Diesel Retrofit News - 2009

December 18, 2009

Efforts Underway to Include DERA Funding as Part of Jobs Growth Legislation - Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Max Baucus (D-MT), as well as industry and environmental groups, are working to include additional funding for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) in any job growth legislation that might be considered in early 2010. A Dear Colleague letter was sent last week asking other Senators to support the effort. Similar discussions are also underway in the House, although the jobs bill that cleared the House this week did not include any funding for DERA projects. The letter notes that a $1 billion investment in DERA would save or create 19,000 jobs and generate over $3 billion in additional economic output. DERA was authorized for $1 billion between FY 2006-2010, but only $470 million of these funds have been appropriated (including the $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). For a copy of the letter, go to: www.dieselforum.org/news-center/pdfs/Jobs_DERA_letter.pdf.

Pennsylvania Announces Funding for Small Business Grant Program, Includes Potential Retrofit Opportunity - On December 7, 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the availability of $1 million under Pennsylvania's Small Business Advantage Grant Program. Under the program, businesses can apply for a 50% matching grant of up to $7,500 for taking actions that save at least 20% annually in energy or pollution-related costs. To be eligible, an applicant must be located in Pennsylvania and have 100 or fewer full-time employees. Applicants may be manufacturers, retailers, service providers, mining operators, or agricultural businesses. The grant-supported project must be located within a Pennsylvania facility belonging to the applicant. Examples of eligible projects include HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency lighting, solvent recovery systems, waste recycling systems, and auxiliary power units deployed as anti-idling technology for trucks. Projects involving the installation of retrofit devices on diesel vehicles and equipment are potentially eligible on a case-be-case basis; check with DEP at (717) 783-8411. Funds will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. The application deadline is January 15, 2010, or until the funds are exhausted. Since the Small Business Advantage Grant Program was launched in 2004, it has awarded more than $4.9 million to 928 businesses across the state. For program guidelines and application forms, go to: www.depweb.state.pa.us/enintech/cwp/view.asp?a=1413&q=503219.



December 11, 2009

EPA Announces over $16 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding for Washington State - On December 3, 2009, U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced more than $16 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding to local agencies for projects that will reduce diesel emissions in Washington State. Administrator Jackson made the announcement at a press conference at Bell Harbor in Seattle.

The grants will cover several projects:



• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
  
  
  • $739,577 for retrofitting engines on tugboats operated by FOSS Marine.
  • $2,534,511 for retrofitting locomotive engines owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe.
• Washington Department of Ecology
  
  
  • $1,730,000 for retrofitting cargo-handling equipment at port facilities with flow-through filters and diesel oxidation catalysts.
• Cascade Sierra Solutions
  
  
  • $907,072 for heavy-duty diesel vehicles to be retrofitted with aerodynamic technology.
  • $9,000,000 for heavy-duty diesel trucks to get replacements, retrofits, repowers, idle reduction technology, aerodynamic technology, and new tires.
• Port of Tacoma:
  
  
  • $1,488,080 to install a shore-side electrical connection system and alternative maritime power at the Totem Ocean Trailer Express Terminal (TOTE). Two ocean-going vessels will be retrofitted and TOTE will add certified ship-side technology.

(Note: Except for the FOSS Marine retrofit project, all of the above projects have been previously announced.)

Under the FOSS Marine retrofit project (funded using ARRA funds under EPA's National Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program), Foss Maritime Company, Environmental Solutions Worldwide (ESW), and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) are partnering to install DOCs on two Foss tugs, the Garth Foss and the Lindsey Foss. PSCAA will manage the project on behalf of EPA. The DOCs are listed by EPA as an Emerging Technology for marine two-stroke, Tier 0/Tier 1, turbocharged EMD model engines. The four 4,000-hp marine engines on the Garth and the Lindsey will be retrofitted with the DOCs in combination with a closed crankcase ventilation (CCV) system. The six-year partnership with Foss and PSCAA will allow ESW to determine if the system is durable enough for extended maritime use.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/906f57f8e35c6c05852576810076bfa5!OpenDocument.

Ohio Announces Recipients of Latest Round of School Bus Retrofit Funding - The Ohio EPA has awarded grants totaling $1,871,973 to 31 school districts in Ohio during the fall grant cycle (grant cycle ending September 1, 2009) under the Ohio EPA's Clean Diesel School Bus Fund Retrofit Grants Program. These grants are supported with a combination of $975,588 in DERA economic stimulus funds from the U.S. EPA and $896,385 in civil penalties collected by the Ohio EPA for violations of Ohio's environmental protection laws. These grants will retrofit 536 buses, and achieve an estimated annual emission reduction of 1,381 lbs. of particulate, 10,203 lbs. of carbon monoxide, and 5,150 lbs. of hydrocarbons. Emission control devices to be installed include DPFs, FTFs, DOCs, and closed crankcase filter systems. Since this grant program began in 2006, the Ohio EPA has awarded more than $5 million to install emission control devices on 1,641 school buses statewide, and remove nearly 25 tons of pollutants from the air. The next grant application deadline will be on March 1, 2010 ($350,000 available). For the complete list of school districts who received funding, go to: www.epa.ohio.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=CTs6FsnaG60%3d&tabid=2250. For more information on Ohio EPA's school bus retrofit program, including a link to the grant application for 2010, go to: www.epa.ohio.gov/oeef/schoolbus.aspx.



December 4, 2009

Industry Group Files Lawsuit Against New York State DERA Regulations - The New York Construction Materials Association and two large truck fleet operators in the state of New York (Callanan Industries and Pallette Stone Corp.) filed a lawsuit on November 30, 2009, in the state Supreme Court in Saratoga County, NY, seeking to nullify the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulations that require the clean-up of state-owned or contracted diesel vehicles that are used on state and public authority construction projects. The lawsuit asserts that these regulations should be thrown out because they didn't take effect until July 30, 2009, nearly three years after the state legislature approved and Governor Pataki signed the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2006. Because of this delay, contractors are having problems meeting implementation deadlines that require the retrofit or replacement of older diesel vehicles that were meant to begin in 2008 and be completed by the end of 2010. The lawsuit also claims that the costs of retrofits required by the regulations are more than double the estimates provided by New York DEC ($20,000 to $30,000 per truck compared to the $6,000 to $11,000 DEC estimate). In October of this year, DEC announced that it would not enforce the regulations retroactively but stated that contractors must begin replacements or retrofits in 2010. DEC plans to begin enforcement of the regulations in 2011. DEC has not yet issued any comments on the lawsuit.

School District in Massachusetts Retrofits Buses Using EPA Grant - On December 2, 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced that nine school buses from the Swansea Public School District were retrofit with emission control devices under a $120,000 grant from the U.S. EPA's Northeast Diesel Collaborative Emissions Reduction-School Bus Retrofit Program. Swansea's nine buses each received a DOC and a crankcase ventilation system. Southworth-Milton, Inc., installed the retrofits. Southworth-Milton is one of seven retrofit vendors under state contract selected to install retrofits on buses across the state. Swansea is the latest school system to participate in the MassDEP school bus retrofit program. Regional school systems in Charlton and Hanover have also recently received school bus retrofits. For more information, go to: www.mass.gov/dep/public/press/1209swan.htm.

Ohio EPA Fines Steel Company, Includes Funds for School Bus Retrofits - On November 24, 2009, ArcelorMittal Columbus, LLC, agreed to pay $17,280 to the Ohio EPA for violating the state's hazardous waste law. The majority of the civil penalty ($13,824) will be paid to Ohio EPA's Hazardous Waste Cleanup Fund. The remaining portion ($3,456) will go to Ohio EPA's Clean Diesel School Bus Fund to help retrofit school buses with emission control devices. The company operates a manufacturing facility that conducts hot dip galvanizing of rolled sheet metal. In March 2009, Ohio EPA conducted a compliance evaluation inspection at the facility and discovered nine drums of hazardous waste that had been stored improperly (i.e., in an area without a permit for more than 90 days, the maximum period of time allowed by law). Immediately following Ohio EPA's inspection, the company properly disposed of the drums off-site at a permitted facility. For more information, go to: www.epa.state.oh.us/portals/47/nr/2009/november/ArcelorMittalColumbus.pdf.



November 25, 2009

Mississippi River Non-Profit to Use Emerging Technologies Stimulus Funding on Project to Retrofit Marine Vessels - On November 19, 2009, Mississippi River Corridor-Tennessee (MRCT) announced that it will use the $2 million in economic stimulus funding it received from the U.S. EPA under the agency's National Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program to retrofit six marine vessels that operate on the Mississippi River. MRCT is a non-profit organization dedicated to the economic development and land and wildlife preservation of the six counties that border the Mississippi River along the western border of Tennessee. The grant award was made possible by the collaboration of the MRCT, the Ingram Barge Company, Emisstar LLC, and ESW Canada Inc., and will result in the installation of 13 DOCs on six marine vessels owned and operated by Ingram Barge Company. The DOCs are listed by EPA as an Emerging Technology for marine two-stroke, Tier 0/Tier 1, turbocharged EMD model engines. All of the vessels are expected to be retrofitted by the first quarter of 2010. The PM emission reductions from the installation of the DOCs on the vessels is projected to be in excess of 94 tons over the five-year project life. For more information, go to: www.msrivertn.org/news.asp.

Rutgers University Agrees to Green Partnership with EPA, Includes Commitment to Retrofit Vehicles - On November 13, 2009, Rutgers University in New Jersey and the U.S. EPA signed an agreement that outlines steps to reduce air pollution from vehicles, increase recycling, and improve water and energy use across the school?s three campuses. As part of the agreement, Rutgers will use lower-sulfur diesel fuel in and retrofit existing diesel vehicles to reduce emissions. The school will also consider using only construction equipment that has filters installed for future construction projects. Rutgers also agreed, among other things, to: increase the purchase of hybrid or alternate-fuel vehicles for its fleet and design all new buildings to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/3f60937fb041202b8525766d005ecdce!OpenDocument.

EPA has similar agreements in place with the New York Jets and New York Giants for the new Meadowlands Stadium; the New York Mets for the team's new Citi Field stadium; the Destiny USA mall project in Syracuse, NY; the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield; Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ; Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ; St. John's University in Queens, NY; Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, NJ; and Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, NY. For more information on EPA green construction and operations agreements, go to: www.epa.gov/region02/greenteam/.



November 20, 2009

Texas Approves Penalties Against 70 Companies, Includes Funds for Retrofitting Schools Buses - On November 18, 2009, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $816,375 against 70 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total are penalties of $243,301 against Conoco Phillips Company in Hutchinson County for 24 air violations stemming from investigations in October 2008 and April 2009. Of this amount, $121,650 will be used by the Texas PTA to fund the retrofit or replacement of school buses in Hutchinson County as part of the Texas Clean School Bus Program. For more information, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/communication/media/11-18Agenda.



November 13, 2009

Hawaii to Use ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funds on Vehicle Replacement - On November 5, 2009, at an event at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) announced their plans for the $1.73 million in DERA funding the state received through the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). HDOH will replace five diesel buses from the Hawaii Department of Education?s (HDOE) fleet in Kona and five other HDOE diesel trucks. In addition, two diesel refuse trucks and a diesel truck owned by the University of Hawaii will be replaced. HDOH also highlighted the use of previous clean diesel funding to retrofit 15 Honolulu Board of Water Supply vehicles. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/17e669965ef554cb85257665007441be!OpenDocument.

Massachusetts Awards $302,000 to Retrofit Waste Collection Vehicles - On November 9, 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) awarded $302,000 in grants to four municipalities and five private waste haulers to retrofit 132 diesel waste collection vehicles serving 62 communities across the state. The grants are supported by $115,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds, $82,000 from an enforcement settlement with the American Electric Power Company, and $105,000 in FY 2008 DERA funds from the U.S. EPA. Thirty-two of the communities served by these vehicles are environmental justice areas, and 29 of the communities have pediatric asthma rates that are at or above the statewide incidence level of 10%. The eligible trucks will receive either a DPF, a flow-through filter, or a DOC. Two vendors, Southworth-Milton Inc. of Milford and Shuster Corporation of New Bedford, will provide and install the equipment.

The grant recipients are:



• Town of Blackstone ($2,215): One waste collection vehicle.
• Town of Clinton ($2,434): One vehicle.
• City of Chicopee ($16,866): Nine vehicles.
• City of Springfield ($51,504): Fourteen vehicles.
• BP Trucking Co. Inc. of Ashland ($6,114): Three vehicles.
• Central Mass Disposal Inc. of Auburn ($8,439): Four vehicles.
• Capitol Waste Services Inc. of East Boston ($104,944): Fifty-six vehicles.
• Casella Waste Systems Inc. of Rutland ($23,740): Eleven vehicles.
• Russell Disposal Inc. of Somerville ($85,908): Thirty-three vehicles.

For more information, go to: www.mass.gov/dep/public/press/1109aatw.htm.

Sydney, Australia, to Retrofit Port Trucks as Part of Demonstration Program - The New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) is inviting road transport operators based at Port Botany in Sydney, Australia, to take part in a free diesel retrofit demonstration program at Port Botany starting this month through 2010. The program will involve the installation of flow-through filters on up to 20 pre-2002 diesel trucks operating from Port Botany's container terminal and bulk liquids precinct. There will be no financial cost to operators that take part in the program in regards to the purchase and the installation of the devices. Participants in the program may be required to make their truck available for emissions testing. RTA is conducting this demonstration program because a majority of container transporters at the port are individual subcontractors, operating older and higher-polluting hand-me-down trucks that are often 20-30 years old. This program is fully funded by the RTA and supported by Sydney Ports Corporation. For more information, contact RTA's Warren Telfer at: Warren_TELFER@rta.nsw.gov.au.



November 6, 2009

New York Delays Retrofit Regulation for State-Owned Vehicles until 2010 - At the end of October, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) delayed enforcement until 2010 of its regulation approved back in June requiring all heavy-duty diesel vehicles owned by New York State agencies and authorities and by contractors working on behalf of the state be retrofitted or replaced. DEC has put off enforcing the law, which took effect on August 14, 2009, until next year because "enforcing the law now would be a hardship on contractors and material suppliers that use the diesel vehicles on state-sponsored construction projects," said Deputy Commissioner Alison H. Crocker. The delayed enforcement was detailed in an October 27 letter to the Northeastern Subcontractors Association (NESCA).

The regulation (6 NYCRR Part 248) requires application of best available retrofit technology (BART) to both on-road and off-road diesel vehicles that are defined in the regulations (on-road heavy-duty vehicles defined as vehicles over 8,500 lbs. GVW; exemptions include emergency vehicles, farm equipment, timber harvesting equipment, dedicated snowplowing equipment, typical heavy-duty construction equipment, locomotives). BART includes retrofit technologies verified by the U.S. EPA or California ARB. Compliance options include replacement of a vehicle with a 2007 or newer vehicle that is equipped with a DPF or retrofit of an existing vehicle with the highest level verified PM retrofit technology (e.g., a Level 3 DPF) that is available for the vehicle. Owners of vehicles that do not have a verified retrofit technology available for their vehicle can apply for a compliance waiver.

For more information on the Part 248 regulation, go to: www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/56126.html.

Mississippi Using ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funds to Retrofit School Buses - On October 29, 2009, Starkville School District in Mississippi began the installation of DOCs on 12 school buses in their fleet using funds received from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality through the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The 12 school buses are manufactured by International and range from model years 1998 to 2006. Waters Truck and Tractor Company are conducting the installations. There are about 55 total buses in the Starkville fleet; seven of the buses were built in 2007 or later. Starkville is one of several school districts in Mississippi who applied and received funding for these DOC retrofit installations. For the press release announcements of the school districts that received funding to retrofit their buses, go to: www.deq.state.ms.us/MDEQ.nsf/page/Main_Newsroom?OpenDocument.

EPA Settlement with Arizona Developer Includes Funds for Retrofit - Lennar Communities Development, Inc., a developer based in Tempe, AZ, has settled with the U.S. EPA for a total of $182,519 -- a combined $38,425 fine and $144,094 supplemental environmental project -- in response to alleged dust violations that occurred at residential construction sites in Maricopa County. The supplemental environmental project will involve the retrofit of vehicles and equipment owned by the city of Phoenix with PM emission control devices. Between November 2003 and January 2005, Lennar violated Maricopa County air quality rules during residential construction projects at five different sites in the county. Maricopa County is classified as a serious non-attainment area for particulate matter. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/3dd8fe801485390b8525765e00585e2a!OpenDocument.



October 30, 2009

Kansas Announces Recipients of ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding - On October 27, 2009, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced the grant recipients of the $1.73 million in DERA funding the state received through the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The application process yielded 47 applications from across the state.

The grant recipients are:



• Small fleets (fewer than five vehicles/pieces of equipment)
  
  
  • Pemco, Inc., Miami - Engine repower
  • Olivier Ranch, Harper - Engine repower
  • Simon Backhoe Services, Douglas - Engine upgrade kits
  • Dwight Johnson, Riley - Engine repower
  • Circle L Trucking, Cowley - Idle reduction
• Large fleets (five vehicles/pieces of equipment or greater)
  
  
  • Bestmark Express, Inc., Chase - Idle reduction, engine repowers, tire and aerodynamic technologies
  • APAC - Kansas, Inc., Johnson - Retrofits
  • City of Lawrence, KS, Douglas - Retrofits
  • Heckert Construction, Crawford - Cleaner fuels
  • Associated Wholesale Grocers, Wyandotte - Aerodynamic technology
  • Unified Government of WY - Kansas City, Wyandotte - Retrofits
  • Thomas & Sons Trucking, Osborne - Idle reduction
  • Reece Construction Co., Inc., Jewell - Retrofits

For more information, go to: www.kdheks.gov/news/web_archives/2009/10272009.htm.

Iowa Announces Recipients of ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding - On October 20, 2009, the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission announced the award recipients of the $1.73 million in DERA funding the state received through the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The Commission approved 12 projects for sub-grant awards under the Reduce Iowa's Diesel Exhaust (RIDE) grant program. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources had received 49 applications requesting funds totaling nearly $11 million. When completed, the 12 projects have the potential to cumulatively reduce emissions from diesel exhaust by over 2,100 tons annually. For more information, including the complete list of award recipients, go to: www.iowadnr.gov/air/RIDE/.

Schools in North Carolina Receive Grant to Retrofit School Buses, Fuel Trucks - On October 21, 2009, at a press conference in Matthews, NC, Clean Air Carolina (CAC), in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Union County Public Schools, received a $536,000 CMAQ grant to reduce diesel emissions from school buses and fuel trucks. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality federal grant is administered by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and available to nonattainment areas in the state. Union and Mecklenburg counties are both part of an eight-county ozone nonattainment region designated by the U.S. EPA in 2004. CAC wrote and submitted the grant to help the school systems continue their goals of greening their fleets. The grant will allow for the retrofitting of 24 school buses in Union County with DPFs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County plans to retrofit 47 school buses and 15 fuel trucks with flow-through filters. For more information, go to: www.cleanaircarolina.org.

