Sources of Diesel Pollution

Sources of Diesel PollutionThe majority of diesel exhaust in the Puget Sound region comes from goods and people movement.  

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2017 emission inventory shows the percentages of diesel exhaust in our region. The diesel sources in our region include on-road vehicles, off-road vehicles, marine vessels, rail locomotives, and airplanes. Click on the tabs below to learn more about our focus sectors.  

We focus our diesel reduction efforts on sources that stay within our region. We do not focus on reducing emissions from airplanes directly; however, our previous work includes reducing pollution from ground support equipment at airports and supporting policies that will help bring in cleaner jet fuel to the Puget Sound region.  

Truck and highway at sunsetThis sector consists of trucks, vans, buses, waste haulers, and emergency-response vehicles.

Diesel emissions from on-road vehicles can be reduced by:

  • Replacing diesel vehicles with:
    • Near-zero-emission vehicles (propane, renewable natural gas) 
    • Zero-emission vehicles (battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell)
  • Employing best practices
    • Regular engine maintenance
    • Matching the right-sized vehicle to the right application
    • Route planning
  • Switching to cleaner fuels, like renewable diesel and/or biodiesel