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U.S. EPA’s Region 10 Awards Nearly $1.5 million in Recovery Funding to Port of Tacoma to Reduce Diesel Emissions and Create Jobs

Release Date: 07/20/2009
Contact Information: Wayne Elson, EPA Office of Air, Waste and Toxics, 206-553-1463, [email protected] Hanady Kader, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-0454, [email protected]

(Tacoma, Wash.)— In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for the people of Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded nearly $1.5 million to reduce diesel and greenhouse gas emissions by retrofitting ocean-going vessels and adding alternative maritime power at the Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) Terminal at the Port of Tacoma. This clean diesel project will create jobs while protecting Tacoma’s air quality.

“Investing in projects to reduce diesel pollution is essential to air quality and our quality of life in the Northwest,” said Michelle Pirzadeh, Acting Regional Administrator for EPA's Region 10. "This investment will pay off now and in the future by reducing health care costs, putting people to work in green jobs and making the air healthier for future generations."

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 10 alone received over 49 grant applications requesting over $80 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects. The award announced today was chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions.

In addition to retrofitting two ocean-going vessels with certified ship-side technology, this project will install a shore-side connection system and alternative maritime power at the Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) Terminal at the Port of Tacoma. This will reduce diesel particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 90 percent for at-berth vessels by eliminating idling at the terminal. The project will also help create or sustain an estimated 50 manufacturing and local installation jobs.

In addition to helping create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects would help to 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, visit: https://www.epa.gov/recovery

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

For information about Port of Tacoma http://www.portoftacoma.com/

For more information about the West Coast Collaborative, visit: http://www.westcoastcollaborative.org