Diesel Retrofit News – 2010

2010

• December 23, 2010

  House Passes DERA Reauthorization Bill – On December 21, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by a voice vote the DERA reauthorization bill. The Senate passed the bill on December 16. The bill, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010 (S. 3973/H.R. 6482), now heads to President Obama’s desk for his expected signature shortly. The bill authorizes $500 million in diesel clean-up funds over the next five years ($100 million per year from FY 2012 to FY 2016). The bill makes several changes to the original DERA program (FY 2007 to FY 2011), including: improving transparency; providing greater flexibility; ensuring that the highest priority is given to projects that maximize public health benefits, are the most cost-effective, and serve areas with the highest population densities and that face the greatest air quality challenges; and helping streamline the application process. DERA is being supported by a diverse coalition of more than 500 environmental, health, industry, labor, and government organizations. (Note: This bill only provides the authorization for funding DERA at the specified annual amounts; actual dollar amounts will depend on the appropriations process each year in Congress.). For additional information on the DERA reauthorization bill, go to: www.ectausa.com/DERAReauthorization.html.

  San Joaquin Valley Reaffirms Indirect Source Review Program, Construction Retrofits a Compliance Option – At the December 2010 Board hearing for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, the district staff provided Board members with a review of the district’s Indirect Source Review Program. This program requires land developers to reduce PM and NOx emissions associated with large development/construction projects or to pay the district fees that can be used for pollution control projects. Retrofitting construction equipment is one option for compliance with the Indirect Source Review Program. During the December review, district staff reported that this program has resulted in the reduction of approximately 6,700 tons of NOx and PM emissions in the Valley over the past five years. In addition, developers have provided the district with about $10 million to fund diesel retrofit or replacement projects in the Valley. The Board reaffirmed the Indirect Source Review Program at this meeting with no modifications.

  In a related story, in early December, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Indirect Source Review Program in a lawsuit brought forward by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in 2007. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California ruled against this industry suit in September 2008. In the appeal to the Ninth Circuit, the court ruled that the Clean Air Act allows the district to “regulate aspects of land use critical to air quality.” NAHB had argued that this air district rule is preempted by the Clean Air Act in terms of emissions from construction equipment. NAHB has not yet decided if they will appeal this latest decision to the Supreme Court. For more information on this ruling, go to: www.valleyair.org/recent_news/News_Clippings/2010/PR%20Court%20upholds%20developer%20rule.pdf.

  South Coast Awards $40 Million for Diesel School Bus and Truck Replacement – The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has awarded more than $40 million to help replace 146 older diesel school buses across the Southland and about 400 older diesel trucks operating primarily at the ports and in other goods movement activities. In terms of school buses, the action provides more than $21 million to 11 school districts across the region to replace a total of 128 pre-1994 and 18 pre-1987 diesel school buses with compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane school buses. Seventy of the school buses come from the Los Angeles School District, which will receive almost $11.9 million. With this award, AQMD has now funded the replacement of more than 1,100 older diesel school buses and over 2,500 older diesel trucks with cleaner, lower-emission models. For more information, go to: www.aqmd.gov/news1/2010/bs_120310.htm.

  Missouri Organizations Now Accepting Applications for Diesel Retrofit, Replacement Projects – Earlier this year, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources distributed DERA grant funds to four local organizations located in different areas of the state. These organizations are now accepting applications to distribute the funds. Each region will have two separate request for proposals (RFP): funding for a retrofit/repower program and funding for a replacement program. The first program includes retrofits, idle-reduction technology, low-rolling-resistance tires, aerodynamic technology, engine repowers, and alternative fuels. Retrofits will be reimbursed for up to 75% of the cost of the device. Engine repowers will be funded for up to 75%. The second program will pay for up to 25% of the cost of a new vehicle that meets 2010 emission standards. The grant is only for early retirement of diesel vehicles or equipment. All applications must be submitted by February 1, 2011. Both programs are reimbursement programs, and all eligible costs must be incurred between February 22 and July 1, 2011.

  The links to the RFPs for the four organizations are noted below:

  • Truck owners from the St. Louis region may apply with St. Louis Regional Clean Cities: www.stlcleancities.org.
  • Truck owners from the Kansas City area may apply through the Mid-America Regional Council: www.marc.org/rfp.htm.
  • Southwest Missouri is being handled by the Ozarks Center for Sustainable Solutions at Drury University: www.drury.edu/multinl/story.cfm?ID=25768&NLID=387.
  • Truck owners in the southeast Missouri area can apply through the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission: www.semorpc.org/dera.html.
• December 17, 2010

  Senate Passes DERA Reauthorization Bill – On December 16, 2010, the U.S. Senate passed, by unanimous consent, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2010 (S. 3973). The bill authorizes $500 million in diesel clean-up funds over the next five years ($100 million per year from FY 2012 to FY 2016; this amount is a change from the original version of the bill, which sought $200 million per year over the next five years). Bill supporters are hopeful the House will pass its version of the reauthorization bill (H.R. 6482) before the end of the current legislative session. To view the Senate bill text, go to: www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.3973.IS:.

