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Grace Hill Settlement House, EPA Region 7 Sponsor May 20 Event to Show Diesel Emission Reduction Plans for St. Louis

Release Date: 05/18/2010
Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, 913-551-7557 or 816-896-0027 (cell for event only), lancaster.kris@epa.gov

NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY

(Kansas City, Kan., May 18, 2010) - EPA Region 7 and Grace Hill Settlement House will host a public event May 20, offering exhibits and information about Grace Hill’s plans for a $2 million project aimed at reducing diesel emissions and improving air quality in St. Louis.

Grace Hill received $2 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to implement the diesel emission reduction project. When the project is complete, hundreds of vehicles across St. Louis will be retrofitted, repowered or replaced with clean diesel technology.

All told, more than 575 vehicles have been targeted for retrofits, repowers and/or replacements as well as idle reduction technologies. Project activities will target public fleets including those of the City of St. Louis, St. Louis Fire Department, St. Louis Lambert International Airport and St. Louis area school buses. The project also will assist small companies with cleaning up their diesel fleets. Targeted vehicles will include a tugboat, airport ground support equipment, delivery trucks, long-haul trucks, school buses and emergency response vehicles.

Additionally, Grace Hill has developed a special intern program in partnership with St. Louis Public Schools and Ranken Technical College to train area students on diesel emission reduction technologies and provide interns the opportunity to work side-by-side with staff of retrofit companies.

From 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, Grace Hill and EPA will host a public event at the St. Louis Fire Department Headquarters, 1421 N. Jefferson, in St. Louis, to give media representatives and members of the public a chance to view displays, ask questions and get answers about the project.

WHO: EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks, President of St. Louis Board of Alderman Lewis E. Reed, St. Louis City Office of Air Pollution Control Health Services Manager Katina Stewart, and President and CEO of Grace Hill Settlement House Roderick L. Jones

WHAT: Public Demonstration and Information Event, Grace Hill Settlement House Diesel Emission Reduction Project

ACTIVITIES: Displays of different vehicles and engine types, opportunities to talk with subject matter experts for each vehicle and engine type, experts available to discuss air emission reduction and cooperative programs in St. Louis, and information about contractor internships and jobs program

WHERE: St. Louis Fire Department Headquarters, 1421 N. Jefferson, St. Louis, Mo.

WHEN: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Thursday, May 20, 2010

Funding for Grace Hill Settlement House’s project is provided under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on Feb. 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 www.recovery.gov. The Recovery Act seeks in part to spur technological advances in science and health and to invest in environmental protection and other infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits.

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Information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives

Information about Grace Hill Settlement House

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