News Releases from Region 09

EPA Announces Availability of $26 Million to Clean Up Diesel Engines Nationwide

SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the availability of $4.4 million in grant funding to establish clean diesel projects aimed at reducing emissions from the existing fleet of diesel engines in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands.

Diesel-powered engines move approximately 90 percent of the nation's freight tonnage, and today nearly all highway freight trucks, locomotives, and commercial marine vessels are powered by diesel engines.

EPA is soliciting proposals nationwide for projects that significantly reduce diesel emissions and exposure, especially from fleets operating at goods movements facilities in areas designated as having poor air quality. Priority for funding will be given to projects that engage and benefit local communities and applicants that demonstrate their ability to promote and continue efforts to reduce emissions after the project has ended.

Eligible applicants include regional, state, local, tribal, or port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality. Nonprofit organizations may apply if they provide pollution reduction or educational services to diesel fleet owners or have, as their principal purpose, the promotion of transportation or air quality. The applicants may apply until April 26, 2016.

EPA anticipates releasing a separate Request for Proposals for Tribal applicants in March.

Since the first year of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program in 2008, EPA has awarded nearly 700 grants across the U.S. Many of these projects fund cleaner diesel engines that operate in economically disadvantaged communities whose residents suffer from higher-than-average instances of asthma, heart and lung disease.

For more information and to access the Request for Proposals, visit http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-national-grants.

For more information on the West Coast Collaborative, visit: http://www.westcoastcollaborative.org/

For more information on the National Clean Diesel campaign, visit http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.