  EPA Issues Amendment to RFP for FY 2011 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program – On December 8, 2010, the U.S. EPA issued an amendment making a couple revisions to the RFP for the FY 2011 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. In addition to some minor edits, there is a more substantive clarification regarding engine requirements for drayage vehicle replacement projects. Specifically, EPA will now fund up to 50% of the cost of a replacement drayage truck equipped with a 2004-2006 MY heavy-duty engine and a DPF that produces at least an 85% reduction in PM (or an oxidation catalyst for a CNG engine). The original RFP said EPA would fund up to 50% of the cost of a replacement drayage truck equipped only with a 2007 MY or newer heavy-duty engine and a DPF (or an oxidation catalyst for a CNG engine). The amendment also adds language to the RFP requiring proposals that use these 2004-2006 MY trucks to provide additional information that addresses the viability of the DPF to operate satisfactorily in the dray operational setting. For a copy of the amendment, go to: www.epa.gov/air/grants/rfp-epa-oar-otaq-11-01-amend1.pdf.

  EPA Awards $5 Million to Southern Alliance for Clean Energy under FY 2009/2010 SmartWay Program – The U.S. EPA has awarded a $5 million grant to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) for the creation of the “Clean Trucks Make Cents” (CTMC) program. The award, which SACE received through DERA funding under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 SmartWay Finance Program, will be used to guarantee loans for the purchase or lease of pre-2007 tractor-trailer trucks that have been retrofit with emission control devices and idling reduction technology. The CTMC program will finance up to 100% of the purchase or lease of a pre-2007 tractor-trailer truck. The program will help truckers and businesses who are in the market for used tractor-trailer trucks to buy cleaner-running, more-efficient trucks.

  The CTMC program is focused on the eight Southeastern states that make up EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Rush Enterprises, Inc., which operates the largest network of commercial vehicle dealerships in North America, will be the exclusive vendors for these used trucks, starting at its Nashville (Smyrna), TN, dealership, and expanding to other Southeast locations over the next few years. Rush Truck Centers and SACE will determine select used trucks to be retrofitted, and buyers will also have the option of choosing to retrofit a pre-2007 vehicle from other trucks in inventory at the dealer’s locations. Rush Truck Centers in Nashville, as well as in Tampa and Winter Garden, FL, will have retrofitted trucks in stock in early 2011. The program will run through December 2014.

  For more information, go to: www.cleanenergy.org/index.php?/Press-Update.html?form_id=8&item_id=206.

  New York Delays Enforcement of Retrofit Regulation for State-Owned Vehicles – On December 9, 2010, the General Counsel of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued a letter stating that the agency will not enforce its regulation requiring all heavy-duty diesel vehicles owned by New York State agencies and by contractors working on behalf of the state be retrofitted or replaced starting after December 31, 2010, until a pending Appellate Division lawsuit is decided. The lawsuit – New York Construction Materials Association, Inc. v. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, et al, Case No. 510593, before the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department – is scheduled to be heard on January 12, 2011. According to the letter, DEC has the right to begin enforcing the regulation 10 days after an adverse decision by the Appellate Division. However, representatives with The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) said the court is not likely to issue a decision before Spring 2011. AGC is looking to give the construction industry more time to pursue other avenues for relief from this regulation, including political and legislative solutions.

  The regulation (6 NYCRR Part 248), approved back in June 2009, requires application of best available retrofit technology (BART) to both on-road and off-road diesel vehicles (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 retrofit regulation, go to: www.dec.ny.gov/docs/air_pdf/deraslides.pdf.

  USDA Accepting Proposals for $25 Million in Funding for Conservation Projects, Includes Potential Retrofit Funding – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for projects to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2011 will be approximately $25 million. CIG provides up to a 50% match for the total cost of the project.

  For FY 2011, CIG is offering the following funding categories: National, Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and Mississippi River Basin. Regarding air quality projects relevant to MECA members, under the National category, NRCS will consider pre-proposals that demonstrate the use of innovative technologies and/or approaches to “identify, evaluate, demonstrate, and quantify air quality improvement techniques, practices, and activities compatible with agriculture production and the management and handling of agriculture waste and by-products.” CIG funds have previously been used to replace, repower, and/or retrofit existing agricultural engines in California.

  Applications are requested from eligible governmental or non-governmental organizations or individuals for competitive consideration of grant awards for projects between one and three years in duration. Funds will be awarded through a two-phase nationwide competitive grants process, which will include a pre-proposal for all applications and a full proposal package only for competitively selected pre-proposal applications. Applications for the pre-proposal phase must be received by December 28, 2010.

  For more information, go to: www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/cig/index.html.

• December 10, 2010

  EPA Announces RFP for FY 2011 SmartWay Program – On December 7, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced its Request for Proposals (RFP) for approximately $6 million in FY 2011 DERA funding under the SmartWay Finance Program. 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. This year, EPA is placing a special emphasis on nonroad equipment and marine engines. Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which their project targets: 1) nonroad engines or equipment involved in port or rail activities; 2) marine engines; or 3) nonroad engines or equipment used in construction, cargo handling, agriculture, mining, or energy production.

  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 February 10, 2011. Award winners will be announced in June 2011 by EPA headquarters. EPA anticipates awarding one to two cooperative agreement(s) under this announcement, ranging in value from $1 million to $6 million.

