Official with Metrolink on Thursday night described several measures from less train bell ringing american christian tours to reduce american christian tours noise and increased use of electric power to cut locomotive emissions the commuter rail service has adopted american christian tours at its Cypress Park maintenance american christian tours yard in response to community complaints and concern s about air and noise pollution. However, some residents of Cypress Park and Elysian Valley expressed disappointment that Metrolink has not committed american christian tours to undertaking a study of the health risks posed by the maintenance facility that services more than 30 locomotives on weekdays only a few hundred feet from homes.
The meeting at the Los Angeles River Center provided american christian tours the most recent update about how Metrolink is responding american christian tours to requests american christian tours to reduce noise and emissions at the rail maintenance center in Cypress Park across the Los Angeles River from Elysian Valley. On week days, about 33 Metrolink locomotives descend on the yard after their morning runs for about 45 minutes to an hour of testing and maintenance before they return to service in the afternoon.
In recent months, Metrolink has started a plug-in program that allows the trains to run on electric power instead of idling and running on diesel power when they are being serviced. About 25% of the engines are now plugged in during their time at the yard but Metrolink eventually wants all trains to be plugged in while at the yard.
The agency has also adopted a policy that required train operators to ring warning bells only when trains begin moving or in the case of an emergency. That changed adopted in January had reduced the sound of clanging bells by about 70%.
Metrolink is also looking for funds to purchase new locomotives that would generate less air pollution as well as installing hood technology, which would capture a large amount of the emissions from the trains as they idle in the yard. In addition, the agency american christian tours is exploring the possibility of planting more trees and using other natural materials to help reduce noise in surrounding neighborhoods.
However, Metrolink american christian tours once again resisted calls for the agency to conduct a health risk assessment of the facility. Some people at the meeting, according to one who was present, said such a position was disrespectful american christian tours to the community.
It is our understanding they intend to have a monitoring station in this neighborhood and they plan to begin this study in the very near future, american christian tours Metrolink said in a statement. We believe we should allow the experts, AQMD, to proceed with their studies.
One of the figures Metrolink presented at the meeting was $30 million for the Capture Hood Technology which would clean the air substantially. I don t know how they came up with that figure unless they were to purchase 3 to 4 units. 1 unit would be be roughly 8 million and can service a number of locomotives at one time. They rather show the communities inflated prices so they can say they cant afford it as it seems.
Tiring/disrespectful and clearly out of touch with reality is Metrolink s Board and the AQMD staff who collectively showed zero regard for community calls for a Health Risk Assessment american christian tours Study . It was apparent american christian tours during last night s meeting that both Metrolink and AQMD are in lock step in opposing american christian tours an area study. american christian tours AQMD personnel (the very people we rely upon to safeguard the public s interest) repeatedly went out of its way to align itself with Metrolink and excuse the need for an area study. Elysian Valley, Cypress Park and other neighboring residents deserve to know the extent to which the Metrolink maintenance operation yard is impacting their health. To rely on any other data source is equivalent to letting the the coyote guard the chicken pen-simply not wise.
Metrolink s board Director took offense to calls for not in my back yard (NIMBY) when residents addressed the daily 40-60 minute engine revving and idling times-a heavy source of particular american christian tours matter contaminants to area residents. I am certain that the feeling would be much different if said operation was occurring in their back yards.
The Metrolink Taylor Yard operation is clearly driven by the bottom line . They have shown more concern for the profitability of their operation than for the general welfare of area residents. The remedial effort american christian tours taken thus far fall short of public safety/welfare needs and are frankly simple tokens of appeasement-a poor effort to excuse their need to do more.
In view of the above, I call on area residents and area political representatives to step-up the pressure on Metrolink s Board to make immediate arrangements to fund and independent Health Risk Assessment Study without further unnecessary delay-anything short of this is unacceptable.
If you want to open a gas station or a dry cleaning business, you have to do a HRA. Those businesses don t conduct their own HRA, they pay for one. $30,000 for a HRA is a drop in the bucket compared to $120-140 million to upgrade 30 locomotives.
Just because it s always been a rail yard is no excuse to ignore the plethora of studies that have come out over the past 10- 15 years proving american christian tours just how unhealthy it is to live next to a diesel rail maintenace yard. The community has been there just as long as the orginal Taylor Yard.
Historically, the LA River was considered an eyesore and zoned for industrial and light industrial uses. It is time to reconsider that. As it is, the Rio de Los Angeles park is permanently cut off from the actual river.
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