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U.S. EPA’s Region 7 Awards $1M in Recovery Funding to University of Nebraska-Lincoln to Reduce Diesel Emissions and Create Jobs

Release Date: 08/11/2009
Contact Information: EPA Region 7 - David Bryan, 913-551-7433, bryan.david@epa.gov; Nebraska Transportation Center - Jordan Mueller, 402-472-1926, jmueller5@unl.edu

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Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., August 11, 2009) - In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions, and protect human health and the environment for the people of Nebraska, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1 million to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Nebraska Transportation Center (UNL/NTC) for the reduction of diesel emissions in the community. This clean diesel project will create jobs while protecting Nebraska’s air quality.

“These Clean Diesel grants provide an excellent opportunity to upgrade diesel fleets while improving local air quality,” said William Rice, acting Region 7 administrator. "They also allow local businesses needed work, thus increasing regional economic stability."

The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 7 alone received more than 34 grant applications requesting almost $92.2 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects. The award announced today was chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions.

The Nebraska Transportation Center requested federal funds to conduct a subgrant process to retrofit approximately 187 vehicles with EPA-verified idle reduction technologies. Not only will these technologies reduce harmful diesel emissions, but the project will serve as a model for others who may be considering any of the technologies. This project will create and preserve jobs with truck drivers, dealerships, body shops, equipment installers, manufacturers, and the university.

In addition to helping create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects will help to reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year.

The Recovery Act allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) a total of $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation. The Recovery Act also included $20 million for the National Clean Diesel Emerging Technology Program grants and $30 million for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program grants.

In addition, under the act’s State Clean Diesel Grant program, a total of $88.2 million has been provided to states for clean diesel projects through a noncompetitive allocation process.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009 and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at http://www.recovery.gov/.

For information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in Region 7, visit: https://www.epa.gov/recovery.