All News Releases By Date

EPA Provides Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) $850,000 to Reduce Emissions from Regional Locomotives

Release Date: 07/21/2010
Contact Information: David Deegan, 617-918-1017

Boston, Mass. – July 21, 2010) – The EPA recently awarded $850,000 to NESCAUM to install auxiliary power units (APU) on 29 regional freight locomotives operating in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

"Reducing diesel emissions is an effective way to improve air quality, one of the seven key priorities of Administrator Jackson. Fewer diesel emissions will help those who suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England Office. “These projects will help bring cleaner air to the residents of New England.”

Diesel engines contribute significantly to air pollution, especially in urban areas. The fine particles in diesel exhaust pose serious health risks, including aggravated asthma and other respiratory symptoms. Children are especially vulnerable to these effects. The Northeast has some of the highest asthma rates in the nation, including a childhood asthma rate above 10 percent in all six New England states.

“NESCAUM is especially interested in managing clean diesel projects that have significant air quality benefits. This particular project, involving eight separate small regional railroads spread throughout New England, is a very good fit for our priorities as a clean air organization. We are very pleased with EPA’s decision to award the grant”, said Arthur Marin, Executive Director of NESCAUM.

This grant will allow NESCAUM to install new Tier-3 certified APUs that will provide power to vital systems, thereby eliminating virtually all locomotive engine idling and resulting in an estimated reduction in annual nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 37, 1.1, and 2301 tons per year (tpy), respectively. The grant will cover 100% of the cost of each eligible APU.

This announcement is part of more than $67 million in grant funds being awarded by the EPA through the 2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Other New England entities receiving grants this year include Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Town of Fairfield, Connecticut and the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission. In addition, under the state clean diesel grant program, EPA recently announced that it is awarding $1.7 million to the New England state environmental agencies for clean diesel projects in New England.

For more information:

Northeast Diesel Collaborative (www.northeastdiesel.org)
EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign (www.epa.gov/diesel/)

# # #