Arizona Power Plant Accepting Applications for Retrofit of School Buses under Settlement - On October 22, 2009, the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (SRP) in Arizona announced that it was taking applications from school districts for the SRP A+ Bus Program, which will provide $1.25 million in funding to school districts throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area (Maricopa, Pinal, and Yavapai counties) to retrofit their in-use diesel school buses with verified DPFs. This funding comes from a settlement between SRP and the U.S. EPA back on August 12, 2008, whereby SRP agreed to install pollution controls at its power plant at an estimated cost of $400 million to reduce harmful emissions, pay a $950,000 civil penalty, and spend $4 million on a supplemental environmental projects. School buses to be retrofit must be 1994 or newer, have a GVWR of 19,500 lbs. or more, and travel at least 10,000 miles per year and be in service at least four days per week during the school year. SRP will fund the maintenance of the retrofit devices through December 31, 2015. To be considered for the SRP A+ Bus Program, a school district must submit an Expression of Interest Form. The deadline to apply for this grant funding is November 19, 2009. In addition, SRP will develop educational materials to help teach students about the various ways technology can be utilized to solve air quality issues. For more information, including a copy of the application form, go to: www.srpnet.com/environment/earthwise/aplusbus.aspx.



October 23, 2009

Pennsylvania Announces Recipients of ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding - On October 16, 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the award recipients of the $1.73 million in DERA funding it received through the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

The award recipients are:



• E & B Transportation Co. (Adams County) - $64,672 to retrofit 28 school buses with DOCs. E & B services the Dover and Bermudian Springs school districts.
• Allegheny County Health Department (Allegheny County) - $443,100 to retrofit 33 waste-hauling vehicles in the city of Pittsburgh with DPFs.
• Central Dauphin School (Dauphin County) - $48,600 to retrofit 20 school buses with DOCs.
• CMD Services Inc. (Montgomery County) - $88,492 to retrofit 47 school buses with DOCs. CMD services the Pottstown and Pottsgrove school districts.
• Philadelphia Air Management Services (Philadelphia County) - $616,740 to replace 38 diesel-powered baggage tractors with 38 zero-emission electric baggage tractors and install 19 dual-port electric charging stations at Philadelphia International Airport.

For more information, go to: www.ahs2.dep.state.pa.us/newsreleases/default.asp?ID=5697.

Michigan Announces Recipients of ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding - On October 16, 2009, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced the award recipients of the $1.73 million in DERA funding it received through the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

The award recipients are:



• Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority of Detroit, Nicholson Terminal and Dock, for the repower of certified marine engines and aerial lifts ($141,700).
• Detroit Wayne County Port Authority of Detroit, Waterfront Petroleum Terminal Company, for the repower of certified propulsion marine engines, certified engine generator sets, and shore pumps ($309,913).
• Mass Transit Authority of Flint for the certified engine repower of urban transit buses ($162,705).
• Okemos Public Schools for the purchase and installation of diesel retrofit devices for a variety of statewide school buses ($153,964).
• Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision of Detroit for engine repowers of nonroad construction equipment, as well as short haul on-road vehicles, and marine ferry engines. This project will also incorporate idle reduction technology in tire loaders and diesel retrofit devices on highway vehicles ($370,367).
• Whiteline Express, Ltd., of Plymouth to install idle reduction auxiliary power units on their long haul truck fleet ($79,200).
• Zeeland Public Schools to replace diesel engine school buses with propane-powered school buses ($309,648).

For more information, go to: www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3308_3323-224369--,00.html.

Alabama to Use ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding to Retrofit State DOT Vehicles - On October 19, 2009, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) announced that it is partnering with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to utilize a portion of the $1.73 million awarded to the state through the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to install diesel retrofit devices on ALDOT's fleet of diesel vehicles used to implement their transportation programs. Approximately 184 vehicles will be retrofitted with DPFs or DOCs. ALDOT has agreed to have the project completed by September 30, 2010. For more information, go to: www.adem.state.al.us/PressReleases/2009/DieselRetrofits.pdf.

School Bus Company to Implement Nationwide Anti-Idling Program, Includes Bus Retrofits in New England - On October 21, 2009, as part of a settlement with the U.S. EPA for clean air violations, school bus operator First Student, Inc., committed to reduce idling from its nationwide fleet of 50,000 school buses. First Student will also pay a fine of $128,000 and perform environmental projects valued at over $1 million. In one of these environmental projects, First Student will outfit approximately 150 school buses in New England with DOCs and crankcase filters. First Student will also implement a national Training and Management Program to prevent excessive idling from its entire fleet of 50,000 school buses.

In 2008, an EPA inspector observed buses idling for lengthy periods of time at First Student school bus lots in both Connecticut and Rhode Island. Some buses were observed idling for up to two-and-a-half hours prior to departing the lot to pick up school children. Both Connecticut and Rhode Island have anti-idling regulations in place: Connecticut limits idling time to three minutes and Rhode Island limits idling time to five minutes.

First Student is one of the largest school bus companies in North America, transporting four million students in 40 states across the country. EPA's New England office has previously brought and resolved 11 separate enforcement actions for penalties against nine different companies for violations of state anti-idling regulations. For more information, go to: www.epa.gov/ne/eco/diesel/idling.html.



October 16, 2009

EPA Announces RFP for FY 2009/2010 National Emerging Technologies Program - On October 9, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced its Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2009/2010 DERA funding ($8 million) under the National Emerging Technologies Program. (Note: All of the DERA economic stimulus funding under the National Emerging Technologies Program [$20 million] has been awarded, but only three of the 14 award winners have been officially announced.) Under this solicitation, the only eligible diesel emission reduction strategies that may be proposed are the use of emerging emission control technologies as listed on the National Clean Diesel Campaign's Emerging Technology List (www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel/prgemerglist.htm). An emerging technology is defined as a technology that has not been previously certified or verified by EPA or the California ARB but for which an approvable application and test plan have been submitted for verification.

Eligible entities include state and local governments and non-profit organizations. The closing date for receipt of proposals is December 8, 2009. Award winners will be announced in March 2010 by EPA headquarters. EPA anticipates awarding a total of approximately 6-10 cooperative agreements ranging from $500,000 to $1,500,000.

For a copy of the RFP, go to: www.epa.gov/air/grants/emergtech_10_7_09_final.pdf.

EPA Announces RFP for FY 2009/2010 SmartWay Program - On October 9, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced its Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2009/2010 DERA funding ($12 million) under the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program. (Note: All of the DERA economic stimulus funding under the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program [$30 million] has been awarded; four of the five award winners have been officially announced.) Finance programs include, but are not limited to, those that provide the loan recipient a specific financial incentive (i.e., longer terms or lower rates) to purchase or lease eligible retrofitted vehicles or equipment. The cooperative agreement award can be used to finance up to 100% of the cost of verified diesel retrofit technologies, verified idle reduction technologies, verified aerodynamic technologies and low rolling resistance tires, certified engine repower, and certified vehicle replacement. The cooperative agreement award can also be used to finance the cost differential between eligible cleaner fuels and conventional diesel fuels.

Eligible entities include state and local governments and non-profit organizations. The closing date for receipt of proposals is December 8, 2009. Award winners will be announced in March 2010 by EPA headquarters. EPA anticipates awarding 1-6 cooperative agreement(s) under this announcement, ranging in value from $2 million to $12 million.

For a copy of the RFP, go to: www.epa.gov/air/grants/final_smartway_rfp_10-9-09.pdf.

EPA Releases Report to Congress on FY 2008 DERA Program - On October 14, 2009, the U.S. EPA released its Report to Congress detailing the health, environmental, and economic benefits of the agency's FY 2008 DERA program. In 2008, Congress appropriated funding for the first time for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Program under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The program was funded at $49.2 million in FY 2008.

Highlights from the report:



• EPA awarded 119 DERA grants in FY 2008, which EPA projects will result in emission reductions of approximately 46,000 tons of NOx and 2,200 tons of PM2.5. The PM-related emission reductions translate into a public health benefit of approximately $580 million to $1.4 billion.
• More than 14,000 diesel-powered vehicles and equipment will be cleaner as a result of this program.
• FY 2008 DERA funding supported emission reductions across all sectors: 5,392 school buses, 4,513 long-haul trucks, 865 construction vehicles and equipment, 774 refuse haulers, 590 delivery trucks, 583 drayage trucks, 438 transit buses, 425 city/county vehicles, 313 ports and airport vehicles, 54 locomotives and other rail vehicles, 34 agricultural equipment, and 29 marine vessels.
• Diesel retrofit technologies employed using FY 2008 DERA funding: 4,034 DOCs with CCVs, 3,403 DOCs, 2,326 DPFs, and 69 flow-through filters.
• Projects funded under these grants will save 3.2 million gallons of fuel per year for a cost savings to operators of more than $8 million each year (at $2.50 per gallon).
• The weighted average federal cost of all of the DERA projects in FY 2008 was about $25,000 per ton PM and $1,500 per ton NOx. DERA projects were on average less cost-effective for PM than regulatory programs for new diesel engines, such as the 2007 heavy-duty highway emission standards which EPA has estimated has a cost-effectiveness of $14,200 per ton PM.

For a copy of the report, go to: www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel/documents/420r09006.pdf.

San Diego APCD Provides Additional Details on DERA Economic Stimulus Funding for Lower-Emission School Buses - The San Diego Air Pollution Control District (APCD) will be spending $3.5 million in DERA economic stimulus funds and local matching funds to replace, repower, or retrofit 127 school buses. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors, which acts as the governing board of the San Diego APCD, voted 5-0 earlier this month to accept the recommendations of APCD staff. The money will pay to replace 12 buses with cleaner vehicles, repower two school buses with cleaner engines, and retrofit 113 buses with DPFs. APCD was awarded $1.56 million in DERA economic stimulus funds by the U.S. EPA and was required to provide $2 million in matching funds. APCD received applications from 28 school districts and one private school transportation provider. Those applications requested 38 bus replacements, five school bus repowers, and 298 retrofits for a total cost of nearly $10 million. APCD's recommendations were based on replacing, repowering, and retrofitting the oldest eligible buses, limiting the replacement of school buses to 1984 and older models and the retrofits to 1987 through 1995 models. The replacements, repowers, and retrofits that were approved for APCD funding are expected to reduce PM emissions by approximately 1.6 tons annually and reduce NOx emissions by approximately 0.9 tons annually.

AGC and Clean Air Task Force Call for Clean Construction Equipment in Federal Highway Projects - On October 15, 2009, The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) jointly called on Congress to give state officials both the authority and funding to require the use of clean construction equipment on federally-funded transportation projects. Congress is currently debating a new highway authorization bill. With funding issues yet to be resolved, SAFETEA-LU (the 2005 highway authorization bill) was extended at the end of September for three more months.

Under the new principles, states would first require successful bidders for federally-funded transportation projects to identify the off-road diesel equipment they plan to use. After exploring EPA-approved options for reducing diesel emissions (e.g., verified diesel retrofit technologies, diesel engine upgrades, diesel engine repowers, and idle reduction technologies), states would issue change orders requiring contractors to pursue the best of those options. States would give priority to projects located in PM2.5 nonattainment/maintenance areas, and the change orders would entitle contractors to recover 100% of their costs.

For a copy of the principles document, go to: www.agc.org/galleries/news/AGC-CATF%20Principles%209-29-09%20FINAL.pdf.

FHA Study Cites Massachusetts School Bus Retrofit Program's Effective Use of CMAQ Funds - A report published last month by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) cites the state of Massachusetts' school bus retrofit program as an example of an effective use of federal funds from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program. Announced in June 2008, MassCleanDiesel is the nation's first fully funded statewide program designed to reduce air pollution from school buses. All eligible diesel-powered school buses will be retrofitted with emission control devices at no expense to bus owners. The retrofit devices will be installed using $16.5 million in CMAQ funds and state funds. The plan is to retrofit about 5,500 school buses in the state by 2010. School buses will receive: 1) either a DPF, a FTF, or a DOC, and 2) a closed crankcase ventilation (CCV) filter. The study, "SAFETEA-LU 1808: CMAQ Evaluation and Assessment," determined that MassCleanDiesel is a good example of a statewide CMAQ program that can influence other activities and programs across multiple metropolitan planning organizations. For a copy of the study, go to: www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cmaqpgs/safetealu1808/index.htm. For more information on the MassCleanDiesel program, go to: www.mass.gov/dep/air/diesel/masscleandiesel.htm.



October 9, 2009

EPA Announces RFP for FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program - On October 6, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced its Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2009/2010 DERA funding ($64 million) under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. (Note: All of the DERA economic stimulus funding under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program [$156 million] has been awarded.)

For FY 2009 and 2010, EPA has combined the two DERA funding fiscal years into one national RFP and one state allocation. EPA's FY 2009 appropriation includes $60 million for DERA (and an additional $15 million earmarked for California). Both the House and Senate FY 2010 appropriations include $60 million for DERA projects in EPA's budget, but this FY 2010 EPA budget process is still not finalized (the final FY 2010 EPA budget may also include an earmark for California clean diesel projects). So, the total DERA appropriation for FY 2009 and 2010 (excluding California) is expected to be $120 million. Similar to all previous DERA appropriations, the breakdowns are the same: 70% for the national competitions ($84 million total ? $64 million for the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program, $8 million for the National Emerging Technologies Program, and $12 million for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program) and 30% for the non-competitive State Clean Diesel Grant Program ($36 million).

EPA will fund up to 100% of the cost of verified retrofit technologies. The closing date for receipt of proposals is December 8, 2009. Award winners will be announced in March 2010 through EPA's regional offices.

For a copy of the RFP, go to: www.epa.gov/air/grants/09-10.pdf. The RFPs for the FY 2009/2010 DERA funding under the National Emerging Technologies Program and the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program are expected soon.

EPA Announces $26.5 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding for Southern California, Includes Funding under Emerging Technologies Program and SmartWay Program - On October 1, 2009, at a press event held at the Port of Long Beach, U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced $26.5 million in funding for diesel emission reduction projects in Southern California under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Included in this amount is $4 million in DERA economic stimulus funding for the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) under EPA's National Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program. SCAQMD will use the funding for two projects ($2,000,000 each) involving the installation of SCR+DPF technology on heavy-duty diesel trucks (EGR and non-EGR engines). Also included is $5 million in DERA economic stimulus funding for the California ARB under EPA's SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program. ARB will use the funding for small-business owners' off-road vehicles throughout California, including vehicles that will operate in the South Coast Air Basin. For more information on the press event, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/8bf21cb4e72f9fc985257641007e1f19!OpenDocument.



October 2, 2009

EPA Awards $1.5 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Pennsylvania under Emerging Technologies Program - On September 24, 2009, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell announced that the state has received $1.5 million in DERA economic stimulus funding under the U.S. EPA's National Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program to upgrade the diesel engines of a towboat operating in the Pittsburgh area. The DERA funds are provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). This is the first announcement of DERA economic stimulus funding being awarded to a project under the Emerging Technologies Program (the ARRA allocated $20 million to the program); additional award announcements are expected soon. The grant will pay Cleveland Brothers of Murrysville to rebuild both diesel engines (using an engine upgrade kit) on the Pittsburgh-based vessel, Champion Coal. The towboat is owned by Consol Energy and moves freight on a 200-mile stretch of the Monongahela and Ohio rivers. After the engine upgrade, Cleveland Brothers will run a series of field tests to verify engine system performance through the first 1,000 hours of operation. The rebuilt engines will have a service life in excess of 30 years. For more information, go to: www.ahs2.dep.state.pa.us/newsreleases/default.asp?ID=5677.

Alaska Receives ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding - Earlier this week, Alaska became the final state to receive their $1.73 million share of the state clean diesel grant funding available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). EPA awarded the funding to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on September 30, 2009. The Alaska DEC plans to make awards to both the Alaska Railroad and the Alaska Department of Transportation to fund projects such as engine pre-heaters or "temp-a-start" units to help vehicle operators reduce idling during extreme cold. The request for proposals for these idle reduction projects will be forthcoming from Alaska DEC. Information about Alaska's ultra-low sulfur diesel and diesel retrofit programs is available at: www.dec.state.ak.us/air/ulsd/ulsdretro.htm.

Louisiana Announces Recipients of ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding - On September 18, 2009, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) approved funding for seven diesel emission reduction projects in response to a July 1 solicitation of proposals for funding. Under the ARRA, LDEQ was allocated $1.73 million in DERA funding through the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program. The seven projects total more than $1.5 million, and will fund projects in areas deemed most beneficial for diesel emissions reductions and with high population density. The largest award of $600,000 will be presented to the Caddo Public School System in Caddo Parish in order to retrofit their school buses with DPFs and DOCs. The other approved projects include: the repowering to natural gas of heavy-duty diesel trucks in East Baton Rouge and Bossier City; the replacement of construction equipment in Farmerville; the replacement of landscaping equipment at Louisiana State University; the upgrading of locomotives with idle reduction systems in Orleans Parish; and the retrofitting of heavy-duty trucks in Caddo Parish. For more information, go to: www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/portals/0/news/pdf/DERA_final.pdf.

Wisconsin Awards FY 2008 DERA Funds for Clean Diesel Projects - On September 22, 2009, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced that the Wisconsin Clean Diesel Grant Program has awarded 23 fleets nearly $235,000 in FY 2008 DERA funds from the U.S. EPA. The funds will reduce diesel emissions from 110 trucks, school buses, and construction vehicles through clean diesel strategies such as the installation of DOCs, idling-reduction units, battery-powered HVACs, and direct-fire heaters, as well as engine repowers. Private and public fleets from 16 counties received awards, with the state shares ranging from $2,771 to $24,539. Five projects involve retrofitting vehicles: $4,830 to Antigo Construction in Antigo (install DOCs on concrete breakers); $15,425 to Dane County Public Works Department in Madison (install DOCs and direct-fire heaters on snowplow trucks, graders, and a track loader); $24,361 to Northeast Asphalt, Inc., in Waukesha (install DOCs on construction trucks and an engine repower on a grader); $24,539 to Payne and Dolan, Inc. in Waukesha (install DOCs on construction trucks and an engine repower on a grader); and $9,965 to Premier Concrete, Inc., in Waukesha (install DOCs on cement mixers). For a complete list of the award recipients, go to: dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cfa/awards/CleanDieselAwards.pdf.



September 25, 2009

Congressional Representatives Sign Letter Asking that Federal Transportation Projects Use Clean Diesel Technology - In August, Representative John Hall (D-NY) together with 54 other members of the House sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee asking that all future federally funded transportation projects be built with construction equipment using the cleanest diesel technology available. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is currently deliberating on the reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009. The representatives are seeking to include a provision in the Act that would require the installation of DPFs on all construction equipment, and provide federal funds to pay for these retrofits if the technology was not already installed. For a copy of the letter, go to: www.dieselforum.org/news-center/pdfs/Clean%20Diesel%20Letter-Signed.pdf.

NY City Council Passes Bill Requiring Crankcase Filters on All School Buses - On September 17, 2009, the New York City Council approved a bill (Intro 622-A) requiring that all school bus companies that contract with the city's Department of Education install crankcase filters on their diesel school buses by September 1, 2011. (School bus fleets must have 50% of their buses equipped with crankcase filters by September 1, 2010.) In addition, all older diesel school buses will have to be retired once they reach 16-years old. The city council voted 47-0 in favor of the bill. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that he will sign the bill. This local law would take effect on July 1, 2010. School bus companies are expected to pass the cost of the retrofits and the new buses along to the city when they negotiate new bus contracts starting next year. This bill is the second local law to specifically address emissions from in-use diesel school buses -- NYC approved a bill back in 2005 (Intro 428-A) that required school buses to use ULSD and best available retrofit technology, but the bill did not address crankcase emissions. To view the text of the new bill, go to: legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=451542&GUID=8EDB291F-E81E-4DAB-83CC-83CAD31F47B1&Options=ID|Text|&Search=622-A.

Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative Recognizes Organizations for Clean Diesel Excellence - On September 17, 2009, the U.S. EPA's Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative (MCDI) Leadership Group recognized people and organizations that have acted to reduce diesel emissions in EPA Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) at a ceremony in Chicago. The recipients were: the Minnesota Environmental Initiative, the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, and Darwin Burkhart from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Below is a summary of the accomplishments of the winners:



• The Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) is a non-profit organization with a unique public-private partnership in a state that meets the current EPA national ambient air quality standards. MEI's Project Green Fleet, an initiative the group started in 2005, has a goal to retrofit all eligible school buses across Minnesota (approximately 4,000 buses). By the end of 2008, Project Green Fleet had installed over 1,200 DOCs and/or crankcase filters on school buses across the state and will be more than halfway to its goal by the end of this year.
• The Wisconsin Department of Commerce administers the Wisconsin Idle Reduction Grant Program, which provides 50% of the cost of an idle reduction technology to Wisconsin-based fleets. The grant program, founded by the Wisconsin legislature, has funded more than 1,100 idle reduction devices in 339 grant awards. The program has been so successful that the state legislature has reauthorized it through 2015.
• The MCDI High Horsepower Award for individual excellence was presented to Darwin Burkhart for his dedication, leadership, and drive in administering clean diesel/clean air programs for Illinois EPA. Burkhart manages several clean air programs, including the Illinois Clean Bus Program, the Illinois Green Fleets Program, the Illinois Alternative Fuel Rebate Program, and the Illinois Clean Diesel Initiative. Through these programs, he has administered over $6 million to fund projects across the state that have addressed emissions from existing on-road and off-road diesel vehicles and equipment.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/7e38a4b1d2b9ba7085257634006d3ad5!OpenDocument.



September 11, 2009

Ohio Provides Additional Details on ARRA Clean Diesel Projects - On September 3, 2009, the Ohio Department of Development and Ohio EPA sent out a press release providing additional details on the 12 clean diesel projects awarded $4.9 million in DERA economic stimulus funding back on June 3, 2009. The DERA funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The grants will allow public and private fleets to retrofit, repower, or replace diesel engines in 290 school buses and heavy-duty highway and locomotive engines across the state.

Details on the 12 clean diesel projects are as follows:



• Ohio Central Railroad System, in Licking County, will receive $809,934 for a rail engine repower.
• CSX Transportation, Inc., in Hamilton County will receive approximately $1.1 million for a rail engine repower.
• Columbus City School District, in Franklin County, will receive $279,500 to replace six school buses with hybrid buses.
• Sunesis Construction, in Hamilton County, will receive $97,669 for one engine repower for a piece of construction equipment.
• Miller Bros. Construction, Inc., in Lucas County, will receive $155,678 for two engine repowers for construction equipment.
• The Stein Cos., in Cuyahoga County, will receive $298,435 to conduct eight engine replacements for long haul trucks.
• Ohio Turnpike Commission, in Cuyahoga County, will receive $600,000 for eight vehicle replacements for construction/road maintenance; $98,000 for 49 cab heaters for road maintenance equipment; $23,400 for six DOCs and cab heaters; $11,200 for two DPFs; and $57,000 for 30 DOCs for road maintenance equipment.
• Cleveland Hopkins Airport, in Cuyahoga County, will receive $230,047 for 36 flow-through filters and closed crankcase ventilation systems for airport support equipment; and $99,000 for 18 direct-fired heaters for airport support equipment.
• The Jurgensen Cos., in Hamilton County, will receive $112,203 for six DPFs for construction equipment.
• T.R.O., Inc., in Allen County, will receive $237,750 for 50 auxiliary power units for long haul trucks.
• The Ohio Department of Transportation will receive $641,541 for 58 DPFs for construction equipment statewide.
• Marine Road and Bridge Construction, Inc., in Greene County, will receive more than $32,000 to help purchase clean diesel construction equipment.

For more information, go to: development.ohio.gov/newsroom/releases/press.htm?id=3957.



September 4, 2009

North Carolina Announces Recipients of ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Funding - On August 11, 2009, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources announced the recipients of its $1.73 million allocation in ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program funding. Under this DERA funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), each state and Washington, D.C., received $1.73 million for clean diesel projects. The bulk of the money (nearly $1.2 million) was awarded to 24 clean diesel projects in the state via a grant competition (the North Carolina Diesel Emissions Economic Recovery Grant program). The rest of the money was used to administer a rebate program for the purchase of auxiliary power units and heavy-duty diesel replacements for long-haul trucks. The 24 clean diesel projects include retrofitting school buses, repowering trucks and ships with cleaner-burning engines, and offsetting costs for using biodiesel fuel. For more information, including the complete list of award recipients, go to: portal.ncdenr.org/c/journal/view_article_content?groupId=21953&articleId=245454.

Trash Collection Company in Washington Completes Retrofit of Truck Fleet - On August 25, 2009, Sanitary Service Company, Inc. (SSC), a garbage and recycling collection company in Bellingham, WA, announced that they recently completed a major installation of emission control devices on its fleet of garbage and recycling collection vehicles. SSC installed DOCs on 58 of its trucks as part of the Washington State Clean Diesel Grant Program. The program was established to install emission control technology on heavy-duty diesel vehicles and equipment operating in the public and private sectors in Washington. SSC applied for, and was awarded, a grant as a privately-owned diesel fleet. In recent years, SSC has taken a number of steps to reduce emissions from its truck fleet, including switching to biodiesel fuel, retiring older vehicles, and purchasing new, lower-emission vehicles. For more information, go to: www.ssc-inc.com/news.php?news_id=62&page=1.



August 28, 2009

EPA Awards $20 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding under SmartWay Program - On August 27, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced the first recipients of $20 million in DERA economic stimulus funding under the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program. The DERA funds are provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Under the ARRA, the SmartWay Program was allotted $30 million in DERA funding to establish national low-cost revolving loans or other financing programs that will provide funding to fleets to reduce diesel emissions.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Houston-Galveston Area Council ($9 million) - The Houston-Galveston Area Council will use the $9 million to support the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program in the Houston-Galveston area. The DERA funding will fund a bridge loan program that provides resources for retrofitting drayage trucks with SmartWay-verified technologies or for purchasing newer, less-polluting drayage trucks at the Port of Houston. The program targets owners of the more than 3,000 trucks operating at the port.
• Cascade Sierra Solutions ($9 million) - Oregon-based Cascade Sierra Solutions will use the $9 million for revolving loan, lease or bond programs to replace older diesel trucks or upgrade them with SmartWay-verified technologies such as idle reduction equipment, fuel-efficient tires, and aerodynamic devices.
• Louisville Jefferson Metro County Government ($2 million) - The Louisville Jefferson Metro County Government will use the $2 million for a revolving loan program to replace, repower, or retrofit older construction, agricultural, and other nonroad diesel equipment.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/7ad445c97d3bdb298525761f00516f6e!OpenDocument.

Kentucky School District to Retrofit Buses with DOCs - On August 24, 2009, Daviess County Public Schools (DCPS) in Kentucky announced that it has received a grant from the Kentucky Clean School Bus Grant Program that will cover the cost to retrofit 57 older school buses (model years 1998-2003) with DOCs. The grant was funded by Kentucky's economic stimulus funding allocation under the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program (each state and Washington, D.C., received $1.73 million). The retrofit installations will take about a year as the school district still needs to solicit bids for a contractor to install the devices. A policy to reduce bus idling developed as part of the grant process has already been implemented. A DCPS official said school districts routinely keep diesel buses for at least 14 years. The grant also supports DCPS's Healthy Student and Staff Initiative and its more recent "green" initiative designed to find ways to best use and conserve resources. For more information on the Kentucky Clean School Bus Grant Program, go to: www.air.ky.gov/homepage_repository/Kentucky+Clean+School+Bus+Program.htm.

Stony Brook Hospital Agrees to Green Partnership with EPA, Includes Commitment to Use Clean Construction Requirements - On August 26, 2009, Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, NY, and the U.S. EPA signed an agreement that outlines goals and strategies for energy and water conservation, solid waste management, green design, and the use of environmentally-friendly products. Stony Brook is the first hospital in the nation to pledge to reduce its environmental impact through a comprehensive agreement with EPA. As part of the agreement, Stony Brook will utilize clean construction equipment that reduces pollution from diesel fuel-powered construction vehicles and equipment by requiring the use of ULSD fuel and/or best available emission control retrofit technologies. Stony Brook also agreed to: join EPA's ENERGY STAR program, design all new facilities to meet the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard, and consider the use of coal combustion products, where appropriate, in future construction projects. Stony Brook will track the results of these efforts and submit reports to EPA every six months. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d10ed0d99d826b068525735900400c2a/ddd1bf3656d217158525761e00561195!OpenDocument.

EPA has similar agreements in place with the New York Jets and New York Giants for the new Meadowlands Stadium, the New York Mets for the team's new Citi Field stadium, the Destiny USA mall project in Syracuse, NY, the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ, St. John's University in Queens, NY, and Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, NJ. For more information on EPA green construction and operations agreements, go to: www.epa.gov/region02/greenteam/.



August 21, 2009

EPA Announces Additional Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 4 - On August 21, 2009, the U.S. EPA has announced additional recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 4 received 98 grant applications, requesting more than $140 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Alabama Clean Fuels Coalition ($1.25 million) - This project will install truck stop electrification (TSE) systems in Alabama's Baldwin and Montgomery counties. Fifty truck spaces will be constructed per site. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/c4085ce4d84370ba852576190051537a!OpenDocument)
• East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition ($581,849) - This project involves the installation of 50 truck stop electrification (TSE) parking spaces in Tennessee. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/95e5a582887b95a185257619005176b7!OpenDocument)

EPA Provides Additional Details on Allegheny County Clean Diesel Project - On August 13, 2009, the U.S. EPA sent out a press release providing additional details on the Allegheny County Health Department's Clean Diesel Project that was awarded $3.49 million in DERA economic stimulus funding on July 15. Allegheny County comprises the Pittsburgh, PA, metropolitan area. The Allegheny County Health Department will distribute the DERA funds to four projects that will replace and retrofit engines and equipment in four types of diesel fleets operating in the area. The Allegheny Health Department partnered with Group against Smog and Pollution and Clean Water Action in selecting the projects.

The four clean diesel projects are:



• The Port Authority Transit will use the economic stimulus funds to assist in replacing two 1996-year transit buses with 2010 model year diesel hybrid electric buses and repower nine 2003 model year diesel buses with engines that meet 2007 emission standards.
• Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania will use engine repowers and DPFs to upgrade 23 diesel-powered, heavy-duty construction equipment vehicles operating in Western Pennsylvania.
• Diamond Head Trucking and MultiServ Corporation (two companies that provide trucking for U.S. Steel) will install DPFs on 35 dump trucks operating in and around the U.S. Steel Corporation's Mon Valley Works.
• CSX Transportation will replace one vintage diesel switcher locomotive having no emission controls with a two-engine configuration with the latest in emission control technology (a GENSET switcher locomotive engine) that will serve at CSXT's McKeesport/Demmler rail yard near Pittsburgh.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/20c80d81e9c9e87f8525761200601725!OpenDocument.

EPA Provides Additional Details on Port of Baltimore Clean Diesel Project - On August 20, 2009, the U.S. EPA sent out a press release providing additional details on the $3.5 million in DERA economic stimulus funding awarded to the Port of Baltimore on July 15.

The grant will support:



• Assisting with the installation of clean-diesel technology in 142 pieces of diesel-powered equipment used for Port operations (two tugboats, seven locomotives, 50 short haul trucks, and 83 units of cargo-handling equipment). The technologies include nine engine repowers, 43 vehicle and equipment replacements, 83 diesel retrofit devices, and seven idling devices.
• Collaborating with the Baltimore Port Alliance's environmental committee in extensive outreach to the maritime community with solid information about ways and technologies to cost-effectively reduce air emissions.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/90829d899627a1d98525735900400c2b/dfe38ddb54feeb4385257618006cc56b!OpenDocument.



August 14, 2009

EPA Awards $1 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to University of Nebraska - On August 11, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded $1 million in DERA economic stimulus funding to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Nebraska Transportation Center (UNL/NTC) to retrofit approximately 187 vehicles with EPA-verified idle reduction technologies. The DERA funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program through EPA Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska). Under this funding competition, EPA Region 7 received 34 grant applications, requesting almost $92.2 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/5a835e94d2550fca8525760f00674403!OpenDocument.

Texas Approves Almost $1.5 Million in Environmental Penalties, Includes Funds for Retrofit Projects - On August 12, 2009, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $1,487,452 against 86 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total were fines against Exxon Mobil (Jefferson County) in the amount of $106,600 for various air violations between May 30, 2007 and December 5, 2007. Of the fine total, a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) of $53,300 will be used to retrofit or replace heavy-duty diesel vehicles and equipment in Jefferson County. Also included in the total were fines against Lehigh Cement (McLennan County) in the amount of $160,140 for various air violations between July 7, 2007 and February 17, 2009. Of the fine total, a SEP of $55,590 will be contributed to the Texas PTA for the Texas Clean School Bus Project to reimburse local school districts for the cost of retrofitting or replacing school buses. Fines were also assessed against Exxon Mobil (Harris County) in the amount of $496,201 and Valero Refining (Nueces County) in the amount of $108,900. For more information, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/communication/media/08-09agenda8-12.html.

EPA Sets Up Clean Diesel Telephone Helpline - The U.S. EPA has set up a telephone helpline for its National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) to address any questions from the public on clean diesel funding, clean diesel projects, and clean diesel technologies. Recorded information on all aspects of the NCDC is available via prompts. In addition, you can leave a voice mail message if you have additional questions. The telephone helpline number is: 1-877-NCDC-FACTS (1-877-623-2322). You can also send any clean diesel questions to EPA via e-mail at: cleandiesel@epa.gov. Answers are typically provided within one business day. For more information on EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign, go to: www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.



August 7, 2009

EPA Awards $3 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Minnesota Environmental Initiative - On August 4, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded $3 million in DERA economic stimulus funding to the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (www.projectgreenfleet.org) for projects that will bring about emission reductions from at least 684 public and private diesel vehicles and equipment throughout Minnesota, including school buses, construction equipment, locomotives, and long-haul trucks. Diesel emission reduction strategies include 588 diesel retrofit technologies, 72 idle-reduction technologies, 22 engine repowers, and two vehicle replacements. The DERA funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program through EPA Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). Under this funding competition, EPA Region 5 received 81 grant applications, requesting more than $211 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/f48ad387d010d69e8525760800577544!OpenDocument.



July 31, 2009

EPA Announces Additional Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 8 - On July 24, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced additional recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 8 received 37 grant applications requesting more than $56 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Denver Regional Air Quality Council ($1,250,000) - This project will partner with owners and operators of highway truck fleets, the oil and gas industry, and one school district to install 100 auxiliary power units, 20 DOCs, 56 fuel-operated heaters for anti-idling and in-cab heaters, 44 thermal coolers, 10 full sets of SmartWay low-rolling resistance tires, and 20 SmartWay trailer gap fairings on vehicles throughout the state.
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment ($850,000) - The funding will be used to partially pay for 180 auxiliary power units or battery air conditioning systems for long-haul trucks, with individual truck owners providing the remaining cost share.
• City and County of Denver ($700,000) - This project will retrofit 53 heavy-duty diesel vehicles with DOCs and closed crankcase filtration devices and utilize biodiesel fuel, install fuel-operated hydraulic and cab heaters on 48 refuse vehicles, and install fuel-operated cab heaters on nine snow plows. This funding will pay for the full cost of the retrofits and the idle-reduction devices and the incremental cost of biodiesel fuel.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/d0e1bd39913ecd9a852575fd0056e5cb!OpenDocument.

EPA Awards over $900,000 in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Cascade Sierra Solutions - On July 29, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded over $900,000 in DERA economic stimulus funding to Cascade Sierra Solutions to purchase and install EPA SmartWay technologies (1,554 advanced trailer skirts, 54 advanced trailer end fairings, and 54 trailer gap reducers) on Class 8B long-haul trucks in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. An additional $1.84 million in funding will come from partners (private trucking fleet owners and operators Gordon Trucking and J.B. Hunt). The DERA funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program through EPA Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington). Under this funding competition, EPA Region 10 received over 49 grant applications, requesting over $80 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/ed58dad230d740b185257602007bc4f7!OpenDocument.

Oregon Passes Law Requiring All Diesel School Buses to Be Retrofitted, Replaced - On June 26, 2009, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) signed into law a bill that would require that all existing diesel school buses be retrofitted with emission control devices by 2017 or replaced by 2025 if the bus is too old to be retrofitted. The Oregon legislature approved the bill in early June). Emission control devices being considered are DPFs and closed crankcase ventilation systems. Replacement school buses must be manufactured on or after January 1, 2007. School buses replaced may not be used again for transportation of any type. School districts would be able to use federal grants, economic stimulus money, and/or state matching funds to pay for the work. Oregon currently has about 4,600 diesel-powered school buses, including 251 built before 1994, that would need to be replaced and 2,400 that would need to be retrofitted. For more information on Oregon's Clean Diesel Initiative, go to: www.deq.state.or.us/aq/diesel/initiative.htm.

Providence, RI, Approves Ordinance that Would Require Retrofits for City Construction Projects - On July 16, 2009, the Providence, Rhode Island, city council passed an ordinance proposed by Councilman Seth Yurdin that mandates that city-funded construction projects that cost $2 million or more must retrofit their diesel vehicles with emission control devices that reduce pollution by at least 25%. Costs for the emission control devices would be fully reimbursed from projects funds. The ordinance, which takes effect on January 2, 2010, is expected to be signed by Mayor David Cicilline. The ordinance would also require the use of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel and prohibit, by January 1, 2014, the use of diesel vehicles made before 1994 on city projects. Failure to comply with the ordinance could lead to penalties of up to $25,000. This final version of the ordinance was revised from the original proposal to address concerns by the state's construction lobby. The initial version of the ordinance would have applied to any projects over $150,000, would have taken effect immediately, and made no mention of compensation for the construction equipment retrofits. For more information, go to: www.providenceri.com/CityCouncil/article.php?id=340.



