West Oakland Study
This page last reviewed July 8, 2009

The
Air Resources Board (ARB), in cooperation with the Bay Area Air Quality
Management District, has conducted a modeling study to estimate the
health risks from diesel exhaust in West Oakland. The Port of Oakland
and the Union Pacific Railroad provided information on their local
marine and rail operations for this risk assessment. This website
describes the study as well as provides information on related
community meetings and documents for public review.

ARB
has adopted goals to reduce the health risk from goods movement. These
include: a return to 2001 emission levels or below statewide by 2010,
an 85% reduction statewide in the health risk from diesel particulate
matter (PM) from all goods movement sources by 2020, and to reduce
localized risk in communities adjacent to goods movement facilities as
expeditiously as possible. To achieve these and other goals, ARB is
developing statewide regulations and other mechanisms to reduce
emissions. Please see the
ARB Emission Reduction Plan for
Ports and Goods
Movement in California
(April
2006) and the
Board resolution
adopting the Plan for details.
Risk
Assessment Basics
- The West Oakland Community risk assessment estimates the lifetime cancer risk and other health impacts from diesel PM in 2005 using computer models to estimate the concentration of diesel PM in the West Oakland Community
- The West Oakland Community risk assessment does not measure the amount of diesel PM in the air or gather/use health data on local residents
Key Areas to West Oakland Study
- Maritime Port of Oakland operations, at sea and on land (including on-site BNSF railyard)
- Union Pacific Oakland Railyard operations
- Adjacent
West Oakland (landside roughly enclosed by I-580, I-980, I-880, and the
Harbor Channel, plus non-port marine operations in SF Bay out to Golden
Gate Bridge)
- West Oakland Map
Emission Sources
- Diesel trucks and buses
- Locomotives (cargo and passenger trains)
- Ships (cargo and cruise)
- Harbor craft (like tugs, ferries, fishing vessels)
- Diesel equipment at Port and railyards
- Other significant sources of diesel PM
Additional Information and Available Documents |
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For questions, please contact Greg Harris, ARB, at (916) 327-5980