  For a copy of the RFP, go to: www.epa.gov/air/grants/rfp-epa-oar-otaq-11-03.pdf.

  Pennsylvania Awards Grant to Commercial Bus Line Company for New Clean Diesel Buses – On December 7, 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it has awarded a $235,000 state grant to Carl R. Bieber, Inc., a commercial bus line operator in southeastern Pennsylvania, to help pay for the replacement of four old motor coaches with newer, cleaner models. Bieber will invest another $1.86 million to purchase the new buses. The company estimates that the new, 2010 MCI motor coaches, which can operate on ultra-low sulfur diesel and biodiesel, unlike the buses being replaced, will get up to two more miles per gallon, which could save the company between $107,000 and $125,000 during the life span of each bus. The new buses are expected to cut emissions of PM by 3.6 tons per year, NOx by 45.5 tons per year, and SO₂ by 3.3 tons per year. For more information, go to: www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=15467&typeid=1.

• December 3, 2010

  DERA Reauthorization Completes First Step in Senate – A bill that would reauthorize the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) for an additional five years passed its first hurdle in the Senate on November 30, 2010, when Senate Bill 3873 was recommended for consideration by the entire Senate without amendments by the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee. The bill now moves on to the full Senate for debate and approval. The DERA reauthorization legislation was introduced by Senators Carper (D-Delaware) and Voinovich (R-Ohio) and is co-sponsored by an additional 28 senators. Since DERA funding started in 2007, more than 3,000 projects have received funding across the country, impacting tens of thousands of vehicles and engines. The current DERA reauthorization bill would authorize up to $200 million annually for diesel emission reduction grants and loans from 2012 to 2016. For a copy of the current bill language and to track its progress toward approval by Congress, go to: www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-3973.

  Progress Rail Services and Pacific Harbor Line Sign Agreement for Locomotive Repower Project – On November 16, 2010, Progress Rail Services Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., and Pacific Harbor Line Inc. (PHL) announced that the parties have entered into a contract for Progress Rail to repower 16 EPA-certified Tier 2 locomotives with newer, lower emission Tier 3 Caterpillar engines for operation in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Caterpillar 3512C HD engines will be equipped with DPFs. When completed, PHL’s entire fleet of 22 locomotives will meet or exceed Tier 3 standards. The locomotives will be repowered in Progress Rail Services’ Tacoma, WA, facility during 2011 and will enter service once certified by EPA.

  The project, totaling approximately $12 million, will be funded in large part by a grant from the Carl Moyer Program, administered by the South Coast AQMD and the California ARB, and with funds from Pacific Harbor Line. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach facilitated this project by entering into agreements with PHL, making it possible for the railroad to commit to long-term use of Progress Rail’s locomotives as a part of the ports’ Clean Air Action Plan.

  For more information, go to: www.progressrail.com/news-pacific-harbor-line.asp.

• November 24, 2010

  Wisconsin Proposed Amendment for Construction Permits Shifts Focus to Reducing Diesel Emissions, Creates Retrofit Opportunity – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has proposed an amendment to an existing state rule for construction permits for indirect sources that, among other things, will shift the current focus away from carbon monoxide (CO) control from passenger cars and on to the issue of reducing diesel emissions from heavy-duty trucks and construction equipment. The proposed rule revision will allow a general construction permit option for most indirect sources (i.e., large-scale developments), providing industry and the DNR with a streamlined approach to permitting. Specifically, the proposed general construction permit option will eliminate CO modeling as a requirement for most indirect source permit applications and will eliminate the screening level analysis for roadway capacity expansion projects. In addition, the proposed rule revision will eliminate the requirement for indirect source operational permits and will focus control measures toward the reduction of diesel emissions since “emerging research suggests diesel emissions and fine-particle pollution represent a significant public health concern.”

  As part of this focus on reducing diesel emissions, the proposed rule revision includes an exemption option for sources that agree to adopt “superior environmental performance” through the agency’s Green Tier program (dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cea/environmental/). Green Tier is based on a collaborative system of contracts and charters crafted jointly by participating businesses and the DNR. These contracts and charters streamline environmental requirements while advancing new environmental technologies. Per the proposed rule revision, “Any superior environmental performance program shall be submitted to the department in writing and shall address implementation of all of the following measures: 1) the use of diesel idle restriction; 2) the use of best management techniques to mitigate environmental impacts during construction and operation of the source; 3) the use of EPA-verified control technology to further mitigate emissions from mobile and off-road sources.”

  For more information, go to: health.wisconsin.gov/admrules/public/Rmo?nRmoId=585#.

• November 19, 2010

  EPA Announces RFP for FY 2011 National Emerging Technologies Program – On November 16, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced its Request for Proposals (RFP) for approximately $4 million in FY 2011 DERA funding under the National Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Funding Assistance Program. Similar to previous RFPs under the Emerging Technologies Program, eligible entities include regional, state, local, or tribal governments and air quality-related non-profit organizations. 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 ARB but for which an approvable application and test plan have been submitted for verification.

