Railyard Health Risk Assessments and Mitigation Measures

This page last reviewed April 08, 2013

Between 2000-2004, the ARB worked with UP to prepare a health risk assessment for the UP Roseville Railyard.  The UP Roseville Railyard is considered the largest classification (i.e., putting trains together) yard in the west.  The UP Roseville Railyard health risk assessment served as an important catalyst and basis for the development of the 2005 Statewide Railyard Agreement.

As required by the 2005 Statewide Railyard Agreement, UP and BNSF prepared emission inventories and air dispersion modeling results for 17 major railyards in California.  ARB staff reviewed and approved the inventories and modeling results and used this information to prepare health risk assessments for the 17 major railyards between 2007 and 2009.  Based on the health risk assessments, UP and BNSF prepared draft mitigation plans to identify measures that would reduce the 17 major designated railyards diesel PM emissions from 2005-2020.

To access the Community Meeting Announcements regarding the railyard health risk assessments, please go to the Community web page.
CA Railyards

Railyard HRAs and Mitigation Plans

Union Pacific Railroad
BNSF Railway
  • San Bernardino
  • Barstow
  • San Diego
  • Four Combined Commerce Railyards (UP Commerce, BNSF Hobart, BNSF Eastern, and BNSF Sheila)
  • Hobart
    • Health Risk Assessment (2007)
      • HRA for the BNSF Hobart Railyard (PDF - 5.6mb) (November 2, 2007)
      • Air Dispersion Modeling Assessment of Air Toxic Emissions - ENVIRON International (PDF - 10.4mb)
      • Emissions Inventory - ENVIRON International Report (PDF - 2.6mb)
    • Mitigation Plan (2008)
  • Commerce Eastern
    • Health Risk Assessment (2007)
      • HRA for the BNSF Commerce Eastern Railyard (PDF - 11.2mb) (November 2, 2007)
      • Air Dispersion Modeling Assessment of Air Toxic Emissions - ENVIRON International (PDF - 8.6mb)
      • Emissions Inventory - ENVIRON International Report (PDF - 2.3mb)
    • Mitigation Plan (2008)
  • Sheila Mechanical Facility
    • Health Risk Assessment (2007)
      • HRA for the BNSF Sheila Railyard (PDF - 7.1mb) (November 2, 2007)
      • Air Dispersion Modeling Assessment of Air Toxic Emissions - ENVIRON International (PDF - 31.8mb)
      • Emissions Inventory - ENVIRON International Report (PDF - 2.3mb)
    • Mitigation Plan (2008)
  • Watson
  • Stockton
  • Richmond 
Other Health Risk Assessments
  • West Oakland Study (2008): 
    • West Oakland Community Diesel PM Health Risk Assessment (PDF - 3.7mb)
  • Ports of LA and Long Beach Study (2006):
    •  Diesel Particulate Matter Exposure Assessment Study for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (PDF - 8.4mb)
  • San Diego (2005): 
    • Draft Health Risk Assessment San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad - San Diego Yard Impact to Ballpark Village Project (PDF-1,300k)
  • ARB's Emission Reduction Plan for Ports and Goods Movement 
Fact Sheets
  • 2008
    • Release of the California's Draft Health Risk Assessments in Southern California (April 2008) - English (PDF-82k)
    • Release of the California's Draft Health Risk Assessments in Southern California (March 2008) - English (PDF-65k)
    • Strategies to Reduce Locomotives and Associated Railyards Emissions (March 2008) - English (PDF-53k)
    • Health Risk Assessments for Railyards (March 2008) - English (PDF-60k)
  • 2007 
    • Release of the California's Draft Health Risk Assessments in Southern California (May 2007) - English (PDF-49k), Spanish (PDF-52k)
    • Release of the California's Draft Health Risk Assessments in Northern California (June 2007) (PDF-46k)
    • Strategies to Reduce Locomotives and Associated Railyards Emissions (May 2007) - English (PDF-46k), Spanish (PDF-52k)
    • Health Risk Assessments for Railyards (May 2007) - English (PDF-55k)
  • 2006
    • Health Risk Assessments for Railyards (Dec 2006) (PDF-57k)
OEHHA Air Toxics Hot Spots Program Risk Assessment Guidelines

Meeting/ Activities about Health Risk Assessments
  • ARB Health Risk Assessment Guidelines (Release date: November, 2007) 
    • ARB Railyard Health Risk Assessment Guidelines (PDF-209k)
    • ARB Emission Inventory Methodology (PDF-276k)
  • Final Draft ARB Health Risk Assessment Guidelines (Release date: September, 2006)
    • Final Draft ARB Railyard Health Risk Assessment Guidelines
    • Final Draft Emission Inventory Methodology
  • Public Meetings for comments about the Drafts HRA Guidelines and Emission Inventory Methodology
  • Preliminary Draft ARB Health Risk Assessment Guidelines (Release date: July 18, 2006)
    • Draft ARB Railyard Health Risk Assessment Guidelines 
    • Draft Emission Inventory Methodology
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