EPA to award up to $3.5 million for Clean Diesel projects in Colorado and Utah
DENVER (September 30, 2020) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that state and local partners in Colorado and Utah will receive up to $3.5 million in grant funding to reduce harmful diesel emissions from school and transit buses, trucks and construction equipment. This announcement follows a press conference in Minnesota on Tuesday, in which EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced over $73 million in grants and funding expected to be awarded to support numerous clean diesel programs and projects across the country at the state and local level. Over $50 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) National Grants Program funding is expected to be awarded to implement projects aimed at reducing diesel emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of old, dirty engines and vehicles. Additionally, EPA anticipates providing approximately $23.5 million under DERA’s 2020 State Grants program to 48 states and four territories to implement their own diesel emissions reduction programs.
“EPA is proud to support our partners as they deliver cleaner air benefits to local communities across the country,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “New diesel engines operate cleaner than older engines, and for each dollar invested in clean diesel projects, communities get $13 in cumulative health benefits.”
“EPA’s DERA grants are a tried-and-true way to secure direct reductions of tailpipe emissions from older vehicles,” said EPA Regional Administrator Greg Sopkin. “We are pleased to extend these resources to partners who have identified opportunities to reduce human exposure to harmful pollutants and improve air quality in our communities.”
Under President Trump, the combined emission of criteria pollutants and their precursors dropped 7%. In the past three years, we saw the following drops in emissions of criteria and precursor pollutants:
- Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) ↓ 10 %
- Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) ↓ 1 %
- Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) ↓ 16%
- Carbon monoxide (CO) ↓ 6%
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) ↓ 3%
Over the last three years during the Trump Administration, EPA will have awarded about $300 million in grants and rebates to modernize the diesel fleet and speed the turnover to cleaner on- and off-road heavy-duty trucks and equipment. Much of this assistance has been provided to help better protect areas of poor air quality and areas of highly concentrated diesel pollution, such as ports and distribution centers.
To support the Administrator’s clean air goals, the agency anticipates awarding these grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. So far in 2020, EPA has finalized awards for 41 clean diesel projects and programs. The agency anticipates completing additional awards throughout the rest of the year. The following grants have been finalized as of Monday, September 28:
|
Recipient |
Project |
Award Amount |
|
|
AZ |
City of Phoenix |
Refuse Hauler Replacement |
$1,096,362.00 |
|
CA |
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District |
Agricultural Tractor Replacement Program |
$3,250,000.00 |
|
CA |
San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District |
Zero Emission Electric Yard Truck Program |
$3,615,564.00 |
|
CA |
San Diego County Air Pollution Control District |
Tugboat Electrification Project |
$2,017,660.00 |
|
CA |
South Coast Air Quality Management District |
Electrification of Transport Refrigeration in Grocery Fleet |
$2,240,721.00 |
|
CO |
The Regents of the University of Colorado |
Electric Transit Bus Project |
$791,871.00 |
|
CO |
Leonardo Academy Inc. |
Construction Crane Replacement Project |
$123,820.00 |
|
CT |
The Connecticut Maritime Foundation |
Tugboat Engine Replacement |
$733,743.00 |
|
FL |
City of Ocala |
Refuse Truck Replacement Project |
$777,000.00 |
|
FL |
Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management |
Refuse Truck Replacement Project |
$1,852,500.00 |
|
GA |
Fulton County Schools |
Propane School Bus Replacement Project |
$1,144,492.00 |
|
GA |
Georgia Ports Authority |
Dray Truck Rebate Replacement Program |
$1,100,000.00 |
|
IA |
National Biodiesel Foundation |
DOT Utility Truck Replacement and Biodiesel Use |
$123,252.00 |
|
IA |
The City of Davenport, Iowa |
Dump Truck Replacement Project |
$116,250.00 |
|
IL/IN/OH |
American Lung Association |
Low NOx Refuse Truck and Locomotive Idle Reduction Project |
$1,605,142 |
|
IL |
American Lung Association |
Electric Transit Bus Replacement Project |
$1,517,300.00 |
|
IL |
Chicago Department of Transportation |
Low NOx CNG Refuse Hauler and Street Sweeper Replacement Project |
$591,360.00 |
|
IL |
Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority |
Metra Nonroad Work Equipment Replacement Project |
$594,765.00 |
|
Region 5 |
National School Transportation Association |
NSTA School Bus Rebate Program |
$632,500.00 |
|
KS |
American Lung Association |
Short Haul and Nonroad Replacement and Locomotive Idle Reduction Project |
$1,381,957.00 |
|
MA |
American Lung Association |
Short Haul Truck Replacement Project |
$631,962 |
|
MA |
Massachusetts Port Authority |
Boston Harbor Pilot Boat Engine Replacements |
$402,266.00 |
|
MI/WI |
Coalition for Sustainable Initiatives |
School Bus and Nonroad Equipment Replacement Program |
$631,360.00 |
|
MN/IL |
Leonardo Academy Inc. |
Construction Crane Replacement Project |
$314,365.00 |
|
MO |
Leonardo Academy Inc. |
Propane School Bus Replacement Project |
$218,944.00 |
|
MO |
Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission |
Madison and Perry County Municipal Vehicle Replacement Project |
$64,725.00 |
|
MO |
Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission |
Ste. Genevieve County Municipal Vehicle Replacement Project |
$47,453.00 |
|
MO |
Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission |
Cape Girardeau County Municipal Vehicle Replacement Project |
$43,964.00 |
|
NC |
Mecklenburg County Air Quality |
GRADE - Grants to Replace Aging Diesel Engines |
$500,000.00 |
|
NE |
Minden Public Schools |
Minden Public Schools Bus Replacement |
$20,000.00 |
|
NY |
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
Red Hook Terminal Tractor Replacement |
$420,000.00 |
|
PA |
Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association, Inc. |
Workboat Engine Replacement and Drayage Truck Replacement Program |
$1,658,252.00 |
|
SC |
Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments |
Electric Transit Bus Replacement Project |
$805,500.00 |
|
UT |
Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality |
Refuse Hauler, Short Haul, and School Bus Replacement Project |
$2,600,000.00 |
|
VA |
Virginia Port Authority |
Hybrid Shuttle Carrier Replacement Project |
$2,375,000.00 |
|
WA |
The Northwest Seaport Alliance |
Electric Terminal Tractor Replacement Project |
$782,482.00 |
|
WI |
Leonardo Academy |
Marine Ferry Engine Replacement Project |
$80,678 |
As these new grants are finalized and awarded, details on recipients, funding amounts, and project types will be listed on the DERA program webpages. For more information, please visit https://www.epa.gov/dera.
Background
DERA funded projects typically include retrofitting or replacing legacy school buses, transit buses, heavy-duty diesel trucks, marine engines, locomotives, and other heavy-duty equipment with new, cleaner technologies.