EPA Offers $1M in Grants for Diesel Emission Reduction in Midwest

19 April 2006

EPA Midwest Region 5

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the availability of $1,039,320 in grant monies for projects that reduce diesel emissions from older engines in the Midwest (EPA Region 5) as part of its support for the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative (MCDI). Of the total funding, $464,320 is allocated to school bus emission reduction.

The Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative is a collaboration of federal, state and local agencies, along with communities, non-profit organizations and private companies working together to reduce emissions from diesel engines in the Midwest. It is part of EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign that is focused on reducing diesel emissions nationally.

EPA estimates that there are approximately 3.3 million diesel-powered engines—including applications in transportation, ports, agriculture and rail—in the Midwest. The group has set a goal of reducing emissions from 1 million diesel engines in the area by 2010.

We created the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative to help reduce emissions from existing engines that don’t meet the new standards. Diesel engines are the workhorses of our economy and can last a long time. We are pleased to announce these grants to help protect public health and the environment.

—Acting EPA Regional Administrator Bharat Mathur

For the school bus projects, EPA will consider proposals for replacement, retrofit and/or cleaner fuels for this grant competition. For the other projects, EPA is insisting that the proposals fall into at least one of the following categories in order to be considered for funding:

• Truck-based Freight. EPA estimates there are an estimated 1.1 million long-haul trucks operating throughout the Midwest which are one of the largest sources of oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter emissions in Region 5. Projects which fall under the Truck-based Freight category will affect these vehicles through operational and/or technological improvements. Projects could also include affecting locations where trucks congregate, such as inter-modal freight areas, truck stops, international bridge and tunnel crossings, etc.

• Public Fleets. Potential projects for funding could affect public fleet vehicles such as a garbage truck, transit bus, street sweeper, snow plow, dump truck, or other municipally-owned vehicle&mash;with the exception of school buses, which are treated separately.

• Ports. Potential projects could affect both vessel-based and land-based port emission sources through operational and/or technological improvements.

• Agriculture. Cereal grains have the highest total freight flow, rail freight flow and waterway freight flow, in ton-miles, of any commodity in the Upper Midwest. Many different diesel-powered engines are involved with the cultivation, harvesting, and transport of grains. Potential projects could affect tractors, combines, long-haul and shorthaul trucks, cargo handling equipment, irrigation pumps, and other engines.

• Rail. EPA estimates that there are more than 1,900 locomotives operating over 28,550 miles of track throughout Region 5. Potential projects could target those, as well as rail yards—switchers, cargo handling equipment, and freight vehicles.

• Construction. Non-road construction equipment that can be considered for emissions reduction include bulldozers, cranes, generators, tractors, earth moving equipment and materials-transport vehicles.

Resources:

• Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative