At a press conference today at the California State Railroad Museum, Assemblymember Roger Dickinson’s (D-Sacramento) along with a large group of supporters celebrated the signing of AB 146. The bill, signed into law on September 25, will add an additional member to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) representing the Sacramento region.

“The Sacramento region is the largest major metropolitan area in the state currently without designated representation on the Air Resources Board. Today, AB 146 supporters and I celebrated that our region and its over 2 million residents will have a direct voice in critical future decision-making to improve our local air quality,” said Assemblymember Dickinson.

On display at the event was the UP 9900, an experimental low-emission locomotive, the signature unit in a series of 25 locomotives that Union Pacific is analyzing as part of a broad test of various emissions-reduction techniques in northern and southern California. Dickinson was joined at the event by Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna, Yolo County Supervisor Mike McGowan, California Air Resources Board Executive Officer James Goldstene, Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Roger Niello, and Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails CEO Kori Titus, among other supporters.

In order to meet stricter state and federal air quality standards, urban areas such as Sacramento have relied increasingly on statewide efforts undertaken in consultation with multiple state agencies, such as CARB, Caltrans, and the California Energy Commission. The Sacramento region will benefit from having a seat at the CARB table as these collaborative efforts take shape at the state level.

Air districts play a vital role in ensuring that proposed CARB regulations can be sensibly implemented by local communities and businesses. The Sacramento region has been an innovative leader in fostering collaborative solutions on air quality challenges ranging from diesel particulate pollution to wood smoke to community education.

AB 146 increases the California Air Resources Board (CARB) membership from 11 to 12 members. The 12th board member will be chosen from one of five local air districts in the federally-designated Sacramento non-attainment region.