EPA Will Fund $3M in West Coast Diesel-Reduction Projects
25 January 2006
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $3 million in grants for projects aimed at reducing diesel emissions on the West Coast.
This program is part of the West Coast Collaborative which has awarded more than $2.6 million in grants for 28 projects since 2004. This year the EPA expects to award up to 12 grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000.
EPA is seeking grant proposals for projects that demonstrate new, innovative or experimental approaches to reducing diesel emissions. Past grant projects have included electrifying truck stops and cruise ship terminals, converting restaurant waste oil to biodiesel fuel and a establishing a revolving loan fund to reduce locomotive emissions.
In 2005, under the National Clean Diesel Campaign, Smartway and the West Coast Collaborative, EPA awarded more than $2.2 million to West Coast states for diesel emissions reductions. Of this, more than $1.4 million went to projects in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Idaho received $150,000 for two projects to retrofit agriculture equipment in the Treasure Valley and use cleaner fuels and retrofits for rock crushers.
Oregon received nearly $1 million for five projects including cleaner fuels and retrofits on construction equipment being used in the Oregon Bridges Project; supporting the I-5 Idle Free Corridor Initiative that supports truck stop electrification and the use of auxiliary power units; and setting up a revolving loan fund to pay for emissions reductions and fuel savings in the rail sector.
Washington received $305,000 for four projects to demonstrate biodiesel production and use for utility trucks along the U.S.-Canada border; reducing diesel emissions at the Port of Seattle; and using direct seed/no till practices on eastern Washington farms to reduce operating costs and emissions.
The West Coast Collaborative is a partnership between leaders from federal, state, and local governments, the private sector and environmental groups in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Canada and Mexico. This group has made reducing emissions from diesel engines a priority along the West Coast.
Why reduce emmission when you can get rid of them?
You seen this 14 page spread on DaimlerChrysler's F600 Hygenius (it's a zip file with a pdf inside direct from Daimler's website)?
http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/Projects/c2c/channel/documents/783914_Hightechrep ort_2_2005.zip
They seem to have the cold start issue nipped in the butt, just like Honda. I see Honda plans on bringing out a production model now in 3 to 4 years.
From here:
http://world.honda.com/news/2006/4060108FCX/
I know Hyundai also announced plans to have a production fuel cell vehicle out by 2010.
From here:
http://www.hyundaisportsclub.com/2005/12/21/hyundai_fuel_cell_car_by_2010
I just saw a report from Toyota where they are now claiming 10,000 hours of life in their latest fuel cell (i.e. at 30 mph avg...that's 300,000 miles) and they are using a much cheaper alloy catalyst instead of platinum.
The only thing standing in the way of fuel cell success is government authorizing the use of hydrogen as fuel.
Posted by: George Bush | 25 January 2006 at 03:28 PM
10,000 hours = 10 hours for 4 years of 250 working days. That isn't that long. Trucks etc. doing more than 1 million miles is nothing exceptional
Posted by: Charly | 26 January 2006 at 03:20 PM