EPA awards $8M in FY2014 clean diesel grants in 21 states, Puerto Rico

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Green Car Congress / March 20, 2015

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $8 million to communities in 21 states and Puerto Rico to reduce emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of diesel engines through the agency’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program. The grants will fund projects such as retrofitting older school buses to improve air quality for children riding to school, upgrading marine propulsion and agriculture engines, and replacing long haul truck engines.

The twenty-one projects will receive funding through the EPA’s DERA Fiscal Year 2014 allocation. The selected projects are cost-effective and will impact fleets operating in areas that will benefit from additional steps to protect air quality and public health.

EPA estimates that every $1 in DERA funding generates up to $13 in health care savings. The DERA funding covers engine replacements, repowers and idle reduction technologies to clean up a variety of older diesel engines, including those in heavy-duty trucks used at ports, delivery trucks, long haul trucks, marine vessels, school buses, and even agricultural equipment.

The full list of projects selected for 2014 DERA funds:

• California. San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District is replacing 48 trucks model year 1991-2003 with trucks powered by 2013 or newer model year engines.

• South Coast Air Quality Management District is replacing 11 on-road drayage trucks (model year 1991-1995), nine school buses with compressed natural gas (CNG), and one school bus with a battery-electric vehicle.

• Colorado. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is retrofitting 36 school buses with technologies to cut soot and reduce idling.

• Delaware. Delaware River and Bay Authority is repowering two Tier 0 marine propulsion engines in one vessel with Tier 3 engines.

• Delaware and Virginia. Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association, Inc. is providing incentives to voluntarily replace 19 drayage trucks operating 1995-2003 engines.

• Florida and South Carolina. American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest is installing APUs on locomotive switch engines and replacing 12 diesel refuse haulers with CNG haulers.

• Idaho. Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District is replacing three school buses and four agriculture engines and converting three irrigation pumps to clean burning electric.

• Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Leonardo Academy is retrofitting five trucks, five buses and two excavators with technology to cut soot and reduce idling; replacing eight long haul trucks and three refuse haulers with vehicles that run on compressed natural gas; replacing 14 long-haul trucks and two school buses; and repowering one crusher from Tier 0 to Tier 3.

• Massachusetts. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) Ventures, Inc., is repowering two Tier 1 marine propulsion engines with new Tier 3 engines and replacing two generator sets powered with Tier 0 engines with new Tier 3 generator sets.

• Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management is repowering two unregulated fishing boats each with a new Tier 3 engine.

• Michigan. Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision is replacing five short-haul trucks and one crane.

• Missouri. St. Louis Clean Cities is replacing six school busses.

• New Jersey and New York. New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition is repowering seven marine vessels with 13 Tier 3 engines.

• New York. The Connecticut Maritime Foundation is repowering two Tier 0 marine propulsion engines in one ferry with Tier 3 engines.

• North Carolina. Mecklenburg County Air Quality is replacing three pieces of landfill equipment and repowering four engines.

• Oregon. Beyond Toxics is replacing one truck and installing advanced exhaust controls on seven trucks.

• Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority is retrofitting 17 transit buses with diesel particle filters (DPFs).

• Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Leonardo Academy is retrofitting school buses with exhaust controls and are retiring eight delivery vehicles early.

• Texas. North Central Texas Council of Governments is installing EPA-verified SmartWay truck stop electrification at four trucking terminals.

• Port of Houston is replacing 14 drayage trucks.

• Utah. Utah Department of Environmental Quality is retrofitting three long-haul trucks with DPF's and retrofit 25 UDOT vehicles with DPFs.

EPA is now preparing for the release of the FY15 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program RFP this spring, and anticipates that approximately $12-14 million will be offered under this funding opportunity. Priority will be given to proposals which demonstrate, among other factors:

- Diesel emission reductions from engines involved in goods movement;

- Diesel emission reductions in areas of poor air quality;

- Project outcomes that benefit the community; and

- Community engagement and partnerships in the development and implementation of the project.