Impact on Air Quality- Citizens are concerned that the LIRR is often reluctant to reveal what dangerous freight cargo is being transported on the main line and what is being sprayed on tracks to retard vegetation growth. It has been alleged that Agent Orange has been used in the past. Residents are very concerned about quality of life issues related to the additional pollution.

Former Metro-North President Donald Nelson was hired in July 2007 to complete a comprehensive six-month review of the LIRR. In October 2007 he issued a three-month report, which concluded among other things that the 45 diesel engines break down far too frequently and need to be replaced. More importantly, they should be replaced because diesel fumes are toxic to humans. They constitute a serious health hazard and should be eliminated. With mounting evidence that diesel exhaust poses serious major health hazards - reducing diesel pollution has become a public priority. The LIRR should immediately prioritize the elimination of their entire diesel fleet. The trade-off between efficiency and clean air is unnecessary, unwise and potentially deadly.

Diesel emissions along with what spews off the open freight railcars help to make Nassau County among the lowest rated counties in the entire county when it comes to the quality of air pollution. What a poor commentary on one the most affluent areas of the country!

Diesel engines emit large quantities of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), the latter a precursor to particulates and smog. Collectively, diesel-powered vehicles account for nearly half of all nitrogen oxides and more than two-thirds of all particulates from US transportation.

Particulates irritate the eyes and nose and aggravate respiratory problems, including asthma, which afflicts 13 million Americans. Very small particles, called fine particulates, have also been directly associated with an increased risk of premature death. One recent landmark study found that the risk of premature death in areas with high levels of fine particulates was 26% percent greater than in areas with lower levels. Researchers estimate that, nationwide, tens of thousands of people die prematurely each year as a result of particulate pollution. Diesel engines contribute to the problem by releasing particulates directly into the air and by emitting nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, which transform into “secondary” particulates in the atmosphere.

Diesel - related emissions of nitrogen oxides also contribute to ozone, the major ingredient in smog that is engulfing major cities. High up in the stratosphere, ozone shields the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. But at ground level, ozone—formed when nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbon emissions combine in the presence of sunlight—irritates the respiratory system, causing coughing, choking, and reduced lung capacity. Urban ozone pollution has been linked to increased hospital admissions for respiratory problems such as asthma, even at levels below the current standard. Ozone presents hazards for healthy adults as well: one study of nonsmoking adults in the ozone-heavy Los Angeles area found that their breathing capacity was reduced as much as that of a pack- a- day smokers. 

In addition to contributing to mainstream air pollution problems, public health agencies consider diesel exhaust a potential human carcinogen. Exposure to high levels of diesel exhaust causes lung tumors in rats, and studies of humans routinely exposed to diesel fumes indicates a greater risk of lung cancer. For example, occupational health studies of railroad, dock, trucking, and bus garage workers exposed to high levels of diesel exhaust over many years consistently demonstrate a 20 to 50 percent increase in the risk of lung cancer or mortality. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies diesel exhaust as a probable human carcinogen, and the US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the same classification. (The California EPA estimates that 450 out of every million Californians are at risk of developing cancer due to diesel exhaust exposure.)