Southern California’s air regulator announced this morning that they will no longer pursue a voluntary agreement to reduce emissions in communities near railyards.
This comes after two months of public meetings to discuss the proposal.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) met with Union Pacific and BNSF earlier this week.
Both sides initially agreed to work together to cut emissions at railyards.
Wayne Nastri, chief executive officer at AQMD, says negotiations broke down because the companies wanted the district to pay a percentage of the costs to implement conditions of the agreement.
"I advised the parties that it was unacceptable and that we will not be moving forward in those discussions," said Nastri.
Nastri says they’re now considering indirect source rule (ISRs) to regulate emissions from locomotives, yard trucks and mobile sources of pollution.
Ma Carmen Gonzales lives near the BNSF railyard in San Bernardino. She is also a community organizer with the People's Collective for Environmental Justice (PC4EJ).
She said through a Spanish interpreter that she’s content the AQMD is pursuing an indirect source rule.
"Now let's pursue a just rule for zero emissions," she said.
A Union Pacific spokesperson shared in an email that they are disappointed by the decision.