  The closing date for receipt of proposals is January 27, 2011. Award winners will be announced in May 2011 by EPA headquarters. EPA anticipates awarding a total of approximately three to eight cooperative agreements ranging from $500,000 to $1,500,000 each. For a copy of the RFP, go to: www.epa.gov/air/grants/rfp-epa-oar-otaq-11-02.pdf.

  Texas Approves $958,511 in Environmental Fines, Includes Funds for School Bus Retrofit – On November 3, 2010, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $958,511 against 90 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total are penalties of $237,247 against XTO Energy, Inc., in Yoakum County for two air violations stemming from a routine investigation conducted on December 9, 2009. Of the total fines, $118,623 will be used to fund replacement of older diesel school buses in the Amarillo-Lubbock area with new, cleaner diesel buses or buses using alternative fuel, or to retrofit school buses with emission control devices. Also included in the total are penalties of $106,000 against ExxonMobil Oil Corp. in Jefferson County for six air violations stemming from two routine investigations conducted in November 2009 and January 2010. For more information, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/communication/media/110310commissionersagenda.

  Ohio School Bus Retrofit Projects Funded under ARRA Nearing Completion – In October, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency reported that the state school bus retrofit projects funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) are nearing completion. Last year, the Ohio EPA was awarded more than $1.7 million in economic stimulus funding from the U.S. EPA for the Ohio Clean Diesel School Bus Fund Retrofit Program and the agency quickly began the process of distributing the funds to local school districts around the state. As of October 1, 2010, seventeen of the 22 stimulus-funded school bus retrofit projects in Ohio have been completed and two more are well underway. Three additional projects are waiting for back-ordered retrofit devices. Statewide, a total of 463 school buses in 23 communities have been or will be retrofitted using Recovery Act funds. One example of the program’s success is Mentor Exempted Village Schools in Mentor, Lake County, which received more than $94,000 in funding. The district has retrofitted 44 school buses and was one of the first grant recipients to complete its project on time and on budget. Ohio EPA estimates that the projects will achieve an annual reduction of more than 1,200 pounds of pollutants, including 75 pounds of PM, 855 pounds of CO, and 340 pounds of other HCs, amounting to an overall reduction of more than 30% for every year that the retrofitted buses remain in service. For more information, go to: recovery.ohio.gov/focus/shorts/2010/10/.

  Puget Sound Provides Update on Clean Diesel Projects – In the November 10, 2010 Executive Director’s Report to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Board of Directors, Executive Director Craig Kenworthy provides an update on clean diesel projects being conducted in the four-county region around Seattle, WA.

  Of note:

  • As of October 31, 232 trucks have been scrapped under the Diesel Solutions Seaport Truck Scrappage and Retrofits for Air in Puget Sound (ScRAPS) Program. The program offers financial incentives to owners of trucks with pre-1994 engines to scrap them and offers no-cost retrofits to further reduce the emissions of eligible replacement trucks. Seven trucks have been retrofitted with DOCs and about 70 more trucks are scheduled to be retrofit with DOCs over the next few months. With approximately $5 million in funds available, up to 400 of the oldest trucks could be scrapped by the end of 2011.
  • Puget Sound staff recently finalized a contract with Kitsap Transit to provide funding for installing retrofit devices on a new passenger-only ferry and retrofit devices on replacement engines scheduled for installation on an existing passenger-only ferry.
  • Puget Sound staff recently issued a purchase order to a contractor to install DOCs on 14 Kitsap County Public Works Department dump trucks.
  • Puget Sound staff continues to work with the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle on retrofitting cargo-handling equipment at several port terminals with DPFs or DOCs.
  • Puget Sound staff completed a Memorandum of Agreement between the Agency and Tacoma Rail to repower three locomotives to meet Tier 2 emission limits and improve fuel efficiency.

  For more information, go to: pscleanair.org/announce/hearings/documents/1110_DirRpt.pdf.

• November 12, 2010

  San Joaquin Valley Rule Provides Opportunity for Construction Project Retrofits – A rule adopted by the San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Management District several years ago can create opportunities for the installation of retrofit devices as part of construction projects. San Joaquin Valley adopted Rule 9510 in December 2005 to reduce NOx and PM₁₀ emissions from new development projects. Rule 9510’s goal is to reduce NOx and PM₁₀ emissions from new development projects by either reducing emissions on-site or paying a fee to the District to offset the emissions of NOx and PM₁₀. The rule applies to development projects that will seek to gain a discretionary approval for projects that, upon full build-out, will include any one of the following: 50 residential units, 2,000 square feet of commercial space, 25,000 square feet of industrial space, 20,000 square feet of medical office space, 39,000 square feet of general office space, 9,000 square feet of educational space, 10,000 square feet of government space, 20,000 square feet of recreational space, or 9,000 square feet of uncategorized space. The rule also applies to transportation projects whose construction exhaust emissions will result in two tons per year of NOx or two tons of PM₁₀.

  For construction equipment emissions, San Joaquin Valley requires exhaust emissions from construction equipment greater than 50 horsepower used or associated with the development project to reduce emissions by 20% of the total NOx emissions and 45% of the total PM₁₀ emissions. The applicant may reduce the construction emissions on-site by using less polluting construction equipment, such as equipping the construction equipment with emission control devices, using cleaner fuels, or using newer lower emitting equipment. As an alternative, the applicant may choose to pay the District a fee to offset the required construction NOx and PM emissions that are not reduced on-site.

