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U.S. EPA Awards $1,999,900 in Recovery Funding to the SC State Ports Authority to Reduce Diesel Emissions and Create Jobs

Release Date: 06/29/2009
Contact Information: Kara Belle, (404) 562-8322, [email protected]

(ATLANTA – June 29, 2009) In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for people of South Carolina, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1,999,900 to the State Ports Authority to repower and retrofit cargo handling and other diesel equipment at the Port of Charleston. This clean diesel project will create jobs while protecting South Carolina’s air quality.

“This grant is a great investment in environmental protection and will provide long-term economic benefits for South Carolina,” said Stan Meiburg, EPA Acting Regional Administrator in Atlanta. “This funding will go a long way in helping to bolster the economy and protect public health and the environment by creating green jobs that improve air quality.”

The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 4 alone received 98 grant applications requesting over $140 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects. The award announced today was chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions.

This award will support the repowering of 36 cargo handlers with cleaner engines. It will also support the partnering with private companies to repower 2 tugboats and 1 dredge and installation of diesel multi-filters on 40 local drayage trucks. These efforts will make significant reductions in emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

In addition to helping to create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects would reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year.

The Recovery Act allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) a total of $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation. The Recovery Act also included $20 million for the National Clean Diesel Emerging Technology Program grants and $30 million for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program grants.

In addition, under the Act’s State Clean Diesel Grant program, a total of $88.2 million has been provided to States for clean diesel projects through a noncompetitive allocation process.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009 and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at Recovery.gov.

For information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in South Carolina 4, visit: https://www.epa.gov/recovery

For information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives, visit: https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel