California officials and the nation's two largest railroad companies have struck an agreement to reduce pollution from rail yards, but the pact surprised local air quality regulators and environmental activists who called it a backroom deal that would undermine tougher smog controls.
Idling locomotives and other equipment at rail yards are among the largest sources of smog in Southern California, particularly in parts of eastern Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County that have large concentrations of rail lines.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday July 20, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 43 words Type of Material: Correction
Railroad agreement -- An article in the June 25 California section on an agreement between California officials and two railroad companies to reduce air pollution from rail yards misspelled the last name of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway spokesman Steven Forsberg as Fosberg.
The California Air Resources Board said in announcing the agreement Friday that it negotiated the deal with Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads because it did not feel it had the authority to force the freight lines to make tougher changes. Because railroads cross state lines, the federal government has most of the legal authority to regulate trains.
Local air quality regulators, environmental groups and community leaders, however, said they were surprised and outraged that state officials had cut the deal, which was drawn up without public debate. The agreement provides that, if any one local regulatory agency passes stricter regulations, the railroads can walk away from requirements to clean up rail yards across the state. That effectively kills any efforts to pass stronger rules, local officials said.
The agreement, the critics noted, comes just as California lawmakers are considering far stronger legislation to reduce railroad pollution, and numerous agencies, including the Port of Los Angeles, are weighing measures to clean up rail yards.
"They cut a backroom deal with no input from the affected communities," said Barry Wallerstein, the executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the main air pollution agency for the Los Angeles region. "That's not something we would ever do."
California lawmakers on Monday are set to consider three bills to clamp down on railroad pollution, including a measure by Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) that would allow the South Coast air district to impose a pollution fee on railroad companies that would generate money to reduce emissions at rail yards, Wallerstein noted.
The air district is also considering regulations to reduce idling at rail yards. That plan could be blocked by the new agreement.
The state agreement might also threaten a much-touted plan by outgoing Mayor James K. Hahn to prevent pollution from growing at the Port of Los Angeles, Wallerstein said.