  Rule 9510 requires applicants of new development projects to submit an Air Impact Assessment (AIA) application to the District prior to or at the project’s application for a final discretionary approval with a public agency.

  More information on the rule is available at: www.valleyair.org/rules/currntrules/r9510.pdf.

• November 5, 2010

  EPA Announces RFP for FY 2011 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program – On November 2, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced its Request for Proposals (RFP) for $32 million in FY 2011 DERA funding under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Similar to previous RFPs under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program, eligible entities include regional, state, local, or tribal governments and air quality-related non-profit organizations. Eligible diesel vehicles include buses, medium-duty or heavy-duty trucks, marine engines, locomotives, and nonroad engines, equipment, or vehicles used in construction, handling of cargo, agriculture, mining, or energy production (including stationary generators and pumps). Eligible diesel emission reduction strategies include verified emission control technologies such as retrofit devices, cleaner fuels, and engine upgrades, verified idle reduction technologies, verified aerodynamic technologies and low-rolling resistance tires, certified engine repowers, and/or vehicle or equipment replacement. EPA will fund up to 100% of the cost of verified retrofit technologies.

  The closing date for receipt of proposals is January 13, 2011. Award winners will be announced in March 2011 through EPA’s regional offices. For a copy of the RFP, go to: www.epa.gov/air/grants/rfp-epa-oar-otaq-11-01.pdf.

  The RFPs for FY 2011 DERA funding under the National Emerging Technologies Program and the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program are expected soon.

  Texas Announces New Round of Funding under Clean School Bus Program – On October 29, 2010, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced that grant applications are now being accepted statewide to retrofit eligible diesel-powered school buses with emission control devices. A total of about $9 million is available. This grant opportunity is open to all public and charter schools in Texas that operate one or more diesel school buses. All sizes of diesel school buses are eligible. A diesel school bus proposed for retrofit must be used on a regular, daily route to and from a school and have at least five years of useful life remaining. Eligible retrofit devices include DPFs, flow-through filters, DOCs, and crankcase filtration systems. While a school district may apply for any amount of funding, TCEQ will review applications on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applications are due by January 31, 2011. For more information, including a link to the grant application, go to: www.texascleanschoolbus.org.

  Arizona Announces Additional Funding for Border Project Retrofitting Drayage Trucks – On November 4, 2010, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) announced that another major effort to improve air quality in Nogales, AZ, is underway with receipt of $105,000 in funding from the U.S. EPA to install retrofit devices on drayage trucks. The funding, awarded to Auto Safety House of Phoenix, will be used to install DOCs on more than 40 freight trucks which make regular runs hauling produce between Nogales, Sonora (Mexico), and Nogales, AZ. The project is expected to be completed before July 1, 2011. Last year, a $145,000 ADEQ initiative installed DOCs on 55 drayage trucks. For more information, go to: www.azdeq.gov/function/news/2010/download/110410.pdf.

• October 29, 2010

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to MD Transit to Repower Locomotive – On October 26, 2010, the U.S. EPA awarded a $975,000 grant to the Maryland Transit Administration to help replace a conventional switcher locomotive engine with ultra-clean generator set (GENSET) locomotive engine technology. The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The GENSET locomotive will be operated by CSX at its Curtis Bay Yard in Baltimore. The Maryland Department of Transportation will oversee the project with CSX, who is matching the federal grant with $425,000 in private funding. GENSET locomotives can reduce NOx and PM emissions by approximately 80%, and can reduce CO₂ emissions by 25% through technologies that monitor engine idling and switch to “sleep” mode after a period of inactivity. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/ef7b4f9d117d5ca7852577c8005e46d1?OpenDocument.

• October 22, 2010

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to South Jersey Port for Repower of Port Vehicles – On October 19, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced that it has awarded $1.1 million to the South Jersey Port in Camden, NJ, to provide for the installation of improved engines on port vehicles. The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Specifically, the funding will be used to repower engines on 48 port vehicles, including forklifts, lift trucks, front-end loaders, and other pieces of cargo-handling equipment. The project is expected to reduce NOx emissions by over 352 tons, PM emissions by over 34 tons, and CO₂ emissions by over 715 tons, as well as save over 64,000 gallons of fuel, during the lifetime of the upgraded equipment.

  Camden does not currently meet the air quality standards for ozone and fine particulate matter. South Central Camden has one of the highest concentrations of contaminated sites and operating facilities that are sources of air pollution sources in New Jersey. Further contributing to the air pollution problem, compared to larger ports, the South Jersey Port has a greater tendency to hold on to its cargo-handling equipment rather than replacing them with newer models, says EPA. As a result, the average life span of a typical piece of equipment at the port is 22 years. Due to this advanced age of the fleet, the older engine technology in-use results in considerably higher emissions of PM and NOx.

  For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/fd2fee5db9d25eb5852577c1006439a2!OpenDocument.