July 24, 2009

EPA Announces Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 10 - On July 20, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 10 received over 49 grant applications, requesting over $80 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Port of Tacoma (nearly $1.5 million) - This project will reduce diesel and greenhouse gas emissions by retrofitting two ocean-going vessels with certified ship-side technology and installing a shore-side connection system and alternative maritime power at the Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) Terminal at the Port of Tacoma. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/5512cfdd6399ead3852575f900603d23!OpenDocument)
• City of Portland (over $1.6 million) - This project will reduce diesel emissions from municipal fleet vehicles and construction contractor equipment through various clean diesel strategies. In addition, the project will fund the installation of fuel operated heaters on 237 vehicles in Portland and Multnomah County. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/065cabecb4faf990852575f900623e71!OpenDocument)

EPA Announces Additional Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 5 - On July 21, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced additional recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 5 received 81 grant applications, requesting more than $211 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (almost $4.2 million) - The funds will be used to clean up on-and off-road diesel vehicles and equipment in the state. Twenty-one fleets, impacting 675 eligible diesel vehicles or engines, will be cleaned up. Twelve of the projects, comprising 521 vehicles, will be implemented in the Chicago and Metro-East St. Louis areas. The projects involve the use of DOCs, flow-through filters, auxiliary power units, direct-fired heaters, and engine repowers. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/9a2e1d36839b7610852575fa00653e31!OpenDocument)
• American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest (more than $3.7 million) - The funding will be used to fund projects in Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Minnesota to reduce diesel emissions from 502 vehicles in 22 public and private fleets, including school buses, long-haul trucks, short-haul trucks, construction vehicles, and municipal vehicles. Emission reduction technologies include repowers, retrofits, and idle reduction. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/078a917e537e99c0852575fa0063efd1!OpenDocument)
• National School Transportation Association (more than $2.4 million) - Using this funding, NSTA will provide for replacement of 98 older school buses in the fleets serving school districts in Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, and Waukesha counties in Wisconsin. In addition, NSTA will provide for the installation of DPFs on 62 buses in Racine County and the installation of 26 fuel-operated heaters serving four school districts in Wright County, Minnesota. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/8852edd5c1466f1c852575fa00618b5f!OpenDocument)
• Wisconsin Department of Commerce (more than $2 million) - Building on the success of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce's Diesel Truck Idling Reduction Grant Program, this funding will help heavy-duty diesel truck owners purchase and install EPA-verified idle-reduction technologies (e.g., auxiliary power units and generator sets, battery air conditioning systems, thermal storage systems, and fuel-operated heaters). At least 444 trucks will be impacted. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/401f7805ac4b0d4b852575fa0060e6bd!OpenDocument)
• Lenawee Intermediate School District (more than $1.2 million) - Lenawee Intermediate School District in Adrian, Michigan, in conjunction with seven other local school districts, will replace older school buses with two hybrid electric school buses and 10 school buses that meet 2010 heavy-duty highway emission standards. They will also retrofit 41 school buses with DPFs and closed crankcase controls. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/f079de5f321947de852575fa00620de9!OpenDocument)
• Great Lakes Commission (more than $1.2 million) - The Great Lakes Commission will use the funds to put cleaner diesel engines in two Great Lakes self-unloading bulk carrier marine vessels that operate in the Great Lakes Basin. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/f01c7637a1cde7a6852575fa00630d41!OpenDocument)
• Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities (more than $1 million) - Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities will reduce diesel emissions through the retrofit of 405 public school buses with DOCs and replacement of six public school buses with newer, cleaner models. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/4272396955bdf1db852575fa00629fc5!OpenDocument)
• Chicago Department of Environment ($1 million) - The funds will be used to purchase and install 35 DOCs and 163 diesel-fired heaters on municipal vehicles, and to partially fund two new hybrid diesel electric aerial trucks to replace older vehicles. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/d6f93aa79766ef7b852575fa00649ab0!OpenDocument)

EPA Announces Additional Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 4 - The U.S. EPA has announced additional recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 4 received 98 grant applications, requesting more than $140 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Kentucky Association of General Contractors ($2,000,000) - This project will retrofit and repower 87 pieces of diesel-powered construction equipment, as well as promote adoption of anti-idling practices at 100 construction sites statewide. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/8b054937c429c35d852575f600626cb0!OpenDocument)
• Leon County School Board ($347,288) - Leon County School Board in Florida will use the funds to purchase eight new compressed natural gas school buses, repower six existing school buses with engines that meet EPA's 2010 heavy-duty highway standards, use geospatial positioning software to streamline bus routing and roads utilization, provide idle-reduction training to county employees, and develop a model program and create training materials to be used by other diesel retrofit programs. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/f87ef02b63dc2685852575f90067ac1d!OpenDocument)

EPA Awards More than $800,000 in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to City of Phoenix - On July 17, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded $829,697 in DERA economic stimulus funding to the city of Phoenix, Arizona, to retrofit 45 pieces of city-owned diesel equipment with DPFs or DOCs, and to replace an old garbage hauler. The vehicles provide a variety of services, including emergency, park maintenance, street repair, and refuse collection for the Phoenix metropolitan area. The DERA funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program through EPA Region 9 (Arizona, California, Nevada, and Hawaii). Under this funding competition, EPA Region 9 received over 100 grant applications, requesting more than $500 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/78b4ce4964c80b0b852575f60061fa04!OpenDocument.

EPA Awards $1.4 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Clean Up Trucks in NY and NJ - On July 17, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded $1.4 million in DERA economic stimulus funding to Cascade Sierra Solutions who will partner with truckers to equip 789 long-haul truck trailers based in New York and New Jersey with SmartWay technologies, such as skirts, end fairings, and gap reducers, to help lower diesel emissions and fuel consumption. The money will leverage the investment by the truck owners to upgrade their vehicles. The DERA funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program through EPA Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Under this funding competition, EPA Region 2 received over 52 grant applications, requesting $168 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/7e5e5bb928f3be0d852575f6005f4d89!OpenDocument.

Louisiana Solicits Proposals for ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding - On July 1, 2009, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) announced that it was soliciting project proposals for the $1.73 million in DERA funding that the state received in April 2009 under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) State Clean Diesel Grant Program for the Louisiana Clean Diesel Grant Program. Under the program, eligible agencies or organizations may receive full or partial awards to fund technologies that reduce diesel emissions from existing diesel engines and nonroad equipment. The funding can be used toward the purchase and installation of EPA-verified retrofit devices, idle reduction equipment, engine repowers, and/or vehicle replacement. Examples of eligible projects include: public/school bus retrofits, heavy-/medium-duty truck idle reductions, fleet and construction equipment upgrade/replacement, and marine/locomotive engine repowers. The funding is available to a regional, state, local, or tribal agency or port authority with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality issues. Nonprofit organization or institutions that represent or provide educational or air pollution reduction services to privately owned or operated diesel fleets are also eligible to apply for funding. All project proposals must be received by August 14, 2009. For more information, including a copy of the solicitation, go to: www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/tabid/2975/Default.aspx.

Missouri to Solicit Proposals Soon for ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding - On July 20, 2009, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced that solicitations will soon be posted for project proposals for the $1.73 million in DERA funding that the state received in April 2009 under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) State Clean Diesel Grant Program. The state has selected four agencies to distribute the grant money for specific regions of the state. The four regions are: the St. Louis area (contact: kevin@stlcleancities.org), the Kansas City area (contact: agraor@MARC.org), the Southwest region of the state (contact: dneidigh@drury.edu), and the Southeast region of the state (contact: cbuchheit@semorpc.org). Agencies from each region will be posting solicitation information by July 31. Applications may be submitted for diesel retrofits, idle reduction technology, EPA SmartWay technologies, fuel conversion kits, engine repowers, and vehicle replacements. Eligible vehicles include school buses, transit buses, fire trucks, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, trash trucks, construction equipment, agricultural equipment, locomotives, marine engines, stationary diesel engines, mining equipment, and cargo-handling equipment located in one of the eligible areas. Fifty percent of funding will be set aside for public fleets, and the other half will go to private fleets. Diesel retrofits would be 100% funded by the grant, while the idle-reduction technology, SmartWay technology, fuel conversion kits, and engine repowers would require 25% of the cost to be paid for by the truck owners. Total vehicle replacements would require 75% of the cost to be paid for by the truck owners. Applications will be accepted until the end of September when award recipients will be chosen by a lottery system. For more information on the four solicitations, contact the respective individuals noted above.



July 17, 2009

EPA Announces Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 3 - On July 15, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 3 (Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 3 received 40 grant applications, requesting $159 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• 2009 Mid-Atlantic Diesel Reduction Campaign ($4.3 million) - This grant to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association (MARAMA) will fund a wide range of diesel projects in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, including replacing transit buses and off-road engines, retrofitting dump trucks, replacing cement trucks, and repowering boats.
• Allegheny County Diesel Project ($3.49 million) - Pennsylvania's Allegheny County Health Department will fund the replacement of transit buses with diesel hybrids and the repowering of other transit buses; retrofitting dump trucks with DPFs; and repowering switch locomotives.
• Mother-Slug Locomotive Repower ($1.5 million) - This grant to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will fund repowering two pre-1973, four-axle, 2,000-hp locomotive engines with one four-axle advanced technology locomotive powered with a Tier 3 engine (mother) and a four-axle platform consisting of four traction motors without an engine (slug).
• Maryland School Bus Grant Program ($1 million) - This grant to the Maryland Department of the Environment will fund school bus retrofits.
• Port of Baltimore Clean Diesel ($3.5 million) - This grant to the Maryland Port Administration and Maryland Environmental Service will fund retrofitting, repowering, and replacing cargo-handling equipment, drayage trucks, locomotives, and harbor craft operating at the Port of Baltimore.
• Chesapeake Bay Marine Engine Repower ($1.3 million) - This grant to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will fund repowering two education vessels, seven watermen workboats, and one tug boat operating out of Maryland and Virginia in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
• Virginia Diesel Emissions Reduction Initiative ($1 million) - This grant to Virginia Clean Cities will fund retrofitting transit buses with DPFs in Hampton Roads; replacing a refuse vehicle with a hybrid version in Chesterfield County; replacing school buses with propane-powered school buses at Spotsylvania Public Schools; and replacing refuse trucks, dump trucks, fire trucks, and ambulances in the city of Chesapeake.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/eddb954ea70e7e3a852575f40067a8cf!OpenDocument.

EPA Announces Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 6 - On July 15, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 6 received over 60 grant applications, requesting more than $180 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality ($793,566) - This project will involve upgrading nonroad vehicles and equipment associated with construction activities in the Little Rock area. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/1c9239e7929817da852575f40058da35!OpenDocument)
• Railroad Research Foundation ($2,927,496) - This project will upgrade several locomotive engines in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/40b22f6eb3cfbb63852575f400591603!OpenDocument)
• City of Albuquerque ($583,125) - This project in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will involve replacing 50 pieces of diesel-powered ground support equipment with electric equipment at the city's airport. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/ce007e40f7239568852575f400595111!OpenDocument)
• Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality ($1,854,672) - This project will involve replacing and retrofitting more than 100 school buses in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/e4c2616fecb32688852575f400598782!OpenDocument)
• City of Houston and Port of Houston Authority ($5,800,000) - This funding will go to two projects:
  
  
  • The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) has been awarded $611,466, while $2,856,666 has been awarded to eight port industrial partners. The funds will go towards proposed PHA projects consisting of public-private partnerships with the eight port industrial partners for replacement or repowering of older diesel equipment/engines with newer cleaner equipment/engines. The repower and replacement projects will be for eligible heavy-duty trucks, cargo-handling equipment, and a marine engine system. In addition, PHA plans to use a portion of the funding to augment a recent Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) grant of $110,500 to replace the old engines and generator on the tour boat MV Sam Houston.
  • The City of Houston will receive $2,365,710 for a project to remove some of the city's oldest vehicles and equipment from various departments and replace them with newer, cleaner vehicles.
  (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/1fcdb9f0958ae786852575f40059c020!OpenDocument)
• VIA Metropolitan Transit ($1,013,719) - This project will involve repowering 83 transit buses with lower-emitting engines in San Antonio, Texas. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/afccd1565efa72bd852575f40059f762!OpenDocument)

EPA Announces Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 7 - On July 15, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 7 received 34 grant applications, requesting almost $92.2 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Johnson County, Kansas ($1,000,000) - Johnson County requested federal funds to conduct a county-wide project with its 11 public and private partners to replace or repower 176 pieces of equipment. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/ab0aa84cfd809a84852575f4006d43fe!OpenDocument)
• Missouri Department of Natural Resources ($975,609) - MDNR is receiving federal funds to conduct a project targeting fleets in the St. Louis and Springfield areas. In St. Louis, through a partnership with the St. Louis Clean Cities Coalition, 44 school buses, 10 concrete mixers, and 16 heavy-duty trash trucks are targeted for clean up through various clean diesel strategies. In Springfield, MDNR plans to partner with the Ozark Center for Sustainable Solutions at Drury University to retrofit 98 school buses and replace 13 school buses. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/0a7c6e632650db12852575f4006a2fa2!OpenDocument)
• Grace Hill ($2,000,000) - Grace Hill, a non-profit organization that provides health care and social services in St. Louis, Missouri, will use the funds for the St. Louis Impact on Diesel Emissions (SLIDE) program to reduce diesel emissions in the city. The SLIDE program aims to improve air quality in a low-income area with a high rate of asthma. More than 575 vehicles will be targeted for retrofit, repower, and/or replacement, as well as idle reduction technologies. The majority of the vehicles will be from public fleets, including the St. Louis Fire Department, the St. Louis International Airport, and St. Louis area school buses. Vehicle/engine types include barges, airport ground support equipment, delivery trucks, school buses, construction equipment, and emergency response vehicles. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/f15ac8cefc2e63a6852575f4006ad756!OpenDocument)
• Lincoln-Lancaster Health Department ($1,000,000) - The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) in Nebraska will use the funds for the Lincoln-Lancaster County Clean Diesel Project to reduce diesel emissions in the city of Lincoln and Lancaster County. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Clean Diesel Project proposes to retrofit a total of 196 publicly owned diesel vehicles and equipment, including on-road vehicles (e.g., school buses), nonroad vehicles, and emergency generators. In addition, LLCHD has partnered with Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad to repower eight switch engines. Also, LLCHD has secured partnership with a local cement company to retrofit heavily used cement mixers. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/98d8b257f488ec83852575f4006beac8!OpenDocument)
• Kansas Department of Health and Environment ($4,000,000) - KDHE requested federal funds for several clean diesel projects, including repowering construction equipment, retrofitting vehicles with DOCs, and replacing engines. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/b7ddd49309dadc84852575f4006de219!OpenDocument)

EPA Announces Additional Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 4 - The U.S. EPA has announced additional recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 4 received 98 grant applications, requesting more than $140 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Columbus, Mississippi, Schools ($1,445,851) - Announced on July 16, this award will fund the replacement of 30 old school buses in Columbus with new buses and the installation of direct fire heating units in 22 other buses. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/5ee94cacde1f9517852575f50053d1e1!OpenDocument)
• American Lung Associations in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida ($1,118,142) - Announced on July 10, this project will reduce diesel emissions from approximately 180 vehicles by replacing older trucks with newer, cleaner vehicles, and installing battery-powered air conditioners in existing trucks to reduce engine idling. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/de9ade70d6ffa90d8525757e005bf8b4/19996b754dcf527e852575ef00502c6b!OpenDocument)
• University of Georgia Research Foundation ($1,713,235) - Announced on July 10, this project will retrofit 239 on-highway diesel vehicles in Athens-Clarke and Washington counties in Georgia. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/de9ade70d6ffa90d8525757e005bf8b4/25f85ba3dfd19a12852575ef004fd25c!OpenDocument)
• Tennessee Department of Transportation ($2,000,000) - Announced on June 29, this project will reduce long-term idling of heavy-duty trucks in Tennessee by installing a network of 175-200 electrified parking spaces at selected interstate highway truck stops. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/de9ade70d6ffa90d8525757e005bf8b4/987ad49ca14897b5852575e400652be7!OpenDocument)

EPA Awards $1.9 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Chelsea, MA - On July 13, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded $1,921,426 in DERA economic stimulus funding to the Chelsea Collaborative in Chelsea, MA, for two projects that will reduce emissions from diesel engines operating at the New England Produce Market in Chelsea and elsewhere in the city of Chelsea. The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program through EPA Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont). Under this funding competition, EPA Region 1 received over 30 grant applications, requesting more than $35.8 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The two projects are:



• The New England Produce Market in Chelsea is the second largest produce market in the U.S. This project will repower 79 Tier 0 diesel-fueled transport refrigeration units (TRUs) operating at the market with all-electric TRUs.
• The City of Chelsea, along with two private partners, will work with the Chelsea Collaborative to retrofit (with DPFs) and upgrade up to 18 diesel vehicles and equipment operating in the city.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/de9ade70d6ffa90d8525757e005bf8b4/be95f43358b61ad5852575f20066a041!OpenDocument.

EPA Awards $571,107 in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Wisconsin DNR - On July 9, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded $571,107 in DERA economic stimulus funding to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to install idle-reduction technology (start/stop devices) on 40 diesel switcher locomotives. The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program through EPA Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). Under this funding competition, EPA Region 5 received 81 grant applications, requesting more than $211 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/de9ade70d6ffa90d8525757e005bf8b4/792d79173f4c3a55852575ee004d4d19!OpenDocument.



July 10, 2009

EPA Awards More than $25 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Projects in California - On July 8, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded $25,403,971 in DERA economic stimulus funding to eight projects in California. The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, the Pacific Southwest Region (Arizona, California, Nevada, and Hawaii) received over 100 grant applications, requesting more than $500 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Caltrans for "Retrofit Construction Equipment" ($951,431) - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) was selected for $951,431 in funding to install DPFs on 46 Caltrans-owned construction equipment, including crawler tractors, excavators, forklifts, graders, rollers, rubber tire loaders, surfacing equipment, sweepers, scrubbers, tractors, loaders, and backhoes. The majority of this equipment will be located in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, as well as the Bay Area.
• ARB for "South Coast New Switch Locomotives" ($8,888,888) - ARB was selected for $8,888,888 in funding to repower eight switch-yard locomotives that operate with new Tier 3 engines. The affected locomotives are owned by Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway and operate in the Southern California region.
• Port of Los Angeles for "Equipment and Vessels" ($1,991,750) - The Port of Los Angeles was selected for $1,991,750 in funding to replace, repower, and/or retrofit a total of 27 pieces of equipment, including harbor craft, currently in operation at the port.
• Port of Long Beach for "Cargo-Handling Equipment" ($4,008,250) - The Port of Long Beach Diesel Emissions Reduction Project was selected for $4,008,250 in funding to implement a large-scale diesel emission reduction project involving equipment replacements, engine repowers, and/or retrofits for 112 pieces of cargo-handling equipment, including rubber-tired gantry cranes, and two harbor craft currently in operation at the port. The grant will go to six port tenant customers who own and operate the equipment.
• San Diego APCD for "Lower-Emission School Buses" ($1,563,652) - The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District was selected for $1,563,652 in funding to retrofit (with DPFs), replace, and repower 125 school buses.
• San Joaquin Valley Unified APCD for "School Bus Engine Retrofits" ($4 million) - The San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District was selected for $4 million in funding to install 190 DPFs on 2001 model year and newer diesel school buses. The SJVUAPCD plans to leverage funds with Proposition 1B Lower-Emission School Bus Program funds.
• San Joaquin Valley Unified APCD for "Agricultural Equipment Engines" ($2 million) - The San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District was selected for $2 million in funding to repower 30 agricultural off-road equipment vehicles with new engines that meet or exceed EPA?s Tier 3 emission standards for nonroad diesel engines.
• Bay Area AQMD for "Trucks at Port of Oakland" ($2 million) - The Bay Area Air Quality Management District was selected for $2 million in funding to retrofit 81 trucks with DPFs and replace 22 older trucks with cleaner, newer ones that operate at and around the Port of Oakland.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/1684243f0fa8aff8852575ed0072b9b8!OpenDocument.

