CARB Advisory on Diesel Emergency Generators Understates Public Health Benefits of Keeping the Juice On

ARCHIVED 2003–2016 — Originally distributed via eWire press wire service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CARB Advisory on Diesel Emergency Generators Understates Public Health Benefits of Keeping the Juice On DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, WASHINGTON, Apr. 4 -/E-Wire/-- In a strongly worded letter to the California Air Resources Board, the Diesel Technology Forum today charged the Board with the "use of unsubstantiated data" on the health effects from the emissions of sporadically-used emergency diesel generators. Forum Executive Director Allen Schaeffer warned that by doing so, "CARB blows out of proportion the risks from the very machines whose primary purpose is often the protection of public health and assurance of public safety." "What we need is a reasonable policy from the state that recognizes public health and safety benefits from a more liberalized short-term use of these generators, not restricts their use in time of need," said Schaeffer. "It's a real case of tunnel vision to be worried about a few hours of air emissions when real lives are at stake and businesses are at risk," added Schaeffer. "This is not the time to try to impose more stringent limits on emergency generators," said Schaeffer. "Many of the regional air districts already limit emergency diesel generator use to 200 hours per year, or about eight days. Projections of summer blackouts far exceed that number." Both federal and state laws require emergency generators to protect public health and safety. Some specifically stipulate that these generators must reach full power within ten seconds of a power failure. Only diesel generators meet that criteria and are powerful enough to keep the electricity flowing in hospitals, nursing homes, drinking water and sewage systems, and to provide continuous fire and police services as well as building safety in the form of working elevators, sprinkler systems, and other emergency equipment. In an advisory letter to the 35 regional air districts, the Air Resources Board acknowledges the importance of diesel emergency power during blackouts, but includes an attachment that suggests that the benefit might not be worth the resulting air pollution risks. The risk estimates used by CARB, however, are not substantiated and are contrary to other published data. For example, CARB asserts that the increased use of diesel generator sets increases the risk of cancer in nearby neighborhoods by 50%. It neglects to acknowledge, however, that other sources, such as the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, states only 1% of lung cancer comes from all air pollution. In addition, while no study shows that exposure to diesel exhaust at current ambient air levels is associated with lung cancer, CARB suggests otherwise. Both the US EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and the principal author of the health study upon which the CARB risk estimate was based, have declared that study to be invalid for calculating risk in the manner used by CARB. "By restating these controversial risk factors, CARB mischaracterizes the risks and unnecessarily scares people from using their one sure source of emergency power," said Schaeffer. CARB has also misconstrued the regulatory status of diesel generators, by erroneously stating (or implying) that … emissions from these units are "unregulated." These generators are regulated. CARB has also included out-of-date information about diesel power generation systems by excluding reference to EP