EPA Begins Awarding $88.2M to All 50 States and DC for Diesel Emissions Reduction
09 April 2009
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun awarding $88.2 million divided equally through a noncompetitive allocation process to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, all of which will receive about $1.73 million each.
The funds were provided by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA), signed by President Obama on 17 February, and can be used to support clean diesel projects and loan programs to address the nation’s existing fleet of more than 11 million diesel engines.
Eligible projects include retrofit technologies, replacement with new, cleaner diesel vehicles, engine replacement with cleaner engines, and equipment to reduce or eliminate idling for school districts, local governments, businesses and truck owners and operators.
States, local governments, non-profits and tribal agencies can also compete for a portion of $206 million under ARRA’s national clean diesel funding program.
The perfect example of wasting money. But from a political standpoint it satisfies the politicians.
Ideally they would like to buy as many votes as possible. So awarding 88 million grants of $1.00 each per voter would be the political ideal. But the tiny sum produces nothing of value in reducing diesel emissions. There is not enough to accomplish anything by each recipient. The number of recipients here is lower but the principle remains the same.
If they had spent $88 million with one facility, say one of the national labs like Argonne or Battel to develop a cheaper cleanup technology than the current expensive method of 1)particulate filter 2)+ SCR with urea 3)+ catalytic converter, it might have produced something useful, but this was not done. Typical of Obama demagogue-type politicians, for whom image rather than substance or reality is most important, of all.
So it is 100% waste, except to buy votes.
Posted by: ExDemo | 09 April 2009 at 08:22 AM