  NYC Ferries to Evaluate DOC Retrofits – NY Waterway, New York City’s largest private ferry fleet, will install DOCs on more than 20 private ferry vessels in its fleet under a $1.3 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The award was made through the New York City Ferry Emission Reduction Program, which is funded in part by a $4.8 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration for the purpose of evaluating and implementing emission control technologies on private ferries operating in New York Harbor. Following installation of the DOCs, a sample of vessels will undergo an evaluation period that will simulate normal passenger operation. The aim of the evaluation is to measure and verify emissions reductions prior to resuming normal operation. The evaluation period is anticipated to last 12 months. Each vessel will be inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard for approval before returning to service. This evaluation follows a successful three-year, $216,000 demonstration of DOC technology on three test vessels in the NYC private ferry fleet. For more information, go to: www.nyserda.org/Press_Releases/2010/PressReleas20101021.asp.

  British Columbia Delays Requirement to Retrofit Older Diesel Trucks – On October 8, 2010, the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said it will allow truck owners at least another six months to comply with the province’s diesel retrofit requirement. The regulation, which was supposed to take effect on October 1, 2010, was delayed because many of the required emission control components are currently unavailable for delivery or are on back order, said the ministry. The diesel retrofit requirement, part of the province’s Air Action Plan released in June 2008, requires MY 1989-1993 on-road, commercial heavy-duty diesel vehicles registered in B.C. that have a licensed gross vehicle weight of more than 8,200 kg to be retrofit with a verified DOC (or equivalent). Based on motor vehicle registrations, B.C. Ministry of Environment officials say approximately 4,200 on-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles will be affected. For more information, go to: cvse.ca/diesel_retrofit/faq.htm.

• October 15, 2010

  Texas Accepting Applications for Emission Reduction Technology Grants – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is currently soliciting grant applications for technology projects focused on reducing air-pollutant emissions, primarily NOx, from mobile and stationary sources in Texas under the New Technology Research and Development (NTRD) Grants Program. The NTRD program differs from the regular Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) grants in that the grants are made to developers of emission reduction technologies rather than end-users. Funding may be used for research, development, testing, demonstration, and certification or verification of emission reduction technologies.

  For the current request for grant applications (RFGA), TCEQ is soliciting applications for projects for:

  • Development, testing, and certification or verification of retrofit systems and other advanced technologies that reduce NOx emissions from existing equipment and engines at least 25% without significantly reducing fuel economy.
  • Development and testing of advanced technologies that produce very low or zero NOx emissions from new vehicles or stationary and mobile engines.
  • Development and testing of advanced technologies that reduce NOx emissions from stationary sources.
  • Field validation of technologies that have been shown in testing or through verification or certification to reduce NOx emissions but require demonstration of viability for full commercial acceptance.
  • Development of innovative qualifying fuels and fuel production technologies that make use of energy resources in Texas.

  The application deadline for this round of funding is November 22, 2010. For a copy of the RFGA, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/implementation/air/terp/ntrd.html.

  Kentucky Announces Request for Projects under State Clean Diesel Grant Program – The Kentucky Division for Air Quality (DAQ) is soliciting proposals for projects to implement diesel emissions reduction strategies in Kentucky’s local government diesel fleets. DAQ is administering the 2010 Kentucky Clean Diesel Grant Program through the U.S. EPA’s FY 2009/2010 State Clean Diesel Grant Program. Approximately $235,000 is available through this competitive funding opportunity. Under this solicitation, any city, county, or other local government agency located in Kentucky that owns and operates its own eligible diesel vehicles, engines, and/or equipment is eligible to apply for assistance. Eligible vehicles include transit buses, on-road medium-duty or heavy-duty vehicles, and off-road equipment. The list of eligible diesel emission reduction strategies include: verified retrofit technology, verified idle reduction technology, certified engine repower, and certified vehicle/equipment replacement. The deadline to apply for funding is November 23, 2010. For a copy of the RFP, go to: air.ky.gov/Pages/KentuckyCleanDieselGrantProgram.aspx.

• October 8, 2010

  Michigan Announces RFP for State Clean Diesel Grant Program – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) has announced the availability of its 2010-2011 Request for Projects (RFP) for the State Clean Diesel Grant Program. Approximately $1 million in grant funding is available for this RFP competition. Eligible entities include municipalities, county and non-profit agencies, school districts, municipal planning organizations, and private industry. Eligible vehicles and equipment include buses, medium- or heavy-duty trucks, marine engines, and nonroad engines used in the construction industry, at a port, in the agricultural or mining industries, or for energy production (limited to stationary generators and pumps). Applicants may propose a variety of projects that include retrofit technologies, engine upgrades and repowers, and certified vehicle and equipment replacements.

  Projects must be located in one or more of 30 Michigan counties where implementation of diesel engine emissions reduction projects would be most beneficial. Projects that focus on nonroad, high-use, continuously operated, or location-specific diesel engines (such as stationary equipment) and projects that can be implemented within the following municipal communities of Allen Park, Dearborn, Detroit, Ecorse, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, Southgate, Taylor, and Wyandotte are highly encouraged.

  The deadline for submitting an application is November 29, 2010. For a copy of the RFP, go to: www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3310-198413–,00.html.

