EPA Urged to Clean Up Toxic Pollution from Diesel Ships and Trains

Environmental Defense, a leading environmental group, has urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finalize overdue new standards to reduce toxic pollution from diesel trains and ships by the end of the year. The new emission standards would apply to the nation's fleet of diesel locomotive engines, tugs, barges, ferries and recreational marine engines. The purpose of the new controls aims to reduce particulate pollution and smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) from each engine by 80-95 percent.

NOx emissions cause a wide variety of health and environmental impacts. Children, people with lung diseases such as asthma, and people who work or exercise outside are susceptible to adverse effects such as damage to lung tissue and reduction in lung fu View the rest of this article