Rhode Island Diesel Pollution Initiative
The Rhode Island Diesel Pollution Initiative, led by ENE, the American Lung Association of Rhode Island, Clean Water Action, and Environment Rhode Island, advocates for reducing toxic diesel pollution to protect public health and reduce the threat of global warming.
Background
In July 2006, anti-idling legislation passed in Rhode Island. The legislation was ENE and its coalition partners’ first success at efforts to build public and lawmaker support for clean air policies in the state. Along with the other members of the Rhode Island Diesel Pollution Initiative (RIDPI), we drafted legislation that puts strict regulations on idling for both road and off-road vehicles. Idling diesel vehicles, such as school buses, contribute significantly to diesel pollution levels. Restricting idling helps control emissions, and is an important step toward improving air quality and citizens’ health. Rhode Island’s next priority was tackling school bus emissions. Legislation passed in June 2007 calls for retiring the state’s dirtiest buses and installing pollution control devices on the remaining fleet.