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to Environmental Non-Profit in Wisconsin for Clean Diesel Projects – On October 5, 2010, Leonardo Academy announced that it has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the U.S. EPA for clean diesel projects in Wisconsin that significantly reduce emissions from long-haul trucks, school buses, and municipal bus fleets. The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Anticipated clean diesel strategies to be used include retrofit devices, aerodynamic technologies, rolling resistance tires, engine emission upgrades, and idle reduction technologies. Leonardo Academy is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding of energy and environmental issues and supporting continued environmental improvement. For more information, go to: www.leonardoacademy.org/newsandevents/pressrelease/365-leonardo-academy-awarded-600000-for-clean-diesel-projects.html.

  Florida DEP Awards DERA Grant to Port Everglades for Clean Diesel Projects – On September 29, 2010, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) awarded a $750,000 grant to Broward County’s Port Everglades for clean diesel projects funded through the U.S. EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign. Broward County is also contributing $510,000. The grant will fund the purchase and installation of retrofit devices for on-road and off-road equipment, and pay for the replacement of old generators, forklifts, and service vehicles. Other port projects include retrofitting diesel cargo handling equipment and repowering of diesel boats with more efficient, cleaner-burning engines. Best practices, lessons learned, and environmental impacts from the program will be collected and shared with Florida’s 13 other deepwater seaports to encourage diesel emission reduction initiatives. For more information, go to: www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2010/09/0929_01.htm.

  Texas Approves $748,674 in Environment Fines, Includes Funds for School Bus Retrofit – On September 29, 2010, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $748,674 against 69 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total are penalties of $186,400 against Valero Refining-Texas L.P. in Galveston County for five air violations stemming from a routine investigation conducted on January 13, 2010. Of the total fines, $93,200 will be used to fund replacement of older school buses in the Galveston area with buses using alternative fuel or clean diesel. For more information, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/communication/media/092910CommissionersAgenda.

  Arizona Announces Completion of School Bus Retrofit Project along Border – On October 1, 2010, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) announced that a major initiative to improve air quality in two Arizona border counties has been completed with the installation of retrofit devices on 39 school buses to reduce harmful diesel emissions in the region. The $149,000 ADEQ initiative was funded by the U.S. EPA’s Border 2012 program (with technical assistance from the Border Environment Cooperation Commission). The project began in the fall of 2008. In Santa Cruz County, 11 buses were retrofitted in the Patagonia public schools, five in Nogales Unified School District #1, and three in the Santa Cruz Elementary School District. In Cochise County, nine buses were retrofitted in Douglas Unified School District #27, six in the Palominas School District, three in Bisbee Unified School District #2, and one each in Naco Elementary School District #23 and Tombstone Unified School District #1. For more information, go to: www.azdeq.gov/function/news/2010/download/100110.pdf.

  Results Announced for Towboat Retrofit Project in Tennessee Using Emerging Technology – On September 24, 2010, the Mississippi River Corridor-Tennessee (MRCT) announced the results of a clean diesel project for towboats operating on the Mississippi River. Funding for this project was awarded to MRCT by the U.S. EPA last November as part of the National Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program. The project involved the installation of 13 DOCs, as well as closed crankcase emission control systems, 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. Emissions testing have shown that the new DOC systems exhibited average PM reduction of more than 40% and CO and HC reductions of more than 60%. The PM emission reductions from the installation of the DOCs on the vessels are projected to be in excess of 94 tons over the five-year project life. More information on this is available at: www.prweb.com/releases/2010/09/prweb4565474.htm.

  EPA Awards $1.9 Million in Environmental Justice Grants – On October 5, 2010, the U.S. EPA awarded $1.9 million in environmental justice grants to 76 non-profit organizations and local governments working on environmental justice issues nationwide. The grants are designed to help communities understand and address environmental challenges and create self-sustaining, community-based partnerships focused on improving human health and the environment at the local level. In addition to the traditional criteria, EPA encouraged applications focused on addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change in communities by emphasizing climate equity, energy efficiency, renewable energy, local green economy, and green jobs capacity building.

  Of note, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision received a grant for a clean air justice project to, among other things; educate residents on the impacts of truck traffic and diesel emissions in the community and available diesel emission reduction programs. In addition, the project will conduct visits to eight local truck companies to educate them on diesel emissions reduction. In the long-term, the goal of the project is to build support from residents, the city of Detroit, and the business community for diesel retrofit technology, anti-idling education, and eventually a broad-scale diesel retrofit program for trucks operating in the region.

  For more information, including the complete list of grantees, go to: www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html.

• September 24, 2010

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to Virginia Clean Cities for Construction Repowering Project – On September 16, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced that it has awarded a $710,000 grant to Virginia Clean Cities and James Madison University for a construction repowering projects at four Luck Stone stone-crushing plants operating in Richmond, Charlottesville, Leesburg, and Burkeville. The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. EPA’s grant, combined with $1.1 million from Luck Stone, will enable the company to repower or replace 11 off-road construction vehicles with new, more efficient diesel engines and generators. The Luck Stone project is the first construction equipment repowering project in Virginia to be funded by EPA. The new engines will result in a 50% reduction in NOx and 65% reduction in PM for each piece of equipment. Annually, the project will eliminate 30.85 tons of NOx, two tons of PM, 11.93 tons of CO, and 2.74 tons of HCs from being emitted at the four plants. In addition, the project will create about 20 jobs. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/111783401ad608f0852577a000619286!OpenDocument.

