Stop Diesel Idling

The Diesel Idling Deterrence: Signage, Enforcement, and Education project in Los Angeles City Council District 6 (CD6) represents a targeted effort to combat air pollution from truck idling in disadvantaged San Fernando Valley communities. 

Led by California Safe Schools (CSS), the initiative seeks to install "No Idling" signs at 80 strategic locations within 100 feet of sensitive receptors—such as schools, daycares, homes, and senior residences—while incorporating educational campaigns to encourage community awareness and driver compliance. This approach addresses the disproportionate diesel particulate matter (DPM) exposure in neighborhoods like Sun Valley, Panorama City, and Van Nuys, where industrial warehouses and truck routes exacerbate health risks including asthma, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, particularly among children and the elderly.

Building on California’s statewide 5-minute idling restriction for heavy-duty diesel vehicles (Title 13, California Code of Regulations, Section 2485) and the California Air Resources Board’s Airborne Toxic Control Measure to Limit Diesel Vehicle Idling, which prohibits unnecessary idling and requires engines to be shut off when not in use, the project aligns with broader environmental justice goals under Assembly Bill 617 (AB 617), which mandates community emissions reduction programs in high-burden areas. CD6, covering approximately 30 square miles with a population facing 21st-percentile scores in the Healthy Places Index for clean environments, ranks high in CalEnviroScreen 4.0 pollution burdens, with Sun Valley tracts often exceeding the 90th percentile for DPM due to proximity to I-5, recycling facilities, and distribution centers.

References underscore the need for visual reminders like signs, which studies indicate can reduce idling behavior by 20-50% when paired with enforcement, drawing from analogous initiatives in Wilmington and East LA under SCAQMD's AB 617 steering committees.

Site selection for the 80 signs prioritizes hotspots identified through community input, GIS overlays of truck routes (e.g., Van Nuys Blvd, San Fernando Road) and receptor directories, ensuring placements at warehouse entrances and loading docks within 100 feet of vulnerable sites. For instance, Panorama High School abuts loading docks at The Plant warehouse (<50 feet), while Sun Valley schools like Roscoe Elementary border arterial routes with documented 10-15 minute idling durations. 

Health impacts are well-documented: idling emits pollutants equivalent to driving 30 miles per hour, wasting 0.5-1 gallon of fuel and contributing to smog and climate change, with economic burdens like elevated healthcare costs in low-income areas. 

References from public health reports highlight increased respiratory hospital visits in CD6, supporting the project's focus on seven high-impact schools for participation in outreach and sign installation. 

Regulatory references, including CARB's heavy-duty vehicle idling information and local council files like CF 19-0454, provide enforcement frameworks, with 2025 updates such as AB 735 mandating 500-foot buffers for new warehouses.

Founded in 1998, California Safe Schools (CSS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children’s health and the environment by promoting safer school environments, advancing environmental justice, and eliminating toxic exposures in schools and communities. CSS’s groundbreaking policies and advocacy have shaped statewide and national reforms that continue to protect millions. 

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