News Releases from Region 10

EPA provides $1.3 million to states for diesel reduction efforts

SEATTLE -- Clean diesel projects throughout the Northwest and Alaska are receiving a $1.3 million boost from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grants from its Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program.

"Clean diesel technologies not only improve air quality, but advance innovation and support jobs,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "These projects will significantly reduce harmful emissions and directly benefit the health of residents.”

"By promoting clean diesel technologies, we can improve air quality and human health, advance American innovation, and support green jobs in economically disadvantaged communities, while growing our economy," said Chris Hladick, Regional Administrator for EPA's Northwest & 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 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 $335,024, and is providing $362,942 in mandatory cost share and an additional $53,234 for a project total of $751,200. Funds will be used to complete four to six repowers and generator replacements in rural communities. The repowers and 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 reduce 4.2 tons of particulate matter, 46.4 tons of nitrogen oxides, 22.8 tons of carbon monoxide, and 603 tons of carbon dioxide over the lives of the engines.

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality – IDEQ received $340,614, and is providing $150,000 in mandatory match and $227,076 in voluntary match for a project total of $717,690. Funds will be used to retrofit 10 school buses, eight construction vehicles, eight city/county vehicles, three private business owner vehicles and 11 private agricultural vehicles with retrofit devices that reduce diesel emissions and save fuel.  IDEQ will also replace two buses. This project will reduce 5.2 tons of particulate matter, 5.2 tons of nitrogen oxides, 5.9 tons of hydrocarbons, 27.3 tons of carbon monoxide, and 132.1 tons of carbon dioxide over the lives of the buses and other vehicles.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality – ODEQ received $355,373, and is providing $1,601,538 in mandatory cost share and $351,311 of other funds for a project total of $2,308,222. Funds will be used to replace up to 21 older, polluting diesel school buses with new, lower emitting 2017 model year engines. This project will reduce 0.7 tons of particulate matter, 8.7 tons of nitrogen oxides, 4.2 tons of carbon monoxide, 1.1 tons of hydrocarbons, and 151 tons of carbon dioxide over the lives of the buses.

Washington Department of Ecology - Ecology received $249,493, and is providing $649,513 in mandatory cost share for a project total of $899,006. Funds will be used to install EPA verified idle reduction technology on eight school buses; replace one Tier 2 marine engine on a harbor patrol vessel; and replace seven pre-2006 diesel school buses with model year 2017 or newer standard diesel or propane powered school buses. This project will reduce 2.5 tons of particulate matter, 31.8 tons of nitrogen oxides, 7.2 tons of carbon monoxide, 3.2 tons of hydrocarbons, and 66 tons of carbon dioxide over the lives of the engines.

In the past year EPA has awarded nearly $12.5 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 3,000 tons of nitrogen oxides and 200 tons of particulate matter from over 350 medium and heavy duty diesel engines. Reducing particulate matter emissions has important public health and air quality benefits and reduces black carbon.

To learn more about all of this year's West Coast Collaborative DERA projects, visit: http://www.westcoastcollaborative.org.

For more information about EPA's National Clean Diesel campaign and the national DERA awards, visit www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.

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