EPA Announces Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 2 - On July 9, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of $17 million in DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 2 received over 52 grant applications, requesting $168 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management for "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 for "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 a cleaner engine.
• Columbia University for "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 DPFs. The university will partner with equipment rental companies.
• Port Authority of New York & New Jersey for "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 2004 and newer trucks by offering truckers 25% off the cost of the newer truck.
• Port Authority of New York & New Jersey for "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 for "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.

For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/bc9eb1a67c1d3e38852575ee005f2eb0!OpenDocument.

EPA Announces Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 1 - On July 6, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 1 received over 30 grant applications, requesting more than $35.8 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Maine Department of Environmental Protection ($746,715) - The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME DEP) will use the DERA funds to replace, repower, or retrofit 21 diesel nonroad engines used in material handling operations. In addition, ME DEP will partner with the Maine Department of Transportation to retrofit one highway vehicle with a DPF and eight highway trucks with DOCs. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/06f2caee35d65610852575e70072eb59!OpenDocument)
• Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection ($502,500) - The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection will use the DERA funds to retrofit state-owned diesel vehicles, including dump trucks, rack trucks, aerial bucket trucks, plow trucks, and plow/sander trucks, with various emission control devices. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/59e0f177fc1875cb852575e700727d19!OpenDocument)
• Maine Turnpike Authority ($1,209,100) - The Maine Turnpike Authority will use the DERA funds for a project that will install truck-stop electrification technology at the West Gardiner truck stop facility (a total of 30 electrified parking spaces). (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/940dcb54d211814a852575e70071daa2!OpenDocument)
• City of Providence ($565,100) - The city of Providence, RI, will use the DERA funds for a project that will retrofit 42 municipally-owned, on- and off-road diesel vehicles and equipment used for highway work and snow plowing/sanding with DPFs. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/3f86546137ed4523852575e70071a704!OpenDocument)
• Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management ($2.7 million) - NESCAUM will use the DERA funds for two projects that will replace unregulated rail and marine engines with newer, cleaner engines:
  • In Northern New England, five ferries and three tugboats moored in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont will have their currently unregulated Tier 0 engines replaced with EPA-certified Tier 2 engines.
  • In New Haven, CT, the currently unregulated Tier 0 engine on a switcher locomotive will be replaced with a three-part configuration of smaller and cleaner EPA-certified Tier 3 generator sets.
  (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/00d785ee1d4ad0fe852575e700710026!OpenDocument)

EPA Announces Additional Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 4 - On July 6, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced additional recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). (See the July 2, 2009 MECA Executive Bulletin for the other EPA Region 4 recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding.) The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 4 received 98 grant applications, requesting more than $140 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

To speed distribution of funds from the ARRA, EPA chose the award recipients below from projects that were in the second tier of proposals submitted last year for EPA's FY 2008 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program funding (i.e., these proposals met the criteria, but EPA did not have sufficient money to fund them). Not knowing ahead of time the number of projects that would be submitted this year for the ARRA funding, EPA's intent was to fund these 2008 projects since they could be implemented sooner than the ARRA applications. With some minor updates (job creation information and updated timelines), these projects met the ARRA criteria.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• Miami-Dade Transit ($731,850) - Miami-Dade Transit in Florida will use the $731,850 to purchase five new diesel transit buses with hybrid drives. This will allow Miami-Dade Transit to scrap 14 older, high-polluting buses. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/3fe82f3f96c472d1852575eb00663788!OpenDocument)
• City of Miami ($731,850) - The city of Miami, FL, will use the $731,850 to replace 17 old garbage trucks with new garbage trucks which meet tighter emission standards. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/63518c25bac6e928852575eb00600568!OpenDocument)
• South Carolina Department of Education ($553,918) - The South Carolina Department of Education will replace four 65-passenger Type C school buses with four hybrid-electric school buses. The project will also install closed crankcase ventilation systems on 500 public school buses. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/058cdcadf08f9440852575eb0056f42b!OpenDocument)
• Georgia Ports Authority ($164,964) - The Georgia Ports Authority will retrofit approximately 47 cargo-handling equipment units with emission control devices. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/5905ab872f57300f852575eb00578430!OpenDocument)
• North Carolina Department of Public Instruction ($509,000) - The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will use the $509,000 to retrofit 121 school buses with emission control devices and to retire six buses and replace them with newer buses having 2010 model year engines in Wilson, Edgecombe, Pitt, and Nash counties. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/2b42e6b1302994c0852575eb0057501e!OpenDocument)
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources ($748,000) - The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will use the $748,000 to provide truck-stop electrification technology for diesel trucks at three truck stop locations in Georgia (a total of 85 electrified parking spaces). (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/9b023e484e3d3e4d852575eb00572130!OpenDocument)




July 2, 2009

EPA Announces Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 4 - On June 29, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 4 received 98 grant applications, requesting more than $140 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• $1,116,600 to the City of Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, NC - This project will provide funding through sub-grants for 28 or more repowers and six or more replacements of nonroad construction equipment, stationary diesel engines, or highway diesel engines in the 13-county bi-state nonattainment region for the 2008 ozone standard. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/fffd37c48901e75e852575e400693cd9!OpenDocument)
• $1,999,900 to the State Ports Authority at the Port of Charleston, SC - This award will support the repowering of 36 cargo handlers with cleaner engines. It will also support the partnering with private companies to repower two tugboats and one dredge and installation of flow-through filters on 40 local drayage trucks. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/4f161b723ad3ddba852575e40068f4e9!OpenDocument)
• $2 million to the Miami-Dade County Office of Economic Development Coordination, FL - This award will establish a rebate program for the purpose of repowering approximately 300 engines in agriculture irrigation sets. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/5b6463a7961b1486852575e40068bdbb!OpenDocument)

EPA Announces Recipients of DERA Economic Stimulus Funding in EPA Region 8 - On June 26, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of DERA economic stimulus funding in EPA Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming). The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 8 received 37 grant applications requesting more than $56 million to help fund clean diesel projects to reduce diesel emissions, create jobs, boost local economies, and protect human health.

The recipients of the DERA funding are:



• $1.3 million to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, WY - This project will provide emission control devices for nonroad construction equipment providing services to the natural gas fields of Sublette County, WY. Nonroad construction engines will be equipped with 50 DOCs and 13 DPFs. More than 25 engines on additional nonroad construction equipment will be upgraded or repowered. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/28cf704ea636edcf852575e1007097c9!OpenDocument)
• $450,000 to the Mid-Dakota Education Cooperative, ND - This project will provide emissions control solutions for buses in the nine North Dakota school districts that make up the Mid-Dakota Education Cooperative. The funding will partially pay for the replacement of nine school buses. It will fully pay for the installation of 66 fuel-operated heaters to reduce school bus idling and save diesel fuel. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/bb807a4c61e5cb4c852575e1006684d0!OpenDocument
• $500,000 to the Sioux Falls School District, SD - This project will replace 10 school buses and install 20 fuel-operated heaters on school buses in South Dakota. This funding will pay for the full cost of the heaters and 50% of the cost of the school bus replacements. School Bus Incorporated will be responsible for contributing the other half of the cost of the school bus replacements. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/478b122920f28127852575e100665cee!OpenDocument)
• $700,000 to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, MT - This project will repower four nonroad coal-hauling and dump truck engines owned by Decker Coal Company in Montana. The funding will pay for 75% of the cost of the engine repowers, with Decker Coal Company contributing the remaining 25% of the cost. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/ab5fd776aed9b482852575e100654b3d!OpenDocument)
• $750,000 to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, UT - This project will replace 12 agricultural vehicles, repower 26 engines in agricultural vehicles and equipment, and install 25 auxiliary power units on agricultural vehicles in Utah. The funding will pay for the full cost of the auxiliary power units, 75% of the cost of an engine repower, and 25% of the cost of a vehicle replacement. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/de9ade70d6ffa90d8525757e005bf8b4/8f50386864143db0852575e10064fbc3!OpenDocument)




June 26, 2009

Pittsburgh Public Schools Approve Agreements with Bus Carriers to Retrofit School Buses with DPFs - On May 27, 2009, the Pittsburgh Public Schools school board approved a new round of contracts with 19 carriers that provide yellow buses or other vehicles to transport students to require them to have DPFs installed on at least 85% of diesel-powered vehicles and closed crankcase ventilation systems installed on all diesel vehicles by the end of the 2013-14 school year (the five-year agreements would take effect with the 2009-10 school year). Carriers can meet the requirements by either retrofitting the existing vehicles or by purchasing new vehicles equipped with the emission control devices.

Carriers can seek funding to help offset the cost of the requirements through several grant programs. Besides getting federal help from the U.S. EPA (i.e., applying for DERA funding by partnering with a school district), carriers may seek grants of about $7,000 per vehicle from the Healthy School Bus Fund (www.dieselretrofitrebate.org), established two years ago with a $500,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments and a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection. Another option is Allegheny County's Clean Air Fund (www.achd.net/airqual/pubs/htm/busretro.html), established three years ago, which allocated $500,000 for school bus retrofits. Eleven school districts in the county, including Pittsburgh Public Schools, can get grants under this fund covering 100% of the cost of retrofitting diesel school buses with emission control technology. Other school districts in the county are eligible for grants covering 75% of retrofit costs. A school district spokesperson said the new contracts may include incentives for meeting the requirements sooner than the end of 2013-14 (e.g., the school district could assign extra trips to carriers with the highest percentages of clean vehicles).

For more information, go to: www.post-gazette.com/pg/09145/972521-298.stm.

Ohio Announces Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Recipients - On May 26, 2009, the Ohio Department of Development announced 16 awards through the second round of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant (DERG) program. The DERG program was created in state budget bill H.B. 562, which earmarked $19.8 million over two years of Ohio Department of Transportation's federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds to reduce diesel emissions. (The first round was announced on January 7, 2008 and awarded grants to 10 applicants.) Public diesel engine fleets and private diesel engine fleets with a public sponsor were eligible for consideration. Projects were required to commit at least 20% matching funds and to operate their updated equipment in Ohio non-attainment-and-maintenance counties at least 65 percent of the time. Of the 16 awards, one involved the installation of diesel retrofit devices: Osnaburg Local Schools, in partnership with Massillon Local Schools and North Canton Local Schools, will retrofit six school buses with DPFs and closed crankcase ventilation systems and replace three school buses with new model year buses. For more information, including the complete list of grant recipients, go to: development.ohio.gov/newsroom/releases/press.htm?id=3712.

Arkansas Announces Recipients of Clean Diesel Funding - On June 23, 2009, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) awarded about $400,000 in grants funded by the U.S. EPA to reduce emissions from diesel engines in the state. ADEQ offered these funds as a competitive funding assistance opportunity called, "Reduce Emissions from Diesels (Go RED!)." ADEQ will fund retrofits and engine repowers up to 100% and vehicle/equipment replacement up to 25%. Thirteen public entities applied for the grants; eight projects were selected for funding. Of the eight selected, one project will use diesel retrofit devices: $100,000 to the city of North Little Rock to retrofit 35 fleet vehicles. Projects are expected to be completed by August 31, 2010. For more information on this announcement, including the complete list of grant recipients, go to: www.adeq.state.ar.us/ftproot/Pub/pa/News_Releases/2009-06-29_Go_RED!_Recipients.htm.

Missouri to Use EPA Grant to Clean Up Diesel Fleet Vehicles - On June 23, 2009, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) announced that it will use a $726,227 grant that it received from the U.S. EPA last September to retrofit, repower, and replace a portion of the Missouri Department of Transportation's (MoDOT) vehicle fleet. This grant is part of EPA's FY 2008 DERA funding. MoDNR will administer the grant over the next two years by reimbursing MoDOT for some of the costs to install DOCs or idle reduction technology in dozens of fleet equipment, upgrade engines in 17 dump trucks, and replace five dump trucks with newer, cleaner models. In all, this grant will impact 135 pieces of diesel equipment in the St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield districts. For more information, go to: www.modot.mo.gov/newsandinfo/District0News.shtml?action=displaySSI&newsId=32926.

Texas Approves $166,465 in Environmental Penalties against Dow Chemical, Includes Funds for Retrofit of School Buses - On June 23, 2009, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $166,465 against Dow Chemical Company for six separate violations of state environmental regulations at the company's Freeport complex in 2005. Of the $166,465 penalty, half of that money will be set aside for the Houston-Galveston Area Emission Reduction Credit Organization, which will give the money to Brazoria County school districts to retrofit school buses or replace older buses with newer, cleaner alternative-fueled or diesel-fueled buses. For more information on this announcement, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us.

Community College Agrees to Green Partnership with EPA, Includes Commitment to Use Clean Construction Requirements - On June 16, 2009, Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) and the U.S. EPA signed an agreement that outlines goals and strategies for energy and water conservation, solid waste management, and green design and transportation. The agreement is the first of its kind between EPA and a community college. As part of the green transportation strategies in the agreement, RVCC will: 1) include the use of ULSD fuel and best available retrofit technologies in its specifications for all future facility construction projects; 2) implement idling reduction measures for its campus vehicles and encourage service vendors and other vehicles to do the same; and 3) use vehicles with improved fuel economy and reduced emissions for its campus fleet, and provide preferred parking spots for faculty, staff, and students driving hybrid or alternative-fueled vehicles. Raritan Valley will track the results of these efforts and submit reports to EPA every six months. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/77ECCA15D9754AF4852575D70050CAAD.

EPA has similar agreements in place with the New York Jets and New York Giants for the new Meadowlands Stadium, the New York Mets for the team's new Citi Field stadium, the Destiny USA mall project in Syracuse, NY, the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ, and St. John's University in Queens, NY. For more information on EPA green construction and operations agreements, go to: www.epa.gov/region02/greenteam/.



June 19, 2009

EPA Awards $3.7 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Dallas-Fort Worth Area - On June 12, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded $3.7 million to the North Central Texas Council of Governments under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions, and protect human health and environment. The projects will retrofit diesel vehicles with emission control devices, fund verified SmartWay technologies on long-haul trucks, and replace or repower heavy-duty diesel vehicles operating in the Dallas-Forth Worth area. This DERA award announcement under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program follows EPA's award announcement in Ohio on June 3. Additional award announcements are expected over the next two months. The ARRA allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign a total of $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation. More information on this is available at: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/e8f4ff7f7970934e8525735900400c2e/168171382683e7e9852575d3005e6daa!OpenDocument.

New York State Environmental Board Approves Retrofit Regulations for State-Owned Vehicles - On June 17, 2009, the New York State Environmental Board unanimously approved regulations that all heavy-duty diesel vehicles owned by New York State agencies and authorities and by contractors working on behalf of the state be retrofitted or replaced to decrease diesel particulate emissions by December 31, 2010 (33% by December 31, 2008, 66% by December 31, 2009, 100% by December 31, 2010). The regulations also require the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel in state-owned or contracted heavy-duty vehicles (includes on- and off-road vehicles, with exemptions defined in the regulations). These retrofit regulations impact approximately 30,000 state-owned vehicles.

The regulations require application of "best available retrofit technology (BART)" to both on-road and off-road diesel vehicles that are defined in the regulations (on-road heavy-duty vehicles defined as vehicles over 8,500 lbs. GVW; exemptions include emergency vehicles, farm equipment, timber harvesting equipment, dedicated snowplowing equipment, typical heavy-duty construction equipment, locomotives). BART includes retrofit technologies verified by ARB or EPA. Compliance options include replacement of a vehicle with a 2007 or newer vehicle that is equipped with a diesel particulate filter or retrofit of an existing vehicle with the highest level verified PM retrofit technology (e.g., ARB Level 3 PM retrofit) that is available for the vehicle. If the list of verified BART PM retrofit technologies includes retrofit technology options that also reduce NOx, then the owner must choose the PM+ NOx retrofit option with the highest NOx conversion efficiency, provided that the cost of this verified PM+NOx retrofit technology is no more than 30% of the available PM-only BART technologies. Owners of vehicles that do not have a verified retrofit technology available for their vehicle can apply for a compliance waiver. Beginning on or before November 1, 2008 and every year thereafter, regulated entities need to file a report with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) detailing their use of ULSD and their BART compliance.

Details of the New York State diesel retrofit regulations are available in the proposed regulatory language available at: www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/47297.html.

Cook County, Illinois, Adopts Green Construction Ordinance - On May 28, 2009, Cook County, Illinois (greater Chicago), became the first county in the Midwest to adopt a Green Construction Ordinance. The ordinance will require all Cook County contractors working on public construction contracts budgeted at $2 million or more to begin to use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel for off-road vehicles and equipment immediately and phase-in the use of diesel retrofit technologies on uncontrolled on-road and off-road vehicles and equipment. Beginning in mid-2011, prime contractors and subcontractors must install, at a minimum, Level 2 verified PM retrofits (minimum 50% reduction in diesel PM) on off-road equipment used in these publicly funded projects. Effective January 1, 2014, prime contractors must install Level 3 verified PM retrofits (minimum 85% reduction in diesel PM) on any on-road or off-road engines used in publicly funded projects. Subcontractors have until January 1, 2016 to install Level 3 verified PM retrofits on any on-road or off-road engines used in publicly funded projects. In the Chicago metropolitan area alone, diesel PM is estimated to cause more than 700 premature deaths and more than 17,000 asthma attacks each year.

In a related action, this past April, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed an Executive Order (number 11 of 2009) on reducing the environmental impacts of state operations that also directs all state-funded road construction contracts in either ozone or fine particulate matter federal nonattainment areas to use clean construction practices. These clean construction practices include idling limitations, use of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, dust controls, and the use of at least Level 2 verified PM retrofit technologies on uncontrolled off-road equipment. The Illinois EPA is expected to issue more detailed clean construction requirements later this year in response to this Executive Order.



June 12, 2009

Colorado Governor Signs "Green Truck" Legislation - On June 4, 2009, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed into law a "Green Truck" bill which provides green economic development incentives for the long-haul trucking industry. The "Economic Development for Trucking Industry in Colorado" bill (House Bill 1298), sponsored by Representative Buffie McFadyen and Senator Shawn Mitchell, not only provides incentives for reducing emissions but also aims to make the state more competitive in trucking as it gradually brings Colorado's taxes and fees in line with those of surrounding states.

