Sander Kushen, sander.kushen@sierraclub.org
Emily Murray, emily.murray@sunstonestrategies.org
LOS ANGELES – The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) voted unanimously today to adopt a Railyard Indirect Source Rule (ISR), a measure aimed at reducing harmful pollution from trains, trucks, cargo handling equipment, transport refrigeration units and railyards in Southern California. The vote delivers a major victory for clean air advocates.
The rule, which has been in development for three years, will apply to all new and existing railyards in the South Coast Air Basin. It requires NOx emission reductions for each railyard and mandates that operators share zero-emission infrastructure plans with SCAQMD, helping to chart a path for wide-scale zero-emissions infrastructure buildout. The ISR, in conjunction with other state regulations, is projected to reduce NOx emissions by over 9 tons per day between 2025 and 2050 and prevent around 275 premature deaths annually.
“The IE and especially San Bernardino’s West Side have seen the deadly impacts of unchecked rail for decades. We’ve lost neighbors to cancer and see children battling with asthma daily,” said MaCarmen Gonzalez, organizer with the People’s Collective for Environmental Justice. It’s not fair our community is paying the cost for the industry. We will not be sacrificed any longer.”
The SCAQMD is responsible for improving air quality across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties—areas that have failed to meet federal air quality standards for decades. The region has some of the nation’s worst smog, largely driven by emissions tied to railyards and the transportation sector at-large.
“This ruling secures vital health protections for over 17 million Californians breathing dirty air, and represents the culmination of years of tireless organizing by Sierra Club and our environmental justice partners,” said Yassi Kavezade, Senior Campaign Advisor with the Sierra Club. “Railyard operators can no longer pollute with impunity, poisoning our most vulnerable communities.”
“I applaud the air district for taking this vital step to curb railyard’s deadly emissions,” said Yasmine Agelidis, Senior Attorney at Earthjustice. “This first-ever regulation will require railyards to clean up their operations and ensure they take actions toward a zero-emissions charging future. We will continue working with the air district to ensure that this rule provides long-overdue and meaningful relief for the communities living near SoCal’s massive and busy railyards.”
“We’re grateful to see the South Coast Air District enacting historic regulation for rail yards that will reduce the harmful effects of goods movement pollution on frontline communities,” said Cristhian Tapia-Delgado, Climate Campaigner for Southern California with Pacific Environment. “For decades, the fossil-fueled locomotives, trains and ships that traverse through our communities have contributed to the South Coast air basin being in extreme nonattainment for safe air quality levels set by the federal government. The SCAQMD’s ISR will have the co-benefit of reducing planet-heading greenhouse gas emissions from heavily polluting rail yards, and we’re optimistic that the district will carry this momentum into the Ports ISR when it is scheduled to be voted on later this year.”
“Today the South Coast Air Quality Management District adopted a rule that will reduce rail pollution and save lives,” said Alison Hahm, Staff Attorney with Natural Resources Defense Council’s Environment, Equity, and Justice Center. “I am grateful to AQMD Staff and Governing Board Members for prioritizing community health and safety by passing this life-saving regulation. Next is the Port ISR. It is past time to act.”
The Railyard ISR builds on the momentum and success of the 2021 Warehouse ISR that aims to reduce dangerous emissions from warehouses. Advocates are continuing to call for a strong Port ISR before the end of the year to address the network of harm that freight facilities create for nearby communities. They emphasize the importance of comprehensive action to build a cleaner goods movement system.
Environmental Justice groups, while celebrating this significant step, note that there's also room for future improvements to the new Rail ISR. These could include stricter emission reduction targets and expanded incentives for zero-emission infrastructure, further benefiting the health and safety of nearby communities.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.