This morning, the City of Commerce held the unveiling of No Idling Signs. A partnership between the City of Commerce, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Department of Toxic and Substance Control (DTSC) and East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice has focused on enforcing the no idling rule to ensure that trucks do not idle in our communities. Idling (a parked truck with the motor on, consistently releasing diesel emissions) consistently happens in specific corridors in the City of Commerce. Every day, approximately 47,00 diesel trucks drive on the I-710 freeway. Truck movements and activities exposes the communities of Commerce to large amounts of diesel exhaust, increasing the rate of cancer, asthma and other respiratory illnesses.  

Noel and Xugo, guest speakers at today’s unveiling sharing about the youth engagement in organizing to get signs in their communities.

“Since I am a child, I’m not allowed to leave on my own but even if I left, the community will still be polluted, so why not stay and help out” Noel Pimentel, Youth In Action member. 

“Primarily rooted in low-income communities that we live around, we want to ensure our communities have better air quality and life” -Xugo Lujan, EYCEJ Community Organizer 

In line with our Green Zones campaign, we implemented the “No Truck Idling Sign” project. Through the Truck Truthing project, members were able engage in grassroots community research to develop a truck idling “hot spot” map to share environmental data to support the implementation of “No Truck Idling” signage in Commerce. Fifteen youth members participated in the program through 2 data collecting field surveys, where they identified truck idling hot spots and measured frequency and duration of idling. EYCEJ members and staff presented the findings to the City of Commerce and, with the support of CARB, will be putting up the No Idling Signs at the recommend hot spots. In the following months we collaborated with the City of Commerce to educate truck drivers on the No Idling laws with handouts and door hangers around the sites where the new “No Truck Idling” signs are located. Be on the look out for the “No Idling” signs in the City of Commerce!