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EPA awards $630,500 Clean Diesel grant to South Shore Clean Cities Inc.

Release Date: 08/25/2010
Contact Information: Phillippa Cannon, 312-353-6218, cannon.phillippa@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 10-OPA098

Chicago (Aug. 25, 2010) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5's Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative awarded a $630,500 grant to South Shore Clean Cities Inc. The grant was awarded as part of EPA's ongoing efforts in the National Clean Diesel Campaign. This project will help reduce exposure to diesel emissions from marine vessels operating on Lake Michigan.

Replacing the engines in two marine vessels that operate on Lake Michigan with newer, cleaner running engines, will result in an estimated yearly reduction of 11.9 tons of nitrogen oxides, 1,200 pounds of particulate matter and 26 tons of carbon dioxide emitted from these vessels.

South Shore Clean Cities Inc. is a Crown Point, Ind.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and assisting both public and private sector fleet owners and individuals. South Shore Clean Cities Inc.'s mission is to create a sustainable transportation fuels industry in Northern Indiana.

The Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative is a collaboration of federal, state and local agencies, along with communities, non-profit organizations and private companies working together to reduce emissions from diesel engines in the Midwest. The Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative was founded by EPA Region 5 in 2004 to reduce pollution from older diesel engines by making them run cleaner and eliminating unnecessary idling. Since then, the partnership has affected more than 985,000 engines.

Nationwide, diesel engines emit 7.3 million tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and 333,000 tons of soot annually. This pollution is linked to thousands of premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and millions of lost work days. EPA's new diesel engine standards will significantly reduce emissions from newly manufactured engines, and these grants will lower emissions from the diesel engines already in use through clean innovative technology.

More information on EPA Region 5's Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative competitive grants is at https://www.epa.gov/midwestcleandiesel/grants/mcdirfp0910.html