The Valley Air District will provide $1,812,500 for a clean air project at the Port of Stockton aimed at reducing air pollution and improving public health in communities near the port. The funding provided by the Valley Air District will help pay for replacing two old locomotives with the newer Tier 4 engines that are 90 percent cleaner and will reduce 218 tons of emissions. The Valley Air District was also able to secure an additional $3,067,657 from a number of partners including $392,657 from the City of Stockton’s Terminal and Eastern Tax and Metro Ports Use Tax revenues.
“Improving the health and quality of life in disadvantaged communities such as around the Port of Stockton is important to me and the Air District,” stated Stockton City Councilmember and Valley Air District Governing Board Member Christina Fugazi. “This project is a major step in our efforts throughout the Valley to improve public health through financial incentives to reduce pollution.”
“This is a common sense approach to reducing air pollution while also helping the community retain jobs and build the economy without imposing draconian regulations,” stated San Joaquin County Supervisor and Valley Air District Governing Board Member Bob Elliott.
The first project, a partnership with Omni TRAX, Inc., will replace one pre-model year 1973 non-regulated and unmodified 1963 built EMD SW1200 diesel Switch locomotive with a new Tier 4 Knoxville Locomotive Works (KLW) SE10B T4L four-axle diesel Switcher. The replacement locomotive will be a single-engine EPA Tier 4 certified and ARB verified Switcher locomotive. The new locomotive is more than 90 percent cleaner than the existing, high-polluting locomotive it is replacing. Based on past usage records, the existing Switcher’s annual fuel usage is 16,000 gallons/year. The existing Switcher is used within the Stockton Terminal and Eastern Rail Yard in Stockton and throughout 10 miles of track, eight miles of which are through residential neighborhoods within the city of Stockton and two miles through commercial and residential zoned areas. The Valley Air District is funding slightly less than 50 percent of the total cost.
The second project, a partnership with the Metropolitan Stevedore Company, will replace one non-regulated and unmodified 1984 built GE C30-7 six axle diesel line-haul locomotive with a new Tier 4 Knoxville Locomotive Works (KLW) SE24C DET4L six-axle diesel line-haul locomotive. The replacement locomotive will be a single-engine EPA Tier 4 certified and ARB verified line haul locomotive. The new locomotive is more than 90 percent cleaner than the existing, high-polluting locomotive being replaced. Based on past usage records, the existing locomotive annual fuel usage is 26,673 gallon/year. The existing GE C30-7 locomotive is used to breakdown incoming rail car trains and for unloading and exporting shipments of mineral commodities. This locomotive operates within the Port of Stockton property. The Valley Air District is funding approximately 30 percent of the total cost.
For more information about the Valley Air District, call a regional office: in Fresno, 559-230-6000; in Bakersfield, 661-392-5500; or in Modesto, 209-557-6400.
