the National average"
"20 Million suffer from Asama"
Next it will be cat scratch fever on rise, keep an eye out for any stray girl thingys in the area.
Here is my new counter point to pollution

Headlines: MORE POLLUTION NEEDED TO COUNTER GLOBAL WARMING!!!!!!! GET SMOKING

It has been reported by the splinter group to the National Coalition for Dirty Air, called Pollution Mustaches For America.
We at pollution mustaches support dirty, thick , and toxic air.
After all America was built upon those values. Just look at any picture of any American city from 1910 to 1970, all were hazed over. It is estimated that pollution makes lungs work harder, triggers uncontrollable coughing, and mucus membrane's expend 25% more moisture from the lungs. Without that mucus, lungs would become dormant, and stop working. We would be forced to sell balloons filled with oxygen. Our streets would become infested with these dealers of balloon fixes. They would enter our schools and start selling to our children. Life as we know it would end.

The National Association of Dirty Air, estimates that without pollution , global warming would increase 86.867365959% over the next three minutes. Temperatures would rise in the United States alone over 700 degrees in one hour. All citizens would fry or become lamp post. Fish would fry in our lakes and rivers. Yes, we could expect to eat very well for the first day, but after that only God knows. All commerce would cease to exist, sort of like what is now happening. Businesses would close their doors and the only business left would be personal air conditions, mounted on the backs of each and every American. Its a catastrophe waiting to happen. Keep pollution high or suffer its consequences.
Next report will explain in detail how the hot air in Washington actually benefits each of us. Until next week, air pollution is where its at. Peace and Love to everyone.

[petedabroker]

I was talking about kitty cats, (P.U.S.S.I.E.S.) , not girly things. I hate being sensored

[petedabroker]

I can see the cops counting excessive pollution from the exhaust of trucks. Here is a typical conversation between , one cop to the other.
NO, I counted well over 16 parts per billion of sulfur.
Your wrong, it was 15.765% per billion. That other element was a stray f.a.r.t., , must of escaped when the driver opened the door to his rig.
Ok, lets just fine him, $13.00 because we cannot confirm that f.a.r.t. element. Sounds good to me.

[petedabroker]

Sorry Asthma should of been the spelling on the first of my post. I got too quick on typing and the pollution was too thick to see the word was spelled wrongly.

[Frog]

Wonder why they just don't ban us nasty soot spewing owner/operators like those dummies in LA ;D ;D

[porttalk]

Here is the real issue. Why didn't the port of LA use an exhaust emissions test instead of banning owner-operator truckers or why didn't both ports of LA and Long Beach do such a testing procedure instead of a year model ban? Who influnced these critical decisions?

[largecar]

The same organization who sold us all out. Guess who.