The Green Truck bill focuses on three areas:



• A "Green Truck Fund" will be created to provide reimbursements of up to 25% (not to exceed $50,000) to trucking companies to help cover the cost of buying and installing U.S. EPA SmartWay technologies (i.e., verified diesel retrofit technologies, aerodynamic technologies, low-rolling resistance tires, and idling-reduction technologies). In addition, this section includes a provision that could provide funds for the retirement/scrappage of pre-1990 trucks that are substantial emitters. The Green Truck Fund will be funded through grants, donations, and private support.
• A change to how state sales tax is applied on trucking fleets. Currently, a company must pay 100% of the state sales tax regardless of the fleet's mileage in the state. HB 1298 will change this process gradually to where the state sales tax for tractors and trailers would be based upon the percentage of a fleet's mileage within Colorado.
• Modifies the state law relating to enterprise zones that "will allow rolling stock based in those areas to qualify for the 3% equipment tax credit." Like the sales tax provision, this portion of the law will be phased in over five years.

Because of funding constraints within the state, the implementation and phasing in of the sales tax change and enterprise tax credit provisions will not begin until January 1, 2011.

The governor on June 4 also enacted into law two other "New Energy Economy" transportation bills, House Bill 1331 and Senate Bill 75. House Bill 1331, "The Innovative Auto Act," sponsored by Representative Sara Gagliardi and Senator Betty Boyd, bolsters Colorado's natural gas industry by extending tax credits to those who convert their vehicles to run on cleaner-burning compressed natural gas. The bill also adds incentives for the purchase of or conversion to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Senate Bill 75, sponsored by Senator Gail Schwartz and Representative Don Marostica, allows drivers to operate low-speed electric vehicles on most roads with speed limits of 35 mph or lower.

For more information on these three bills, go to: www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1244121595008&pagename=GovRitter%2FGOVRLayout.

Oregon Bill Would Require All Diesel School Buses to Be Retrofitted, Replaced - The Oregon Senate approved a House bill late last week which would require that all existing diesel school buses be retrofitted with emission control devices by 2017 or replaced by 2025 if the bus is too old to be retrofitted. House Bill 2795 now goes to Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) for his approval. Emission control devices being considered are DPFs and closed crankcase ventilation systems. Replacement school buses must be manufactured on or after January 1, 2007. School buses replaced may not be used again for transportation of any type. School districts would be able to use federal grants, economic stimulus money, and/or state matching funds to pay for the work. Oregon currently has about 4,600 diesel-powered school buses, including 251 built before 1994, that would need to be replaced and 2,400 that would need to be retrofitted.



June 5, 2009

EPA Administrator Jackson Holds Press Conferences in Ohio to Announce DERA Economic Stimulus Grants - On June 3, 2009, U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson held joint press conferences in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, to announce DERA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants for clean diesel projects in the state under EPA's National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. In Columbus, Administrator Jackson announced that the Ohio Department of Development will receive $5 million to retrofit a variety of mobile sources, including trucks, buses, municipal equipment, construction equipment, and locomotives. Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher joined Administrator Jackson in Columbus for the Statehouse press conference. In addition, several emission control technology companies and diesel engine manufacturers attended the press conference and displayed emission control hardware and clean diesel equipment. In Cincinnati, Administrator Jackson announced that the Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners will receive $1 million to retrofit and replace older diesel school buses. David Pepper, president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, and Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski joined Jackson in making the announcement. EPA is expected to hold additional press conferences around the country over the next two months to announce other DERA ARRA grants.

Vancouver Developing Initiative to Reduce Emissions from In-Use Nonroad Engines - Metro Vancouver, the organization overseeing the 22 municipalities in the Greater Vancouver area, has initiated consultations regarding the development of regulatory options to reduce emissions from in-use nonroad engines in the region. Metro Vancouver staff are consulting with industry and others to develop these regulatory options for the consideration of the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors in early 2010. It is anticipated that the regulations will include requirements for registration of nonroad equipment and fees for older, higher-polluting machines. The fees will support an incentive program for industry to reduce emissions from these nonroad engines. A key part of the program would involve retrofitting, repowering, or replacing older, nonroad engines. In addition, it is anticipated that there will be idling and opacity restrictions for all nonroad engines. Metro Vancouver is also requesting government support to develop a diesel emission reduction fund. Requests are being considered for the federal government to provide $25 million and for the provincial government to provide $10 million for a nonroad diesel emission reduction fund.

In February 2009, the Metro Vancouver Board approved a Diesel Emission Reduction Program for Greater Vancouver, of which a significant component of the program is the nonroad diesel regulatory initiative. The major sources of diesel PM emissions in the Greater Vancouver area include marine vessels (43% of PM emissions), nonroad engines (41%), motor vehicles (8%), and railway locomotives (8%). For more information about Metro Vancouver's nonroad diesel regulatory initiative, go to: www.metrovancouver.org/services/permits/DieselEmissions/Pages/default.aspx.

USDA Program to Reduce Emissions from Agricultural Sources in California, Includes Funds for Retrofits - On May 19, 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that they will be hosting a series of workshops to update farmers and ranchers in California about a new cost-share program to help reduce emissions from mobile and stationary agricultural sources in the state. Fifteen workshops are scheduled in various agricultural production areas throughout the state (workshops began on May 27 in Fresno and will conclude on June 16 in Stockton). The cost-share program is administered by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as part of a new air quality provision of the 2008 Federal Farm Bill, provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Under the program, agricultural producers can apply for cost-share funds to replace, repower, or retrofit existing agricultural engines. Producers in 36 counties in California are eligible to use the funds to help reduce ozone-forming emissions and PM emissions. Priority will be given to replacing older, higher-polluting engines with newer, cleaner technology engines that meet or exceed current emission standards. Stationary, portable, and heavy-duty off-road mobile systems are eligible. Up to $22 million is available for this program. The deadline to apply is June 26, 2009. The workshops will provide detailed information and applications for the program. For more information on this cost-share program, including the locations of the workshops, go to: www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/2009.

New Meadowlands Stadium to Incorporate Green Practices, Includes Retrofit of Construction Equipment - On June 1, 2009, the U.S. EPA and the New Meadowlands Stadium Company (the Meadowlands Stadium's principal owner) signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines plans to incorporate environmentally-friendly materials and practices into the construction and operation of New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The agreement details strategies to reduce air pollution, conserve water and energy, improve waste management, and reduce the environmental impact of construction. One of the strategies established under the agreement calls for reducing air pollution from diesel construction vehicles by using cleaner diesel fuel, installing emission control devices, and reducing engine idling. Other strategies include: using approximately 40,000 tons of recycled steel to build the stadium and recycling 20,000 tons of steel when Giants Stadium is demolished; installing seating made partially from recycled plastic and scrap iron; building the stadium on a parcel of rehabilitated land; using environmentally-friendly concrete in construction; reducing water consumption and increasing energy efficiency; and providing mass transit options for fans. For more information on EPA's green construction and operations agreements, go to: www.epa.gov/region02/greenteam/.

Greenworks Philadelphia Launched, Includes Clean Diesel Programs - Greenworks Philadelphia, the city of Philadelphia's comprehensive plan for sustainability, was officially launched on April 29, 2009. Greenworks is designed as a living document that will evolve over the next few years, with the ultimate goal of putting Philadelphia on the path to becoming the "greenest city in America" by 2015. Included in the plan is an environmental initiative aimed at cleaning up the city's diesel fleet. Clean diesel projects noted in the plan include retrofitting the city's Air Management Services diesel fleet, installing DOCs on city fire trucks, and requiring construction equipment used by private contractors on public projects to be retrofit with emission control devices (a phase-in period would give small companies time to comply with the requirement). Other environmental initiatives include increasing the use of biodiesel fuel in the city fleet, increasing the city fleet's gas mileage, developing a CNG facility, purchasing hybrid diesel buses, facilitating the use of electric cars, and increasing the number of hybrid or CNG taxis. To view the plan, go to: www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/index.html.



May 22, 2009

Nevada to Spend DERA Economic Stimulus Funds on School Bus Replacements - On May 18, 2009, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) announced that it will use its $1.73 million in DERA grant funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to replace 17 school buses (model years 1991 and older) in the state with new diesel school buses. Fifteen Nevada school districts will get the new buses. Two school districts, Clark County and Carson City, will not receive new school buses since the majority of the buses in their fleets are recent model years that are already equipped with or have been retrofitted with emission control devices. The other 15 school districts will each receive at least one new bus, with Nye and Lyon counties receiving two buses. NDEP expects delivery of the new buses between March and June 2010. The older buses will then be removed from service and scrapped. For more information, go to: ndep.nv.gov/pio/file/05-2009-bus_stimulus.pdf.

Revised Air Quality Settlement with Energy Company Allocates $540,707 for Diesel Retrofits in Illinois - On April 27, 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice and Dynegy Midwest Generation (DMG) agreed to modifications to an existing Consent Decree that allocates funds in the amount of $540,707 to retrofit in-use diesel school buses and municipal vehicles in Illinois. These proposed modifications were jointly agreed to by the Justice Department, the state of Illinois, four citizen groups (the American Bottom Conservancy, Health and Environmental Justice-St. Louis, Inc., Illinois Stewardship Alliance, and the Prairie Rivers Network) and DMG. This work will be facilitated by the Illinois EPA, through the Illinois Clean School Bus Program the Illinois Clean Diesel Grant Program, and will be aimed at eligible fleets in southwestern Illinois. DMG's Baldwin Power Station is located in southwestern Illinois (Randolph County), and the intent of the revised settlement is to retrofit fleets to reduce emissions as near to the plant as possible. DMG has until May 31, 2011 to complete the retrofit project.

The proposed modifications are due to difficulties encountered by DMG in trying to complete the installation of an advanced truck stop electrification (ATSE) project in the St. Louis metropolitan area in 2006-2007 per the original Consent Decree. In 2006, DMG arranged for the development of 81 electrification units at one facility in East St. Louis, spending approximately $959,293 of the $1.5 million required project dollars. Thereafter, DMG encountered difficulties implementing a second ATSE project site and, by July 2008, the federal government and DMG concluded that DMG was unable to complete the ATSE project, and thereafter agreed to seek modification of the Consent Decree to provide for an alternative environmental mitigation project. For more information on this Consent Decree, go to: www.usdoj.gov/enrd/1247.htm.

Texas Approves $661,303 in Environmental Penalties, Includes Funds for Retrofit of Buses - On May 20, 2009, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $661,303 against 79 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total is a fine of $202,325 assessed against Dow Chemical Company in Brazoria County for nine air violations that occurred over 11 months in 2007-2008. Of that total, $101,162 will be used to assist local school districts and transit companies to purchase retrofit devices for their buses. For more information on this announcement, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us.



May 15, 2009

Funding Available for Environmental Projects along U.S.-Mexico Border, Money Can Be Used for Retrofits - The U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program: Border 2012, in coordination with the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC), is now accepting proposals for environmental projects (i.e., projects to reduce pollution in water, air, and on land, reduce exposure to chemicals from accidental releases, and improve environmental stewardship) in the California/Baja California and Arizona/Sonora border regions. These proposals can include projects to retrofit heavy-duty diesel vehicles (previous projects have included school bus retrofits in Nogales, AZ, and drayage truck retrofits in Mexicali, Mexico). Selected awardees may receive up to $100,000 each. Eligibility is open to U.S. and Mexican non-governmental organizations, local and state governmental agencies, universities, Mexican federal agencies, U.S. tribes, and Mexican indigenous communities. The last day to submit grant proposals is June 30, 2009. Successful applicants will be notified by September 4, 2009. To assist potential applicants, grant proposal workshops are planned for late May and early June in San Diego, Tucson, and Calexico. The Request for Proposals can be downloaded from the BECC's website at: . For more information, including information on the upcoming grant proposal workshops, go to: www.epa.gov/Border2012/.

Ohio EPA Awards More than $1.2 Million to 15 School Districts to Retrofit Buses - On May 5, 2009, the Ohio EPA announced that $1,271,670 in Ohio Clean Diesel School Bus Fund grants will be distributed to 15 school districts in 11 counties to retrofit 337 older school buses with emission control devices. Ohio EPA estimates that these retrofit installations will reduce an estimated 780 lbs. of particulate matter, 7,424 lbs. of carbon monoxide, and 2,803 lbs. of hydrocarbon emissions in the state annually. The grants will also fund the installation of pre-heaters on 54 school buses to help reduce idling times. These grants were funded through a combination of $412,467 in civil penalties collected by Ohio EPA for violations of Ohio's air pollution control laws; $104,789 from a 2008 federal grant from the U.S. EPA under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA); and $754,413 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds awarded by the U.S. EPA to the state for diesel emission reduction projects. Preference was given to school districts applying from counties that do not currently meet air quality standards for particulate matter (PM2.5). The application deadline for the next round of Ohio Clean Diesel School Bus Fund grants is September 1, 2009. For more information about this announcement, including the complete list of school districts receiving grant funding, go to: www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/nr/2009/may/DieselStimulus.pdf.

City in Ohio Receives Funds to Retrofit Two Ambulances - On April 27, 2009, the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) awarded nearly $5,000 to the city of Parma Heights, OH, to help fund the retrofit of two city ambulances with DOCs and closed crankcase ventilation systems. The two vehicles are the first known ambulances in Ohio to be retrofitted with these devices. Funding for the OEC grant comes from an August 2007 consent decree between the United States, the state of Ohio, and Premcor (an oil company with a refinery in Lima, OH) in which Premcor, through a supplemental environmental project, agreed to give funding to the OEC for the installation of retrofit technologies on municipal trucks and/or buses. Parma Heights also plans to retrofit nine of its service department vehicles with DPFs. For more information, go to: www.theoec.org/PDFs/PressReleases/4-27-09_ParmaHeights_Release.pdf. This grant was part of a larger grant from the U.S. EPA that also awarded the city of Worthington, OH, a $100,000 grant to retrofit 12 of their diesel-powered vehicles with DPFs.

Texas Approves $675,105 in Environmental Penalties, Includes Funds for Retrofit of Buses - On May 6, 2009, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $675,105 against 76 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total is a fine of $117,048 assessed against Solutia, Inc., in Brazoria County for 14 air violations that occurred over a year-and-a-half period. Of that total, $58,524 will be used to assist local school districts and transit companies purchase retrofit devices for their buses. For more information on this announcement, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us.



May 8, 2009

Oregon Receives over $2 Million for Retrofit Projects - On May 5, 2009, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced that over $2 million in federal money will help the City of Portland, Multnomah County, Lane County, and other areas of the state reduce diesel pollution from municipal fleets and construction equipment. At the beginning of April, the U.S. EPA, through DERA funding as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009, awarded DEQ $1.73 million to retrofit heavy-duty diesel engines in public fleets, transit buses, and off-road construction equipment in the Portland metropolitan area and Lane County. The stimulus grant funds followed a $498,726 grant from EPA to the City of Portland in January 2009 to help reduce diesel emissions from off-road construction equipment in Portland and Multnomah County. For more information about the Oregon Clean Diesel Initiative, go to: www.deq.state.or.us/aq/diesel/index.htm.



May 1, 2009

New Hampshire Announces Receipt of DERA Economic Stimulus Funds - On April 24, 2009, the U.S. EPA officially awarded the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) the $1.73 million in DERA funds allocated to the state under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). (Under the ARRA's state clean diesel funding program, $88.2 million is divided equally through a non-competitive allocation process, meaning that all 50 states and the District of Columbia will receive $1.73 million.) The funds will go to the state's air resources program. The program will retrofit, replace, upgrade, and repower a variety of public and privately owned fleets, including school buses, transit buses, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, marine engines, locomotives, construction equipment, and cargo handling equipment operating throughout the state. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/f02604b703db88a6852575a1007ef98e!OpenDocument.

School District in Texas Receives Grant to Retrofit Buses - On April 22, 2009, the Bay City Independent School District announced that it had received a $92,640 grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's (TCEQ) Texas Clean School Bus Program. The grant was used to retrofit 16 of their school buses (buses with at least five years of life expectancy left) with flow-through filters and closed-crankcase filtration systems. For more information on the Texas Clean School Bus Program, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/nav/pollution/school_buses.html.



April 17, 2009

States Receive Economic Recovery Funding from EPA to Reduce Diesel Emissions - U.S. EPA has begun awarding $88 million from the federal stimulus package DERA funds to states for programs to clean up or retrofit diesel engines. Under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 state clean diesel funding program, all 50 states and the District of Columbia will receive $1.73 million to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles. The funding can be used to support clean diesel projects and loan programs to address the nation's existing fleet of over 11 million diesel engines.



• Oklahoma will use the funds to replace and retrofit school buses in the smaller school districts in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas.
• New Mexico will use the funds to retrofit off-road vehicles owned by the cities of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Los Alamos. The city of Santa Fe will retrofit 130 diesel vehicles, Albuquerque will retrofit 25 diesel vehicles and Los Alamos will retrofit 50 diesel vehicles.
• Louisiana, Arkansas, West Virginia, District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa will fund projects that reduce diesel emissions from on-road and off-road equipment through idle reduction technologies, engine upgrades, and replacements, clean fuels and clean diesel emerging technologies.
• Idaho funds will be used by the state's Idaho Clean Air Zone Program to reduce emissions from diesel engines. Oregon will fund clean diesel projects through the state?s Oregon Clean Diesel Initiative.
• Washington funds will be distributed for clean diesel projects through the state's Washington Clean Diesel Program.
• Rhode Island will use funds to retrofit state-owned or operated vehicles, and to install or upgrade shore power facilities at state-owned ports.
• Maine will fund the state's Clean Diesel Program, specifically to retrofit transit buses and refuse trucks, as well as repower and retrofit port cargo handling equipment. The funds will provide shore power to reduce emissions on the waterfront at Fore River dock. The funding will also assist efforts of the Maine Clean School Bus Program and will allow Maine Department of Environmental Protection to establish the first statewide Clean Marine Engine Program in the region to replace dirty marine engines.
• Arizona will fund the state's clean diesel grant program to implement a truck stop electrification project along the U.S.-Mexico border.
• Ohio will fund the state's clean school bus program (for more information, go to: www.epa.state.oh.us/oeef/html/schoolbus.html).
• Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan will fund their respective state clean diesel programs. Each of these state programs will fund projects that include retrofit technologies, vehicle replacement, engine replacement, and equipment to reduce or eliminate idling for school districts, local government businesses, and truck owners and operators. For more information on Illinois' clean diesel program, go to: www.illinoisgreenfleets.org. For more information on Indiana's clean diesel program, go to: www.in.gov/idem/5255.htm.
• Utah will retrofit approximately 1,900 school buses by the end of the year, allowing the state to complete retrofits on all school buses that operate within the state. The funds will also purchase new school buses for some districts in the seven counties that were recently designated as not attaining federal standards for fine particle air pollution.
• Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming will use funds to purchase new school buses and/or retrofit existing school buses with verified technologies that range from oxidation catalysts, to filters, to crankcase filters.
• New Jersey will fund the state's Clean Construction Program to retrofit public and private construction fleets that conduct projects for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, New Jersey Site Remediation, or the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust.
• New York funds will be used to retrofit vehicles owned by four eligible regional transportation authorities. Vermont funds will be used replace school buses with new clean diesel models and to repower equipment used in Vermont-based sawmills.
• Alabama funds will be used to retrofit approximately 320 on- and off-road vehicles operated by the state's Department of Transportation that operate in and around Birmingham. Florida will expand their school bus retrofit program, expand their rebate program for auxiliary power units installed on trucks, and implement a truck stop electrification program.

