On Oct. 2, in honor of California Clean Air Day and with the goal of reducing air pollution statewide, BREATHE California of Los Angeles County announced a new campaign that calls to end the use of diesel fuel across California in vehicles and equipment and focuses on eliminating diesel particulate matter pollution.

The main objective of the End Diesel Now campaign is to ban diesel fuel in order to eliminate diesel particulate matter in California, a leading cause of polluted air throughout the state. Diesel exhaust is a major source of air pollution, with more than 40 substances listed as hazardous air pollutants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board. BREATHE LA is advocating for an end to diesel to enable Californians to breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives, particularly residents living near ports, rail yards and freeways who are affected the most by the impact of diesel pollution.

“Diesel-fueled trucks are responsible for almost one third of California’s annual emissions of nitrogen oxide emissions, a key ingredient in smog. The same trucks emit more particulate matter pollution than all the state’s powerplants combined, and this needs to stop,” said Marc Carrel, president and CEO of BREATHE California of Los Angeles County. “Local residents exposed to diesel exhaust who live near ports and freeways are affected even greater, especially children, who are five times more likely than other children to have underdeveloped lungs.”

BREATHE LA’s advocacy efforts for the End Diesel Now campaign are focused on reaching public officials, regulators and policymakers. The campaign website at enddieselnow.org helps educate and inform California residents on how diesel affects public health and air quality and explains how a ban would yield positive outcomes for our local environment.

“California residents have the right to breathe cleaner air, and we owe it to future generations to solve the pollution problem caused by diesel now, before it escalates any further,” Carrel said.

For information, visit breathela.org.