Clean diesel projects throughout the Northwest and Alaska are receiving a $3.8 million boost from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grants program.
“By promoting clean diesel technologies, we can improve air quality and protect people’s health in economically disadvantaged communities, while growing our economy,” said Chris Hladick, regional administrator for EPA’s Northwest and Alaska Region. “Public-private partnerships like the West Coast Collaborative are leading the way on reducing harmful diesel emissions and creating jobs.”
The DERA program in Region 10 is administered by EPA’s West Coast Collaborative, a clean air public-private partnership that leverages public and private funds to funds to complete important diesel reduction projects that reduce emissions from the most polluting diesel sources in impacted communities in West Coast states and U.S. territories.
Here’s what each state has received in this year’s funding from the EPA:
Alaska Energy Authority – AEA received $411,150 and is providing $411,150 in cost shares for a project total of $822,300. Funds will be used to complete eight generator replacements in rural communities. The replacements will address antiquated mechanically governed prime power diesel “genset” engines with newer, more fuel-efficient Tier 2 and Tier 3 marine engines that reduce diesel emissions and save fuel. This project will provide emission reductions of 3.11 tons of nitrogen oxides, 1.74 tons of particulate matter, 0.68 tons of hydrocarbons, 4.68 tons of carbon monoxide, and 121.77 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality – IDEQ received $411,713 and is providing $274,475 in match for a project total of $686,188. Funds will be used to retrofit five logging trucks, nine cement/dump trucks, one construction vehicle, and eight local/highway freight hauling vehicles with retrofit devices that reduce diesel emissions and save fuel. This project will reduce emissions by 7.85 tons of particulate matter, 9.46 tons of nitrogen oxides, 13.57 tons of hydrocarbons, 35.4 tons of carbon monoxide, and 827 tons of carbon dioxide over the lives of the vehicles.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality – ODEQ received $413,199 and is providing $1,832,316 in cost share and $275,466 of other funds for a project total of $2,520,981. Funds will be used to retrofit an estimated nine diesel-powered school buses and to replace 18 older diesel-powered school buses with newer, lower emitting and more fuel-efficient vehicles. This project will provide emission reductions of 1.05 tons of particulate matter, 12.2 tons of nitrogen oxides, 5.9 tons of carbon monoxide, 1.6 tons of hydrocarbons, and 214.2 tons of carbon dioxide over the lifetime of these vehicles.
Columbia Corridor Association – Columbia Corridor Association received $576,419 and is providing $652,650 in cost share and $88,200 in additional voluntary funds for a project total of $1,317,269. Funds will be used to replace 7 heavy-duty diesel-powered trucks with newer, lower-emission vehicles and to retrofit an additional 2 diesel trucks in the Portland, Seattle, and Tacoma metropolitan areas. This project will reduce emissions by 2.3 tons of particulate matter, 27 tons of nitrogen oxides, 8.5 tons of carbon monoxide, 2 tons of hydrocarbons, and 479.2 tons of carbon dioxide over the lifetime of these vehicles.
Columbia Willamette Clean Cities Coalition – Columbia Willamette Clean Cities Coalition received $740,518 and is providing $1,440,084 in cost share for a project total of $2,180,602. Funds will be used to install exhaust controls on up to four short-haul diesel trucks and replace 12 refrigerated trailers with six hybrid electric and six electric refrigerated trailers in Multnomah County. This project will reduce emissions by 2.96 tons of particulate matter, 14.41 tons of nitrogen oxides, 8.08 tons of carbon monoxide, 1.11 tons of hydrocarbons, and 1,823 tons of carbon dioxide over the lifetime of these vehicles.
Washington Department of Ecology – Ecology received $415,100 and is providing $574,629 in cost share, $276,733 of other funds, and $45,467 in additional leveraged resources for a project total of $1,311,929. Funds will be used to retrofit two diesel-powered transit buses with electric motors in Centralia, and Sumner School District, in Pierce County, will purchase Washington’s first all-electric zero-emission school bus to replace an older diesel-powered school bus. This project will provide emission reductions of 0.4 tons of particulate matter, 5.15 tons of nitrogen oxides, 1.79 tons of carbon monoxide, 0.65 tons of hydrocarbons, and 843.3 tons of carbon dioxide over the lives of the engines.
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency – Puget Sound Clean Air Agency received $900,000 and is providing at least $1,532,143 in cost share from participating school districts for a project total of $2,432,143. Funds will be used to replace at least 22 diesel-powered school buses with new propane-powered school buses. This project will reduce emissions by 0.66 tons of particulate matter, 9.3 tons of nitrogen oxides, 4.2 tons of carbon monoxide, 1.7 tons of hydrocarbons, and 30.6 tons of carbon dioxide over the lifetime of these vehicles (based on the minimum replacement of 22 buses).
In the past year EPA has awarded over $14.5 million in DERA funding to recipients in Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington to reduce diesel emissions from large diesel sources, such as trucks, buses, agriculture and port equipment. These projects will improve air quality by reducing over 650 tons of nitrogen oxides and 60 tons of particulate matter emissions from over 375 medium and heavy-duty diesel engines. Reducing particulate matter emissions has important public health and air quality benefits and reduces black carbon or soot.
– Environmental Protection Agency