More information on the state funding for clean diesel program is available at: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/Press%20Releases%20By%20Date!OpenView.

EPA Awards $454,849 Grant for St. Louis School Bus Retrofit Program - On April 2, 2009, EPA Region 7 awarded a $454,849 grant to Grace Hill Settlement House to fund the St. Louis School Bus Retrofit Program in greater St. Louise, MO. The grant was awarded under EPA's Blue Skyways Collaborative. The grant will improve about 520 school buses, primarily owned by First Student, serving St. Louis Public School children. The First Student School Bus Company will use the funds to purchase retrofit crankcase ventilation filters. More information on this is available at: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/30680b5bea5ff20c8525758c006a96b1!OpenDocument.



April 10, 2009

States Receive Economic Recovery Funding from EPA to Reduce Diesel Emissions - U.S. EPA has begun awarding $88 million from federal stimulus package to states for programs to clean up or retrofit diesel engines. Under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 state clean diesel funding program, all 50 states and the District of Columbia will receive $1.73 million to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles. The funding can be used to support clean diesel projects and loan programs to address the nation's existing fleet of over 11 million diesel engines. Nevada plans to implement a clean school bus project under this program, replacing many of the oldest diesel engines. Hawaii also plans to implement a clean school bus project, replacing many of the oldest diesel buses in operation and retrofitting up to 400 school buses. Similarly, California plans to distribute the funding to local school districts within a month of receiving the funding, with plans to retrofit approximately 100 California school buses with verified retrofit devices to reduce pollution by 0.3 tons of PM per year. States, local governments, non-profits and tribal agencies can also compete for a portion of $206 million under ARRA's National clean diesel funding program. More information on this is available at: www.epa.gov/recovery.



April 3, 2009

Colorado to Use DERA Economic Stimulus Funds on School Bus Retrofits - On March 27, 2009, EPA Region 8 Acting Regional Administrator Carol Rushin and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced that Colorado will use the $1.73 million in DERA funds allocated to the state under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to retrofit additional school buses as part of the Colorado Clean Diesel Program. The state agency will use the funds to retrofit the buses with engine pre-heaters, DOCs, and closed crankcase filtration systems. The grant will also help fund the purchase of hybrid-diesel electric school buses. The state has already retrofitted about 1,000 school buses through the Colorado Clean Diesel Program. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/8badf14bbb8776bf8525758600642a3d!OpenDocument.

Proposed Providence, RI, Ordinance that Would Require Retrofits for City Construction Projects Revised - On March 25, 2009, a proposed Providence, RI, ordinance requiring that construction vehicles in the city meet cleaner emission requirements when working on city-funded projects was revised at a City Council meeting to address concerns expressed by the state's construction lobby. Now only projects costing $2 million or more and sent out to bid after January 1, 2010 (thereby exempting most projects that would be funded with federal economic stimulus money) would require retrofitting construction vehicles with diesel emission control devices. Costs for the emission reduction measures would be fully reimbursed from projects funds. The initial version of the ordinance would have applied to any projects over $150,000, would have taken effect immediately, and made no mention of compensation for the construction equipment retrofits.

Councilman Seth Yurdin, who originally proposed the ordinance, said that dealing with construction projects costing at least $2 million assures that the retrofitting of diesel vehicles does not impact smaller contractors as much as the previous bill and is "much more cost efficient, since the upgrades represent a much smaller percentage of project costs." A committee vote on the ordinance will be taken up again in two weeks.

Florida DEP Receives $300,000 Grant from EPA to Retrofit School Buses, Reduce Engine Idling - On March 31, 2009, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it has received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. EPA that will provide funding assistance for two initiatives under the state's Clean Diesel Program. DEP will use a portion of the grant to retrofit school buses in rural counties in the Florida panhandle as part of the state's Clean School Bus Program. The grant will be used to retrofit up to 250 buses (focus on 2003 MY or older buses that will remain in the fleet for at least five years) with DOCs. In addition, to aid the commercial truck industry in complying with the Idling Reduction Rule that went into effect in the state last December, part of the grant will allow truck drivers to apply for a rebate to purchase auxiliary power units (APUs) to help reduce engine idling. Under the Clean Diesel Rebate Program, truck owners can apply for up to a $1,500 rebate to help install an APU. DEP adopted the Idling Reduction Rule to establish a five-minute limitation on idling for heavy-duty diesel vehicles in order to reduce diesel and greenhouse gas emissions. For more information on this announcement, go to: www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2009/03/0331_01.htm.



March 27, 2009

Jobs Calculation Formula for DERA Economic Stimulus Grants Now Available on MECA Retrofit Website - MECA has posted on the MECA diesel retrofit website (www.dieselretrofit.org) a formula for calculating the jobs impact of using DERA economic stimulus funds for retrofitting and/or replacing diesel engines. This formula will help eligible entities applying for a grant under the DERA economic stimulus funding demonstrate how their project will preserve and/or create jobs, a principal goal and priority for use of this funding. There are two documents posted: 1) an overview of the jobs calculation formula, including the methodology and example calculations, and 2) sample language for the jobs calculation formula that an applicant can use when submitting a project application. The direct link to the documents is: www.meca.org/cs/root/diesel_retrofit_subsite/useful_documents/useful_documents.

Connecticut Unveils Clean Diesel Projects to Be Funded by DERA Economic Stimulus Funding - On March 23, 2009, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell (R) and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection announced the clean diesel projects that will be funded by the $1.73 million in DERA economic stimulus money allocated directly to each state via the National Clean Diesel Campaign's State Clean Diesel Grant Program.

The three projects and funding amounts are:



• Diesel Vehicle Retrofit ($510,000) - This program will retrofit approximately 170 Department of Transportation diesel vehicles and pieces of construction equipment used on highway projects with DOCs. In addition, airport shuttle buses, snow-plowing equipment, and dump trucks will also be evaluated for retrofits within the DOT fleet.
• Truck Stop Electrification ($380,256) - This project at the Port of New Haven will establish a truck stop electrification (TSE) parking area to relieve a long-standing problem caused by idling trucks waiting for gate access to deliver or pick up goods.
• Locomotive Engine Repower ($750,000) - This project will replace a traditional, high-emitting diesel locomotive engine operated by the Providence and Worcester Rail Road in New Haven with low-emission generators and DPFs. This project will be the first of its kind in Connecticut.

For more information, go to: www.ct.gov/governorrell/cwp/view.asp?A=3675&Q=437080.

EPA Awards Grant to NESCAUM to Retrofit Construction Equipment - On March 26, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) a $400,000 grant to help retrofit construction equipment that is leased to construction projects throughout the Northeast region. NESCAUM will use the money to retrofit diesel-powered rental construction equipment operating in the six New England states, New York, and New Jersey. According to NESCAUM, as much as 25% of construction equipment in these areas is owned by rental companies. NESCAUM will work with construction industry associations and with manufacturers of emission control devices to target rental companies, provide guidance in selecting vendors and technologies, and facilitate competitive bids for the emission control devices and their installation. This diesel retrofit project runs through December 2010. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/35E69BE5CC829AA685257585005BD515.

Settlement with Energy Company in Colorado Includes Funds for School Bus Retrofits - Williams Production RMT, a petroleum and natural gas company, will pay more than $400,000 to help reduce pollution from school buses in Garfield and Rio Blanco counties in Colorado under a settlement with the state over air quality violations. The money will be used to retrofit the buses with engine pre-heaters, DOCs, and/or crankcase filtration systems. The retrofit installations are scheduled to take place this summer. The money comes from two settlements in which a total of about $104,000 in civil penalties was also assessed. The first settlement involved a natural gas dehydrator site in Rifle, CO, that exceeded permit emission limits, including emissions of volatile organic compounds. The second settlement pertained to a number of permitting-related emission violations at various compressor stations and other sites in the two counties.



March 20, 2009

EPA Announces RFAs for DERA Economic Stimulus Funds - On March 19, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced its Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the competitive portion ($206 million) of the $300 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. (The $88 million for the State Clean Diesel Grant Program will be divided up equally among the states on a non-competitive basis.)

This funding will be available through three separate funding assistance programs:



• National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program ($156 million) - This funding will be awarded on a competitive basis to support diesel emission reduction programs.
• SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program ($30 million) - This funding will support the creation of national, state, or local innovative clean diesel financing programs.
• National Emerging Technology Program ($20 million) - This funding will support the use, development, and commercialization of emerging technologies that reduce emissions from diesel engines.

The National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance RFA and the Smartway Clean Diesel Finance RFA will be open for 40 days (April 28, 2009 deadline). The National Emerging Technology RFA will be open for 47 days (May 5, 2009 deadline). Assistance agreements will be managed and awarded through the 10 EPA regions.

Given that this money comes from the economic stimulus bill, a principal priority of the funding is to promote job creation and/or preservation and economic recovery. Therefore, applicants must demonstrate in their application how the proposed project will preserve and/or create jobs and promote economic recovery.

For more detailed information on the DERA economic stimulus funding, including a copy of the RFAs, go to: www.epa.gov/otaq/eparecovery/.

North Carolina Awards Grants for Projects to Reduce Air Pollution, Includes Funds for Retrofits - On March 10, 2009, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) awarded $1.42 million in grants for projects to reduce air pollution from motor vehicles in the state. This year's grant winners include 21 projects from 14 counties. The grants cover a range of projects, including retrofitting school buses with emission control devices, repowering nonroad equipment with cleaner-burning engines, converting vehicles to run on alternative fuels, expanding biodiesel storage and distribution equipment, and purchasing electric motorcycles.

Retrofit and repower projects include:



• Duke Energy, Mecklenburg County, $79,882 to repower a switcher locomotive
• Gaston County Solid Waste, $9,163 to repower a track loader
• Mecklenburg County Air Quality, $234,635 to repower, retrofit, or replace construction equipment
• N.C. Ports, New Hanover County, $144,371 to retrofit port equipment
• Woods Charter Schools, Chatham County, $12,736 to retrofit school buses

NCDENR awarded the grants through the Mobile Source Emissions Reduction Grants program, which is funded by a 1/64-cent per gallon tax on gasoline sold in North Carolina. Additional funding for this year's grants came from the U.S. EPA's FY 2008 DERA program. For more information, including a complete list of the grant recipients, go to: www.ncair.org/news/pr/2009/mobile_grants_winners_2009.shtml.

EPA Awards Grant to Georgia Ports Authority to Retrofit Port Equipment - On March 12, 2009, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) was awarded a $250,000 grant from the U.S. EPA (using FY 2008 DERA money) to retrofit GPA-owned port equipment with emission control devices. GPA operates the Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick. GPA will retrofit 80 units of the ports' container handling equipment with DOCs and crankcase filtration systems. Last June, GPA voluntarily converted its fleet of yard cranes, trucks, and other container handling equipment to ULSD fuel. Emissions have also been reduced by electrifying GPA's fleet of ship-to-shore cranes and installing electric racks for handling refrigerated containers. The GPA is also participating in an 18-month Environmental Management System Assistance Project, which assists seaport authorities to develop and maintain state-of-the-art environmental management systems. For more information, go to: www.gaports.com/corporate/tabid/379/xmmid/1097/xmid/2600/xmview/2/default.aspx.

EPA Awards Grant to Chicago Public Schools to Retrofit Buses - On March 10, 2009, the U.S. EPA, through the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative, awarded $373,909 to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to retrofit additional CPS buses with DOCs. This money is part of EPA's FY 2008 DERA grant cycle. Previous grants have enabled CPS to retrofit an estimated 70% of the 3,000 buses it uses daily (those buses older than 2004). This latest grant is expected to cover the remaining 30% of the buses. The project is expected to be completed by late August 2009.

Study Shows Health Benefits of School Bus Retrofits - A report written by researchers at the University of Tulane and the University of York (in the United Kingdom) shows that school districts using buses retrofitted with DOCs and crankcase filtration systems saw a 32% reduction in the number of asthma-and bronchitis-related cases among school children. Released in September 2008, the study examined data from the Washington State Clean School Bus Program. The study also reported on the costs vs. health benefits of retrofitting school buses. Finding that the average school district retrofitted approximately 25 eligible buses out of 66 total buses and using an average cost of $2500 for a DOC and crankcase filtration system, the study calculated that the ratio of present value benefits to present value costs is over 20:1. The researchers concluded that "if the 48 states not aggressively pursuing school bus retrofits were to do so, potential social benefits are likely to be large." For a copy of the report, go to: www.tulane.edu/~economic/seminars/Shimshack_Buses.pdf.



March 13, 2009

President Obama Signs $410 Billion FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill - After Senate passage of the massive $410 billion FY 2009 omnibus appropriations bill on March 10, 2009, President Obama signed this legislation on March 11. This omnibus spending bill provides funding for nine federal agencies, including the U.S. EPA, for the balance of FY 2009 (end of September 2009). The bill includes more than 8,000 "earmarks" that will fund nearly $8 billion worth of projects inserted by members of both parties. In his signing statement, President Obama called on Congress to enact a series of guidelines that would not eliminate earmarks but would force lawmakers to be more transparent about them and would crack down on those that benefit private companies.

This appropriations package provides some modest increases to EPA's FY 2009 budget relative to FY 2008 funding levels, including a $7 million increase for state and local air grants (so-called STAG account; $224 million included in the final bill). With respect to DERA funding for the clean-up of diesel engines, the bill includes $60 million for the federal DERA program and an additional $15 million for California diesel clean-up projects in the South Coast and San Joaquin Valley. EPA staff has previously indicated that FY 2009 DERA funding would be dealt with using a separate project solicitation process after funding decisions have been made for the $300 million DERA funds provided by the economic stimulus legislation.



March 6, 2009

Northeast Diesel Collaborative Announces Grant Recipients under FY08 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program - On February 26, 2009, U.S. EPA Regions 1 and 2 announced the recipients of grant funding as part of the Northeast Diesel Collaborative's (NEDC) competitive process for FY08 funding under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Six grants totaling nearly $2 million were awarded under the 2008 NEDC Emissions Reduction Grant Program.

The six grants include:



• Massport ($400,000) to install dockside power stations at the Boston Fish Pier.
• Environmental Defense Fund ($400,000) to introduce hybrid trucks to New England fleets.
• Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) ($535,250) to retrofit regional locomotives.
• Connecticut DEP ($50,000) to install DOCs on all 13 of the heavy-duty diesel engines in the state maintenance fleet and on up to four pieces of construction equipment. CT DEP will also partner with the CT DOT to install up to seven DPFs on air compressors used on highway construction sites around the state.
• Chittenden Solid Waste District ($205,523) to replace three diesel vehicles (selected from 1994-98 model years) with new CNG models. EPA funds will cover up to 25% of the cost of each new vehicle.
• Manchester Transit Authority ($229,703) to install DOCs on 72 city-owned vehicles. In addition, MTA will fund the retrofit of seven transit-style school buses with closed crankcase ventilation systems. They will also install idle reduction devices on an additional 10 school buses. Finally, the grant will cover the incremental cost of B20 fuel for the entire fleet of city vehicles.

For more information on this grant announcement, go to the NEDC's website at: www.northeastdiesel.org.

Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative Announces Grant Recipients under FY08 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program - On February 26, 2009, U.S. EPA Region 5 announced the recipients of grant funding as part of the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative's (MCDI) competitive process for FY08 funding under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Thirteen grants totaling more than $4.8 million were awarded as part of the competitive process in the MCDI region. Projects include a variety of diesel emission reduction approaches, such as retrofit technologies, idle-reduction technologies, cleaner fuel use, engine upgrades, and vehicle or equipment replacement.

The 13 grants include:



• Illinois Green Fleets (statewide) - $678,604
• Chicago Public Schools (City of Chicago) - $373,909
• Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation (ArcelorMittal Steel, NW Indiana) - $164,032
• Indiana Department of Environmental Management (statewide) - $334,500
• NextEnergy Center (Southeast Michigan) - $250,000
• Lenawee Intermediate School District (Lenawee County, MI) - $154,381
• Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker School District (Huron County, MI) - $251,100
• Clean Energy Coalition (MI statewide) - $250,000
• Minnesota Environmental Initiative (statewide) - $400,000
• Stark County Educational Services Center (Ohio) - $465,364
• Clean Fuels Ohio (statewide) - $412,554
• Ohio Environmental Council (Franklin and Cuyahoga counties) - $394,589
• Wisconsin Department of Transportation (statewide) - $750,000

For more information on this grant announcement, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/7f6fda62b2972ef78525756900672bfa!OpenDocument.

Proposed Providence, RI, Ordinance Would Require Retrofits, ULSD for City Construction Projects - At the end of February in Providence, RI, Councilman Seth Yurdin introduced at a City Council meeting an ordinance requiring diesel construction vehicles in the city to meet cleaner emission requirements when working on city-funded projects. Under the proposed law (modeled after New York City's similar Local Law), companies given city contracts over $150,000 will have to use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and retrofit applicable equipment with emission control devices. Yurdin said one of the motivations behind the proposal is the recent availability of federal economic stimulus funding for infrastructure projects. The other 14 council members signed on to co-sponsor the proposal. The bill will now go through the ordinance committee before going back to the entire council for a final vote. Yurdin noted that Newport, RI, is also considering its own local law, and Brown University has developed its own measures to control diesel pollution on its construction sites. Similar legislation was introduced last year in the state General Assembly dealing with state construction contracts, but it was not approved.

Georgia Legislators Propose Creation of Committee to Study Diesel Retrofits - In the Georgia General Assembly, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment has introduced a resolution which calls for the creation of a Joint Study Committee to evaluate technologies to reduce diesel emissions and recommend action to encourage the retrofitting and upgrading of in-use diesel engines. The Committee would also investigate the availability of funding for grants and other funding sources that might be made available to diesel engine owners. The Committee would be comprised of 26 members: five from the House of Representatives, five from the Senate, and 16 persons from outside the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. The Committee would submit a report of its findings and recommendations no later than December 1, 2009. For a copy of the proposed bill (SR 109), go to: www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/sr109.htm.



February 27, 2009

Arizona Completes Border Project Retrofitting 55 Drayage Trucks - On February 20, 2009, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) announced that a major initiative to improve air quality at the Arizona-Mexico border in Nogales has been completed with the installation of retrofit devices on 55 large cargo trucks. The $145,000 Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) initiative, funded by the U.S. EPA, equipped the trucks, which cross the border several times a day, with DOCs. The project began in November 2008. The devices were installed free of charge to the truck owners by Auto Safety House, a fleet solutions provider headquartered in Phoenix. Trucking companies participating in the project were: Express Tres Fronteras, Transportes De La Rosa, Hungaro Freight System Inc., C-Bar Hauling Inc., Panadero's Trucking, Tractores y Camiones de Nogales, USA-MEX-CAN Transport, and Transportes META.

