May 15, 2007—Oregon House Passes Clean Diesel Legislation Unanimously
Visionary leadership promotes the health of Oregon kids, reduces the high health and environmental costs of diesel pollution
PORTLAND, Ore.—May 15, 2007—The Oregon House of Representatives today approved House Bill 2172 B, by a unanimous vote, sending the bill to the Oregon Senate for consideration. The bill provides incentives for replacing and retrofitting diesel engines in Oregon's school buses, trucks, construction equipment and farm vehicles – as well as helping Oregon schools update outdated school buses with cleaner burning engines to improve the health of Oregon kids.
“Whether powering a school bus, a bulldozer, or a big rig, Oregonians use diesel engines every day,” said Andrea Durbin, Executive Director of the Oregon Environmental Council. “But not all diesel engines are up to snuff when it comes to our health. Oregon's children and workers are paying the price.”
The Clean Diesel bill will provide grants, loans and tax credits to retrofit, rebuild or replace older diesel engines, and to reduce diesel idling. The incentives will be available to all private and public entities that operate diesel engines. HB 2172 will also improve the ability of all Oregon school districts to compete for federal and private grants to clean up school buses by allowing school districts to leverage the State School Fund as a match for the grants.
Exposure to diesel exhaust is widespread in Oregon, with diesel particulate matter exceeding health benchmarks in 25 counties. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality calculates that the public health and environmental impacts of diesel pollution cost Oregonians nearly $2 billion a year. Examples of these costs include rising health insurance costs, costs to employers and costs to taxpayers associated with respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations, lost work days and premature deaths triggered by diesel pollution.
“The Clean Diesel Initiative takes aim at reducing the high costs of diesel pollution and improving the overall health of Oregonians,” Durbin said. “Putting cleaner diesel engines on the road will help protect children from asthma and cut down on the number of lost school and work days.”
School buses are among the dirtiest vehicles on Oregon's roads. Many were manufactured before 1992 and produce far more pollution than newer models. Exposure to diesel exhaust from school buses increases the chances of asthma and other illness among children, who breathe more air pound-for-pound of body weight than adults. According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 347,000 Oregonians currently have asthma, about 73,000 of which are children under the age of 18. Washington State recently estimated the direct and indirect costs of childhood asthma triggered by environmental contaminants at nearly $50 million each year.
HB 2172 is endorsed by a variety of stakeholders, including the Oregon Trucking Association, Associated General Contractors, the American Lung Association and the Oregon Environmental Council.
About the Oregon Environmental Council
The Oregon Environmental Council safeguards what Oregonians love about Oregon – clean air and water, an unpolluted landscape and healthy food produced by local farmers. For nearly 40 years we’ve been a champion for solutions that protect the health of every Oregonian and the health of the place we call home. Our vision for Oregon includes solving global warming, protecting kids from toxins, cleaning up our rivers, building sustainable economies, and ensuring healthy food and local farms.
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