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Collaboration and Partnerships
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
Southeast Diesel Collaborative
EPA Region 4 - Atlanta
Geographic location or area of activity: Region 4 States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina
Description of activity: The EPA Region 4 Southeast Diesel Collaborative (SEDC) team accomplished external leadership activities in collaborative problem-solving through their significant achievements in the successful formation and launch of the SEDC. The SEDC is a voluntary, public-private partnership involving leaders from federal, state and local government, non-government organizations, industry, academia and public stakeholders in the Southeast. The goal of this partnership is to improve air quality and public health by reducing emissions from existing diesel engines. This is accomplished by encouraging the use of clean, renewable, alternative fuels and retrofit technologies to reduce diesel emissions from existing engines and equipment from the agriculture, construction and on-road sectors.
The cornerstone of this successful collaborative effort has been the comprehensive communication and outreach strategy implementation. Through deliberative one-on-one outreach, the SEDC Team engaged partners of all backgrounds to accomplish the energy, environmental and economic goals of the Collaborative. The Team enjoyed unprecedented success with engaging non-traditional partners to aid in the reduction of emissions from diesel engines throughout the Southeast.
The SEDC strategy has resulted in a crosscutting and innovative partnership currently with over 650 registered members responsible for approximately 290 projects that impact over 13,000 engines. (This accomplishment does not including projects utilizing biodiesel resources.) The fore-mentioned projects involve a variety of strategies including diesel engine retrofit technology, reduced engine idling, biofuels research, truckstop electrification, SmartWay Transport partnerships and biodiesel production infrastructure development and expansion.
Comprehensive communication and outreach activities included: a monthly SEDC partner calls; two annual partners meetings, one in 2006 and one in 2007; fuels, funding and military workshops/forums; outreach at events around the southeast (bioenergy, transportation, and environmental conferences, grant award recognition media events); and the SEDC website, “www.southeastdiesel.org.”
One of the highlights at the annual meetings was the collective signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), representing the commitment of all of the participants to the Collaborative. The MOU was the first of its kind in the country to address diesel emissions, and has been used as a template nationwide. SEDC partners and representatives from all eight Region 4 states have signed the MOU, with over 50 signing by the end of 2007.
The SEDC secured grants in 2006-07 totaling over $1,700,000 for innovative clean diesel retrofit, fuel and research projects. SEDC partners have on average leveraged project dollars 5 to 1 compared to EPA grants to further ensure the success of their efforts to improve air quality and public health.
Interagency partners: Region 4 Federal and State environmental, energy, transportation and agriculture agencies and offices
Local partners: Local environmental energy, transportation and economic development agencies and offices; nongovernmental organizations; industry (fuels, biodiesel, engines, aftermarket retrofit technology); academia
Activity URL: www.southeastdiesel.org