Ditching Dirty Diesel Collaborative Anti-Idling Day of Action: Addressing air quality and the impacts of goods movement in San Francisco Bay Area communities

Background/Need: Diesel pollution from buses, trucks, trains, and other vehicles is a difficult and ongoing problem in Bay Area communities. Low income communities and communities of color, living along major thoroughfares, highways, ports and rail yards, suffer the disproportionate burden of this pollution.

Methods and Partners: In the fall of 2005 and summer of 2008, the Ditching Dirty Diesel Collaborative (DDDC) Idling Committee planned and implemented a Bay Area Anti-Idling Day of Action. Both events mobilized numerous organizations and individuals from environmental justice communities throughout the region (e.g. truckers, longshore union, public health departments, non-profits). Outreach and educational materials that highlighted California idling regulations, stressed the health and financial costs of idling, and provided information about idling enforcement were developed through local market research and distributed to truckers, school bus drivers, and the general public. Press conferences resulted in several TV, print and radio stories.

Results: Raised awareness of idling regulations, and the benefits of not idling, to promote behavior change and idling reduction among diesel vehicle drivers and to inform/educate the general public. Cultivation of relationships with agencies involved in regional and statewide air quality decisions that have led to additional joint efforts.

Conclusions and Next Steps: We have developed a proven model for community organizing and involvement as it relates to outreach and education around diesel vehicle idling. It should be possible to utilize this model to reach a variety of audiences (e.g., schools, school bus drivers, the general public) and/or apply it to different environmental justice issues.