EPA officials said the retrofit project is another success story for the Border 2012 program, a collaboration between the United States and Mexico to improve the environment and protect the health of the nearly 12 million people living along the border. The bi-national, 10-year program focuses on cleaning the air, providing safe drinking water, reducing the risk of exposure to hazardous waste, and ensuring emergency preparedness along the U.S.-Mexico border. The completed retrofit project complements other ADEQ programs to reduce diesel emissions, including the ADEQ's program to reduce school bus idling, which has been adopted by more than 700 school districts in the state. The air in Nogales is especially affected by particulate pollution because the city is in a valley where air contaminants can become trapped in an inversion layer.



February 20, 2009

Pittsburgh Public Schools to Retrofit 50 Buses with DPFs - On February 17, 2009, Pittsburgh Public Schools announced a plan to retrofit 50 of its school buses with DPFs and closed crankcase systems using money provided by the Allegheny County Partnership to Reduce Diesel Pollution. W.L. Roenigk, the second-largest contractor transporting students for city schools, will install the emission control devices. W.L. Roenigk is the first school bus company in the city to retrofit its buses. The Partnership provided $6,850 per bus (in the form of a rebate) to purchase the equipment, install it, and pay for one year's worth of filter ash cleanings. The Heinz Endowments provided $500,000 for the program and the state Department of Environmental Protection gave $100,000. Pittsburgh uses approximately 400 school buses and school officials are calling on other companies to follow Roenigk's lead. The Partnership hopes to expand the program to other contractors, municipal vehicles, and Port Authority buses if additional funding is found (the city has pledged to retrofit 10 of its 62 garbage and recycling trucks). For more information on Pittsburgh's retrofit program for diesel school buses, go to: www.dieselretrofitrebate.org.



February 13, 2009

Texas Announces $657,752 in Environmental Penalties, Includes Funds for Houston Clean Vehicles Program - On February 11, 2009, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $657,752 against 68 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total were fines against Valero Refining-Texas in Galveston County in the amount of $181,200. Of that fine total, a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) of $90,600 will be provided to the Houston-Galveston Area Council's (H-GAC) Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles program in Galveston County. The Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles program is a fuel/technology-neutral grant program that funds engine retrofit, repower, replacement, or conversion (to alternative fuels), or the establishment of publicly accessible alternative fuel infrastructure. The primary goal of the program is to reduce NOx emissions. For more information on H-GAC's Clean Vehicles program, go to: www.houston-cleancities.org/overview.htm.



February 6, 2009

EPA Awards $258,000 to Virginia Port Authority to Expand SmartWay Program - The Virginia Port Authority (VPA) will expand its SmartWay pilot program in 2009 and 2010 with the help of funds from the U.S. EPA. The pilot program, called the GO program (for Green Operator), is getting $258,000 from EPA to expand efforts to provide truckers and trucking companies with low-cost financing for the purchase of diesel retrofits and fuel-saving technology or for the purchase of new low-emission, fuel-efficient trucks. VPA officials expect to be able to upgrade approximately 35-40 trucks with the funding. The money will be distributed over two years at $129,000 per year. The majority of the funds for 2009 is already committed to three SmartWay companies that have upgraded some vehicles and will use the GO program to continue the work: The Evans Network (Century Express and Evans Delivery are the local affiliates), C&K Trucking, and Andy's Trucking. In late 2009, the GO program plans to issue a request for proposals targeting truckers and trucking companies that would like to participate in the program in 2010. VPA's GO program is the first SmartWay program to be conducted at a U.S. port. For more information, go to: www.trafficworld.com/newssection/ocean.asp?id=49691.

EPA Settlement with Power Plant in Kentucky Includes Funds for School Bus Retrofits - On February 3, 2009, the Department of Justice and the U.S. EPA announced that Kentucky Utilities (KU), a coal-fired electric utility, has agreed to pay a $1.4 million civil penalty and spend approximately $135 million on pollution controls to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act. In addition, KU will spend approximately $3 million on projects to benefit the environment and mitigate the adverse effects of the alleged violations, including $1 million to retrofit school buses with diesel particulate filters and/or other emission control devices to reduce emissions of particulate matter. Under the $135 million, KU has agreed to install new pollution control equipment on its largest generating unit that will reduce combined emissions of SO₂ and NOx by more than 31,000 tons per year, which is 90% below the 2007 emission levels. KU will also install controls to reduce PM emissions by approximately 1,000 tons per year.

In a complaint filed in March 2007, the federal government alleged that KU modified the largest coal-fired electrical generating unit at the E. W. Brown Generating Station in Mercer County, KY, in 1997 without installing required pollution control equipment or complying with applicable emission limits, in violation of the Clean Air Act. The government discovered the violations through an information request submitted to KU. The settlement is part of the EPA's enforcement initiative to control harmful emissions from coal-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act's New Source Review requirements. For more information on this settlement, go to: www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/kucompany.html.



• January 30, 2009

  Ohio Announces RFP for Second Round of Funding for Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Program - On December 22, 2008, the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD), in partnership with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), announced that it was accepting proposals for the second round of funding for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant (DERG) Program. The amount of funding available for Round Two is $11.2 million. This amount is the remainder from the first round of funded projects plus the amount appropriated for the second round. Up to $5 million of the $11.2 million will be set aside for public transit projects in Round Two.

  DERG funding is available for all public diesel engine fleets and private diesel engine fleets (with a public sponsor) that have at least 20 percent matching funds and who are committed to operating their equipment in ozone and PM_2.5 nonattainment counties in Ohio at least 65 percent of the time. Public fleets include (but are not limited to) school buses, mass transit vehicles, trash trucks, and government fleets. Private fleets include (but are not limited to) long- and short-haul trucks, switcher locomotives, and non-road construction equipment. Eligible project types include retrofit, vehicle replacement, repower, and anti-idle.

  The deadline to submit applications is March 2, 2009. Awards will be announced on May 1, 2009. The DERG program was created in state budget bill H.B. 562, which earmarked $19.8 million over two years using ODOT's federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds to reduce diesel emissions. Round One of the DERG Program resulted in awards to 10 projects using $9.8 million in federal CMAQ funds. For more information about the Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Program, including a copy of the DERG Round Two RFP, go to: www.development.ohio.gov/diesel-emissions/.

  Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Awarded $850,000 to Help Clean Up Cargo-Handling Equipment - On January 27, 2009, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency was awarded an $850,000 grant by the U.S. EPA to be used to help fund the Puget Sound Ports Cargo-Handling Equipment Replacement and Retrofit Program. The program is aimed at reducing diesel emissions from cargo-handling equipment at the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is investing an additional $118,000 in the program, and the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma are together contributing $200,000 in leveraged funds. The funding will support the retrofit or replacement of 38 off-highway trucks, cranes, and forklifts at the Port of Seattle (approximately 10 percent of its fleet). At the Port of Tacoma, 50 to 60 terminal tractors, cranes, off-highway trucks, and general industrial equipment will be retrofitted (about 14 percent of its fleet).

  The program will also help the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma meet specific pollution reduction targets they have set for themselves via commitments in the "Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy," a voluntary diesel and greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy adopted by both Puget Sound ports and Port Metro Vancouver in British Columbia in December 2007. For more information on this grant announcement, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/b917a3d83e04e7928525754b006fb84b!OpenDocument.

  Wisconsin Announces Clean Diesel Grant Program - On January 23, 2009, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) launched the Wisconsin Clean Diesel Grant Program to help reduce diesel emissions from both public and private vehicle fleets statewide. Approximately $280,000 is available under this program. The program is funded by the U.S. EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). Funds are limited and will be divided between on-road and off-road projects.

  On-road awards are capped at a maximum amount of $10,000 per applicant (excludes match dollars) and can include any of the following strategies: 1) Retrofits - grant covers 100 percent of cost up to total grant award of $10,000 for EPA- or ARB-verified retrofit devices; and/or 2) On-board idling reduction devices - grant covers 50 percent of cost up to total grant award of $10,000 for EPA-verified devices that are installed on the vehicle. Off-road awards are capped at a maximum amount of $20,000 per applicant (excludes match dollars) and can include any of the following strategies: 1) Engine repower/replacement - grant covers 50 percent of cost up to total grant award of $20,000 for replacing Tier 0 engines with a higher Tier engine; 2) Retrofits - grant covers 100 percent of cost up to total grant award of $20,000 for EPA- or ARB-verified retrofit devices; and/or 3) On-board idling reduction devices - grant covers 50 percent of cost up to total grant award of $20,000 for EPA-verified devices that are installed on the vehicle.

  Applications must be submitted by February 6, 2009. For more information on the Wisconsin Clean Diesel Grant Program, including application materials, go to: dnr.wi.gov/air/mobile/CleanDieselGP.htm.

  Arkansas Announces Funding Opportunity for Clean Diesel Projects - The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has been awarded $400,000 from the U.S. EPA under EPA's State Clean Diesel Grant Program to reduce emissions from diesel engines in Arkansas. ADEQ is offering these funds as a competitive funding assistance opportunity entitled "Reduce Emissions from Diesels (Go RED!)." Public entities and non-profit organizations in Arkansas are eligible to receive funding. Diesel emissions may be reduced by employing retrofit technologies, idle reduction technologies, engine upgrades, engine replacement, and/or equipment replacement. Retrofit technologies may include, but are not limited to, DOCs, DPFs, and closed crankcase filtration systems. To be eligible for funding, the retrofit devices must be verified by EPA or ARB. ADEQ will provide funding assistance for up to 100 percent for retrofits.

  The deadline to submit proposal materials is April 1, 2009. Awards will be made by May 15, 2009. Projects must be completed by August 31, 2010. For more information on this retrofit funding opportunity, including a copy of the Go RED! Applicant Guide, go to: www.adeq.state.ar.us/poa/go_red.htm.

  Texas Announces Environmental Fines Against Chevron and Shell, Includes Funds for Bus Retrofits - On January 28, 2009, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $894,911 against 69 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total were fines against Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP in Brazoria County in the amount of $168,416 for 29 emissions, monitoring, maintenance, repair, and record-keeping violations documented in investigations conducted in 2006-2007. Of the fine total, $84,208 will be used for a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) to fund the retrofitting or replacement of older diesel buses through the Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles Program in Brazoria County. Also fined was Shell Chemical in Harris County in the amount of $166,530 for 13 emissions events, monitoring, repair, and record-keeping violations documented in investigations conducted between 2006-2007. Of the fine total, $83,265 will be used for a SEP to fund the retrofitting or replacement of older diesel buses through the Houston-Galveston Area Emission Reduction Credit Organization's Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles Program. For more information on this announcement, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/communication/media/01-09CommissionAgenda0129.html.

  Company in Ohio to Pay Penalty for Wastewater Violations, Includes Funds for School Bus Retrofits - On January 20, 2009, United States Gypsum (USG) agreed to a $44,000 settlement with the Ohio EPA for wastewater discharge violations at its facility in Ottawa County. Of the cash penalty, $35,200 will be used to administer Ohio EPA's surface water programs and benefit the Ohio Environmental Education Fund. The remaining $8,800 will be paid to Ohio EPA's Clean Diesel School Bus Retrofit Fund. The company also agreed to make numerous improvements to its wastewater treatment system, which discharges to Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie. Between June 2000 and September 2006, multiple inspections by Ohio EPA found significant operational problems with USG's wastewater treatment system and chronic violations of its discharge permit. At Ohio EPA's request, the company conducted an engineering study to determine treatment inadequacies and propose improvements. Ohio EPA agreed with the recommendations in the study.

  USG manufactures paper-based building products, including joint tape, joint treatment, stucco, and other gypsum fiber products. For more information on this settlement, go to: www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/nr/2009/january/USGypsum.html.
  
  

• January 16, 2009

  Blue Skyways Collaborative Announces Final FY08 Grant Recipients under National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program - On January 9, 2009, U.S. EPA Region 6 announced the final two recipients of grant funding as part of the Blue Skyways Collaborative's competitive process for FY08 funding under the U.S. EPA's National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The North Central Texas Council of Governments has been awarded $1.5 million and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) will receive $500,000 that will be used for clean diesel projects that significantly reduce diesel emissions through the use of retrofit technologies, engine replacements, and idle reduction technologies.

  For more information on this grant announcement, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/31ae9342dd0b92c285257539005430b0!OpenDocument. For more information on EPA's National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program, go to: www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel/prgnational.htm.

  Tennessee School Districts Receive Grants to Retrofit Buses - On December 29, 2008, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D) announced grants for three Tennessee school districts to retrofit their diesel school buses with emission control devices. The grant program is a collaborative pilot project between the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The grant recipients are: Williamson County Schools will receive $249,000 to retrofit approximately 34 school buses with DPFs and closed-crankcase filtration systems; Franklin Special School District will receive $212,000 to retrofit approximately 21 school buses; and Metro Nashville Public Schools will receive a $250,000 grant for 19 school bus retrofits.

  TDOT allocated federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) funds to cover 80 percent of the retrofit costs. CMAQ funding requires a 20 percent match, which is being provided by the Department of Environment and Conservation. School districts in Tennessee's 16 nonattainment or maintenance counties were eligible to apply for the grants. Three applicants applied and were accepted for the program. The school districts are not required to pay any matching fees.

  The School Bus Diesel Retrofit Pilot Project is one of a series of TDOT grant projects that encourage private sector companies and government agencies to take voluntary actions to reduce emissions from older diesel engines. For more information on this grant announcement, go to: www.tdot.state.tn.us/news/2008/busretrofits123008.htm.

  Settlement with Sulfuric Acid Manufacturers Includes Funds for Diesel Retrofit Project in Ohio - On January 12, 2009, the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Justice Department announced that three manufacturers of sulfuric acid have agreed to spend at least $12 million on air pollution controls that are expected to eliminate more than 3,000 tons of harmful emissions annually from six production plants in Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. Chemtrade Logistics, Chemtrade Refinery Services, and Marsulex also will pay a civil penalty of $700,000 under the Clean Air Act settlement. Of the total civil penalty, $460,000 will be paid to the federal government and $240,000 will be paid to the three states. In Ohio, part of the money ($48,000) will be used to fund a clean diesel school bus project and a tree planting project.

  The federal government's complaint alleges that Chemtrade and Marsulex made modifications to their plants, which increased emissions of sulfur dioxide, without first obtaining pre-construction permits and installing required pollution control equipment. The Clean Air Act requires major sources of air pollution to obtain such permits before making changes that would result in a significant emissions increase of any pollutant. For more information on the settlement, go to: www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/chemtrade-marsulex.html.
  
  

• January 9, 2009

  Nogales, AZ, Designated in Nonattainment for PM2.5, Diesel Retrofit Projects Implemented - On December 22, 2008, the U.S. EPA announced that Nogales, AZ, does not meet the latest National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particle matter (PM2.5). (The current 24-hour standard for PM2.5 is 35 micrograms/m³.) The agency based this determination on recommendations from the state, monitoring data, and technical analyses showing areas that potentially contribute to fine particle concentrations.

  A recent two-year air-quality study by Arizona State University (ASU) indicated that a majority of the soot in Nogales, AZ, comes from over the border in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. The ASU study suggests the main sources of particle emissions are wood burning, food cooking, and dust. Because Nogales, Sonora, has nearly 10 times the population of Nogales, AZ, "the vast majority of these emissions originate on the Mexican side of the border," said the report.

  To address the final particle matter problem, the Nogales, AZ, area has implemented several voluntary air pollution control projects over the past few years, including:
  
  

  • Thirty-three diesel school buses from the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District were retrofitted from 2006 to 2007 at a cost of $100,000.
  • The bi-national Border Environment Cooperation Commission is administering a project to retrofit four diesel school buses for the Nogales Unified School District at a cost of $50,000.
  • The state is managing a $150,000 contract to retrofit diesel drayage trucks that cross the Mexican border several times daily carrying Mexican products up to 25 miles into Arizona before heading back to Sonora.
  • The state is about to start a two-year, $423,000 program to install truck-stop electrification systems in border communities.

  The state of Arizona is required to submit a State Implementation Plan (SIP) by April 2012 detailing how compliance with the PM2.5 standards will be achieved. For more information on this PM2.5 nonattainment designation, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/edb1e5162589c3f885257527006fd7ca!OpenDocument.
  
  

• January 2, 2009

  Utah School Districts Begin Retrofitting School Buses under Clean School Bus Project - School districts in the Southwest area of Utah are among the first districts in the state to begin the process of retrofitting diesel school buses with emission control devices with grants provided by community, state, and federal partners. About 22 school districts have applied for grants that total approximately $2.39 million. The buses will be retrofitted with DOCs and closed-crankcase ventilation systems.

  In 2007, the Utah Division of Air Quality started the Utah Clean School Bus Project in conjunction with the Utah Office of Education, local school districts, county and municipal governments, as well as community and non-profit organizations. The total projected statewide cost for the project is $3.5 million. Sources of funding for the project include: the U.S. EPA's Clean School Bus USA Program and Clean Fuel Vehicles Grant and Loan Program, funds from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, and money from the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) fund.

  The overall project will be divided up into several phases. Each phase will focus on a particular geographic area of the state. The first phase is in the Southwest area of the state and involves the Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, Sevier, South Sanpete, Washington, and Wayne school districts. In addition, buses from the Murray School District will be included in this first phase of the project. A total of 258 buses are expected to be retrofitted in this phase of the project. Installations for this phase started in late December 2008. The second phase will include all three school districts from Utah County (Alpine, Nebo, and Provo). A total of 360 buses are expected to be retrofitted during this phase. Installation for this phase will start in early 2009. The next phase is anticipated to include buses from Box Elder, Salt Lake City, Tintic, Tooele, and Juab school districts. This phase will began when funding becomes available, which is anticipated to be as early as January 2009. Another phase will also include buses from Granite and Jordan school districts. This phase will began when funding becomes available, which is anticipated to be as early as September 2009.

  For more information on the Utah Clean School Bus Project, go to: www.deq.utah.gov/Issues/School_bus_retrofit/index.htm.

  Texas Announces Results of Latest Round of Funding for Clean School Bus Program - On December 18, 2008, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced that it had received applications requesting more than $13 million to retrofit more than 3,100 school buses with emission control devices. There was over $9.3 million available in this latest grant round, which ended on December 15, to retrofit diesel school buses under the Texas Clean School Bus Program. The program provided grants to over 80 Independent School Districts and charter schools to retrofit more than 2,300 buses in 2008. Since the TCEQ had requests for more money than there was to allocate, school districts that were not funded this round will be placed on a waiting list for when additional funds become available.

  The Texas Clean School Grant Bus program provides reimbursement for Texas school districts to install emission control devices on diesel school buses. The program was created by House Bill 3469 in the 79th Legislature, and first funded in 2007. For more information on the Texas Clean School Bus Program, go to: www.texascleanschoolbus.org.

  Tennessee School Districts to Receive Grants for Diesel Retrofit Projects - On December 30, 2008, Tennessee governor announced that three local school districts will receive grants to retrofit their school buses with diesel emission reduction devices. Metro Nashville will receive $250,000, Williamson County will receive $249,000 and Franklin Special School District will receive $212,000 for diesel particulate filters and crankcase filtration systems. The grant will cover retrofitting about 74 buses total in the three counties. Eighty percent of the money comes from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement funds, with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation providing a 20% match.