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U.S. EPA’s Region 2 Awards $1.4 Million in Recovery Funding to Reduce Diesel Emissions and Create Jobs

Release Date: 07/17/2009
Contact Information: Elias Rodriguez (212) 637-3664, [email protected]

(New York, N.Y.) In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for people of New Jersey and New York, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1.4 million to clean up a variety of long-haul trucks based in the area. This clean diesel project will create or preserve over 60 jobs while protecting air quality.

“Innovative clean diesel projects can create jobs, cut fuel costs, keep people healthy, and move our country into a clean energy future,” said Acting Regional Administrator, George Pavlou. “Projects like these help rebuild the economy while contributing to cleaner, healthier 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 2 alone received over 52 grant applications requesting $168 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects. This project along with others announced earlier was chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions. It will also improve air quality by reducing emissions of pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases as well as conserve over 7 million gallons of diesel fuel over 10 years.

Cascade Sierra Solutions, a not for profit trucking organization will partner with truckers to equip 789 long-haul truck trailers based in N.J. and N.Y. with aerodynamic technologies, such as skirts, end fairings, and gap reducers to help lower diesel emissions and fuel consumption. These Recovery funds will leverage the investment by the truck owners to upgrade their vehicles. The project will also create or preserve 64 manufacturing and installation jobs in the United States economy during 2009 and 2010.

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 in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, visit: https://www.epa.gov/recovery

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

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