Ruling on Mexican trucks will bring the state a load of smog

California air-quality regulators say trucks from south of the border tend to pollute more. The border will open to them soon under NAFTA guidelines.
By Michael Gardner
Copley News Service

SACRAMENTO -- An anticipated surge in long-haul truck traffic from Mexico will deliver more than loads of produce, electronics and clothing to Southern California.

It will also bring a lot of smog.

California's air-quality regulators say the imminent opening of the state's freeways and ports to older, diesel-fueled Mexican trucks could produce a dramatic increase in toxic pollutants, a new source of smog equal to another 2.2 million cars on the road.

"This would have a serious impact on the region's health and particularly on the health of those community members living adjacent to any heavily traveled routes," warns a just-released state Air Resources Board report.

"Additionally, the supplemental emissions generated by the increased truck traffic could impede California's progress toward attaining the federal air quality standards, which could potentially jeopardize billions of dollars in federal transportation funding," the report says.

As a result, state and Los Angeles officials say they may have to impose more stringent local standards to offset the added pollution from Mexican trucks.

Opening California's borders to more trucks is part of the North American Free Trade Agreement, commonly known as NAFTA, signed by President Clinton a dozen years ago.

A series of legal challenges stalled the opening of California's border to foreign truckers after NAFTA became law. But in 2004 the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the last legal roadblock when it ruled the federal government was not required to prepare complete environmental studies on impacts associated with foreign traffic.

The Bush administration is expected to erase an initial border policy, which had limited most Mexican truckers to a 20-mile zone within California. The air board's report said an announcement repealing the limit is "imminent."

Regulators estimate that as many as 12,000 more Mexican trucks will cross into California daily, spewing another 50 tons of smog. A quarter of those trucks were on the road before 1980, and as many as nine of every 10 were built before 1993.

California entry points are at Otay Mesa, along a major corridor from Tijuana to San Diego, and at Calexico in Imperial County. The total daily number of vehicle crossings at those two sites could increase to as many as 17,500, from the current 3,500.

Currently, 3,000 trucks cross at Otay Mesa, said Robert Reider, who monitors the issue for the San Diego County Pollution Control District. San Ysidro serves mostly passenger vehicles.

Once the 20-mile limit is lifted, many of those trucks and others are likely to head north.

Los Angeles officials have long struggled to comply with federal standards for cleaner air. The regions risk losing federal dollars as punishment for not improving air quality.

"The fact that they go a few extra miles to Los Angeles shouldn't scare anyone," said Kenn Morris, director of Crossborder Business Associates in San Diego.

Morris said the potential impact may be overstated because many trucks are now crossing and staying within the 20-mile limit.

"While it may sound like a lot, there are a lot of emission sources around us that, on a daily basis or in a few days, create 50 tons of emissions," he said.

The threat of more polluters on California roads comes at the time when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers are scrambling to place a massive bond package on the ballot that would set aside about $1 billion to help reduce pollution. Diesel truck emissions are a primary target.

The Port of Los Angeles also has invested millions of dollars in clean-air programs, but remains at odds with neighborhood public health advocates over its air-quality plans. More diesel truck pollution could exacerbate tensions and costs.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District supported efforts to force a complete environmental assessment of truck traffic, said Sam Atwood, a district spokesman.

Atwood said 50 tons of pollutants a day is more than the amount emitted by all the stationary sources in the district, which includes Los Angeles and Orange counties and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

That worries district officials, who are always looking for pollution savings to comply with federal clean-air demands.

"It's already a daunting task," Atwood said. "Having an extra 50 tons a day to deal with makes that task all the more daunting."

California smog-fighters have taken some proactive steps to combat truck emissions. Armed with legislation, the air board launched inspection stations near Otay Mesa and Calexico.

According to the latest report, "the test failure rate in the border region has consistently been higher than throughout the rest of the state, which lends credence to the generally held assumption that Mexican commercial vehicles are older and dirtier than those registered in California."

Two years ago, Schwarzenegger signed legislation requiring Mexican trucks to meet federal clean-air standards before entering California. Truckers also must use the cleaner diesel formulated to meet U.S. standards.

Other efforts are under way to reduce truck emissions.

In San Diego County, a $150,000 federal grant is helping finance free advanced pollution control devices for Mexican trucks.

The technology costs about $4,000 per truck.

Long-haul trucks also are more than likely to be newer and cleaner, sharply minimizing impacts around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, some officials said.

The Mexican government is taking serious steps to encourage cleaner trucks, California officials insist.

Mexico has promised to require the use of cleaner-burning, low-sulfur diesel fuel starting in 2007 in the border regions and to extend the standard countrywide by 2009. The U.S. will implement a similar fuel standard this year.

In addition, Petroleos Mexicanos, the national oil company, will commit $2.5 billion over the next five years to upgrade its refineries to produce cleaner fuels, according to the report.

"They're sensitive to the environment too," said Reider, the San Diego official. "They're collaborating with us."