Comments on: Employee Health http://o.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/ Mass Transit's editor, Leah Harnack, speaks weekly on critical issues facing the public transportation industry. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:57:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: John Durst http://o.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6414 John Durst Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:33:46 +0000 http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6414 The "defeat devices" were part of the diesel engines when sold. The EPA caught the 6 diesel engine manufacturers and fined them $83 million dollars in 2004. They'd been using them since at least 1990. Caterpillar was then fined another $130 million for not rectifying the problem fast enough. Contact me at john@nynylaw.com if you want to know more; I am a lawyer for the bus drivers. The “defeat devices” were part of the diesel engines when sold. The EPA caught the 6 diesel engine manufacturers and fined them $83 million dollars in 2004. They’d been using them since at least 1990. Caterpillar was then fined another $130 million for not rectifying the problem fast enough. Contact me at john@nynylaw.com if you want to know more; I am a lawyer for the bus drivers.

]]> By: Jeff Brown http://o.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6385 Jeff Brown Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:50:21 +0000 http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6385 I've worked in transportation for 19 years. It was no secret that there were hazardous materials, pollution, and high voltage; it's part of the job. I knew when I sat in traffic in New York City that I was breathing pollution; so does everyone else in New York. However, I never knowingly lied about the pollution, or the health risks. That would be fraud. If someone can prove fraud, it's a whole different story. I’ve worked in transportation for 19 years. It was no secret that there were hazardous materials, pollution, and high voltage; it’s part of the job. I knew when I sat in traffic in New York City that I was breathing pollution; so does everyone else in New York.

However, I never knowingly lied about the pollution, or the health risks. That would be fraud. If someone can prove fraud, it’s a whole different story.

]]> By: Gunnar Henrioulle http://o.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6291 Gunnar Henrioulle Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:56:55 +0000 http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6291 Garbage in, garbage out. It seems running the engines with high alcohol content fuel during the EPA inspections could clean up the exhaust during the monitoring period. Particulates are worse with high sulfer or heavier fuel oils. Also, some engine families seemed to produce higher NOX levels, and compression ratios could affect that part of the picture. The "device" story seems more a lawyer's artifice than anything. The culprit may be more to do with the fuel used in a particular testing or operating regime. Pretty easy for a manufacturer to run a specially formulated fuel during the monitoring period! We are talking big money here, folks. Private enterprise usually has some "extra private" parts of the story... The entire story of shift from electric streetcars has not been told, nor will all the pieces ever be assembled, probably. Just to broaden the scope of of discussion on the transport evolution saga in America, the airline & trucking Co. employees of the 1940's would joke about putting bricks in the mailbags to maintain US Mail weight averages to secure & extend contracts. Mail by rail? So sorry... Garbage in, garbage out. It seems running the engines with high alcohol content fuel during the EPA inspections could clean up the exhaust during the monitoring period.

Particulates are worse with high sulfer or heavier fuel oils. Also, some engine families seemed to produce higher NOX levels, and compression ratios could affect that part of the picture. The “device” story seems more a lawyer’s artifice than anything. The culprit may be more to do with the fuel used in a particular testing or operating regime. Pretty easy for a manufacturer to run a specially formulated fuel during the monitoring period! We are talking big money here, folks. Private enterprise usually has some “extra private” parts of the story…

The entire story of shift from electric streetcars has not been told, nor will all the pieces ever be assembled, probably. Just to broaden the scope of of discussion on the transport evolution saga in America, the airline & trucking Co. employees of the 1940′s would joke about putting bricks in the mailbags to maintain US Mail weight averages to secure & extend contracts. Mail by rail? So sorry…

]]> By: Frank J Ferrara http://o.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6215 Frank J Ferrara Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:57:46 +0000 http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6215 I worked for the transit authority buses in Brooklyn for 30 years. I retired in 2003 but have had numerous health issues since. i would like to know what this lawsuit is about and if i can be a part of it. Besides driving for 25 years I also worked in ulmer park depot for 5 years parking buses. there was no ventilation and the noise from vaccuming the money out of the buses was deafening.I would appreaciate any information you could send to me. Thank You I worked for the transit authority buses in Brooklyn for 30 years. I retired in 2003 but have had numerous health issues since. i would like to know what this lawsuit is about and if i can be a part of it. Besides driving for 25 years I also worked in ulmer park depot for 5 years parking buses. there was no ventilation and the noise from vaccuming the money out of the buses was deafening.I would appreaciate any information you could send to me.
Thank You

]]> By: Tom Harney http://o.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6214 Tom Harney Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:39:00 +0000 http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2008/08/22/employee-health/#comment-6214 If someone has a legitimate claim I am all for them. However, I see this becoming a large class action lawsuit that thousands are going to jump on. The lawyers will get richer, truly injured people won't get what they deserve and it will hurt business here and force more companies to go overseas. I've been in this business 30 years and I don't know what a "defeat device" is. Are they talking about throttle delay? If someone has a legitimate claim I am all for them. However, I see this becoming a large class action lawsuit that thousands are going to jump on. The lawyers will get richer, truly injured people won’t get what they deserve and it will hurt business here and force more companies to go overseas. I’ve been in this business 30 years and I don’t know what a “defeat device” is. Are they talking about throttle delay?

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