California State Senator Dave Cortese Introduced Legislation To Stop California From Exporting Dirty Pollution

SACRAMENTO – California State Senator Dave Cortese (D-Silicon Valley), who serves as the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, has introduced Senate Bill 30 prohibiting the resale, donation, or transfer of decommissioned diesel locomotives for continued use.

Cortese authored the bill after Caltrain made the decision to donate 19 decomissioned diesel locomotives and 90 passenger cars to the developing country of Peru after Caltrain electrified the system between San Jose and San Francisco. One of the main points of the rail electrification was to reduce diesel emissions in the San Jose to San Francisco corridor by 96 percent.

“After asking California residents to pay their tax dollars to reduce global greenhouse gasses, we should not then turn around and export that dirty pollution south to a developing country like Peru,” said California State Senator Dave Cortese.

Cortese said diesel fuel is diesel fuel regardless of where you live and the emissions are harmful to people and the environment. The exhaust contains over 40 substances known to cause cancer. It has also been attributed to an increase in hospital emissions for heart disease and respiratory illness.

“We are all fighting to decarbonize the same air,” said Senator Cortese.

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