Discourse for all interested in all things air-quality related
Astounding it is how on a gallon of diesel a ton of railroad-hauled freight on average can be transported a distance of approximately 470 miles. Pretty remarkable stuff! Even more remarkable, substituting diesel with electric propulsion and the fuel-efficiency numbers for train-hauled freight (and passengers) look even better, and even more impressive still, when that … Read more
Catastrophic events like the massive wildfires burning in the western U.S. alone should not be the impetus that gets the world to pay close attention to air pollution’s presence, that and the dangers such pollution presents. Smoke from fires pouring into cities like Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle have caused skies there to … Read more
The below Aug. 28, 2020 press release is from the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board. The California Air Resources Board late yesterday [Aug. 27, 2020] approved a multi-pronged regulation that will dramatically reduce smog-forming emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks. The “Heavy-Duty Low NOx Omnibus Regulation” will require manufacturers to comply with tougher emissions … Read more
The Clean Air Car Race, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in August, had a lasting impact on the auto industry, government regulations, and the students and faculty who took part. By Mary Beth Gallagher, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, MIT MIT News The year 1970 was a milestone for efforts to combat air pollution. On April … Read more
The below Sept. 10, 2020 news release is from the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Today [Sept. 10, 2020], the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (Authority) Board of Directors unanimously approved the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the approximately 50-mile project alignment section referred to as the “Central Valley Wye” part of the … Read more
With wildfires raging in many parts of the western U.S. and with smoke from the Creek Fire in the Sierra National Forest flowing down into California’s central San Joaquin Valley darkening skies, turning sun-ups and sunsets red and impacting health including mine, I can’t help but be reminded of just how important clean air is … Read more
By the end of the year, about 70,000 route-miles of railroad track in the United States are mandated to be outfitted with a fully functioning Positive Train Control or PTC system. Both in 2015 and 2018, expressed PTC mandates for those two years were not met. Will it be the same regarding the 2020 deadline? … Read more
Stop for a moment just to think about all that goes on every day in your area, your county, your state. “Impossible,” you say? What’s at the heart of all activity, is people. Activities (plural in this case), meanwhile, run the gamut: everything from folks working, shopping and traveling to attending classes, making medical appointments … Read more
Where avoiding polluted air goes, roadway users just can’t seem to catch a break. I mean, while out on the road we’re exposed to air toxics left, right, up, down, front, back, you name it – all ways but loose it seems. Tailpipe pollution or what is more commonly referred to as exhaust. Bits and … Read more
The below Sept. 2, 2020 news release is from Yale University. Asphalt is a near-ubiquitous substance — it’s found in roads, on roofs and in driveways — but its chemical emissions rarely figure into urban air quality management plans. A new study finds that asphalt is a significant source of air pollutants in urban areas, … Read more