The Los Angeles metro area made a national first on Friday by adopting sweeping rules that will require new transit buses and garbage trucks to be powered by electricity, fuel cells, or relatively low-polluting fuels such as natural gas. The new rules, intended to cut down on diesel emissions that foul the air and are believed to cause cancer, could spur similar action in other U.S. cities plagued by air pollution. The rules are a victory for enviros, public health advocates, and community leaders who have been fighting to curb diesel pollution in L.A.
