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U.S. EPA’s Region 2 Awards $17 Million in Recovery Funding to Reduce Diesel Emissions and Create Jobs

Release Date: 07/09/2009
Contact Information: Mary Mears (212) 637-3673, mears.mary@epa.gov; Elias Rodriguez (212) 637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y.) - In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for people of New Jersey, New York and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $17 million to clean up a diesel-powered ferry, cruise ships and other marine vessels, a variety of trucks, construction equipment, and locomotives. These clean diesel projects will create jobs while protecting air quality.

“Innovative clean diesel projects can create jobs, cut fuel costs, keep people healthy, and move our country into a clean energy future,” said Acting Regional Administrator, George Pavlou. “Projects like these help rebuild the economy while contributing to cleaner, healthier air quality.”

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 2 alone received over 52 grant applications requesting $168 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects. The awards announced today were chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions.

These projects include:

Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) – Marine Ferry Repower and McAllister Sisters Marine Tug Repower Projects ($2,800,000) : Under the Marine Ferry Repower project, NESCAUM will repower four marine vessels, including ferries that operate in the Hudson River and tugs operating at the Port of San Juan, by replacing 13 pre-regulation engines with new engines. Under the McAllister Sisters project, NESCAUM will repower one marine vessel that operates in the New York Harbor, Long Island Sound, and the Delaware River by replacing four pre-regulation engines with new engines.

New York State Department of Transportation – Switch Locomotive Repower with Gen-set Technology ($1,050,000): This project will repower one switch locomotive operating at CSX’s Selkirk Yard (near Albany, NY) by replacing the existing pre-regulation engine with cleaner engines.

Columbia University – Voluntary Construction Retrofit Program ($1,997,279): This project will retrofit up to 78 pieces of construction equipment used on the Manhattanville campus expansion project with diesel particulate filters. The University will partner with equipment rental companies.

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey – Regional Truck Replacement Program ($7,000,000): This project will replace up to 636 model year 1993 and older drayage trucks that service Port Authority facilities with cleaner, 2004 and newer model year trucks by offering truckers 25% off the cost of the newer truck.

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey – Shore Power Installation at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal ($2,858,200): This project will install the land-side electrical infrastructure necessary for cruise vessels calling at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to hook up to shore power while docked, eliminating the need to operate on-board generators. Carnival Cruise Lines has committed to use the facility.

New York City Department of Transportation –Staten Island Ferry Marine Engine Repower ($1,275,000): This project will repower the Staten Island Ferry vessel John H. Noble by replacing four pre-regulation engines with new engines.

In addition to helping create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects would 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 Recovery.gov.

For information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, visit: https://www.epa.gov/recovery

For information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives, visit: https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel

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