  EPA Awards over $900,000 to Border Environment Cooperation Commission for Environmental Projects – On September 16, 2010, the U.S. EPA awarded $948,430 to the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC). The BECC will provide a focal point for collaboration between federal, state, local, and private interests on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, and a forum for broad public dialogue on proposed environmental infrastructure projects. The BECC will also promote environmental projects that will improve border communities’ living standards in accordance with the priorities and objectives of the Border 2012 Program. The Border 2012 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. Previous Border 2012 air quality projects funded by EPA have included a project in early 2009 to retrofit 55 drayage trucks with DOCs in Nogales, AZ, and school bus retrofit projects in 2008 at 14 school districts located along the Texas-Mexico border (as part of the Texas Clean School Bus Program). For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/7548cafdbb32eee2852577a0004a87af!OpenDocument.

• September 17, 2010

  Allegheny County, PA, to Award Grants to Retrofit Construction Equipment – At a press conference held on September 2, 2010, in downtown Pittsburgh, PA, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) announced that it had approved a $920,000 expenditure from its Clean Air Fund to aid small contractors in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area who want to purchase verified diesel retrofit devices to reduce emissions from their construction equipment. ACHD plans to award grants between $10,000 and $100,000 to eight to 16 contractors. The Pittsburgh City Council could vote this fall on an ordinance that would require publicly-funded development projects to be built with clean construction vehicles. ACHD’s allocation of funds would help small contractors meet the requirements of the new ordinance. For video of the press conference, go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_WUD0amvXo.

  Massachusetts Announces Additional Retrofit Installations under State Clean School Bus Program – On September 9, 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced that seven new bus owners have joined the MassCleanDiesel program, the state’s fully funded clean school bus program. (On August 4, MassDEP announced additional bus owners who had joined the MassCleanDiesel program.) Collectively, these seven private bus owners have installed retrofit devices on 347 diesel school buses that serve 34,500 students across 49 municipalities in the state. Overall, there are now 25 participating bus owners who have retrofitted 483 school buses that serve more than 57,000 students. By participating in the program, the bus owners can install a DOC, a closed crankcase ventilation (CCV) system, or both.

  The seven new bus owners who have joined the program are:

  • W.T. Holmes Transportation, Inc., Norfolk, has installed retrofit devices on 103 buses in their fleet. Holmes provides transportation services to approximately 10,000 students each day.
  • F.M. Kuzmeskus, Inc. (Travel Kuz), installed retrofit devices on 64 buses in its fleet. Travel Kuz is responsible for transporting approximately 2,400 students from nearly 40 municipalities.
  • Vendetti Motors, Inc. of Franklin installed retrofit devices on 61 buses in its fleet.
  • Trombly Motor Coach Service, Inc., Dracut, installed retrofit devices on 69 buses in its fleet.
  • Doherty’s Garage Inc. of Lincoln installed retrofit devices on five buses in its fleet and is responsible for transporting approximately 400 students in the Lincoln Public School District.
  • Tewksbury Transit, Inc., Tewksbury, which installed retrofit devices on 21 buses in its fleet, is responsible for transporting 500 students to Tewksbury’s eight public schools.
  • Fisher Bus of Somerset, which transports 1,800 students to eight schools in the Somerset Public School system, installed retrofit devices on 24 buses in its fleet.

  With $16.5 million in state and federal funding provided by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), under an agreement associated with the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, MassCleanDiesel aims to install retrofit devices on thousands of diesel-powered school buses across the state.

  For more information, go to: www.mass.gov/dep/public/press/0910pmdi.htm.

  School District in Arizona Receives Settlement Funds to Retrofit Buses with DPFs – The Tempe Union High School District in Tempe, AZ, has recently received funds through a supplemental environmental project to retrofit their in-use diesel school buses with emission control devices. The district was one of six in the state that received funds through the SRP A+ Bus Program, which gave out a total of $1.25 million through a grant application process to retrofit school districts’ in-use buses with verified DPFs. Other school districts that received grant money are Mesa Public Schools, Chandler and Santa Cruz Valley Unified School Districts, Cartwright School District, and Fowler Elementary School District. Tempe Union’s share totals about $228,680, which will be used to retrofit 22 buses.

  The grant funding comes from a settlement between the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District (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 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. The work on the buses will be completed by December. SRP will fund the maintenance of the retrofit devices through December 31, 2015.

  For more information on the SRP A+ Bus Program, go to: www.srpnet.com/environment/earthwise/aplusbus.aspx.

  School District in Oklahoma Recognized for Clean Diesel Projects – On September 8, 2010, Liberty Public Schools in Mounds, OK, was recognized by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality for reducing diesel emissions and improving the state’s air quality. Liberty took part in the Oklahoma Clean Diesel Grant Program, which uses federal DERA funds for projects to clean up emissions from diesel school buses and refuse trucks through retrofits or replacements. Liberty used $156,426 in grant funds to replace three pre-1990 buses and one 1991 bus with four buses meeting 2010 emission standards. The school also currently implements a policy that limits the amount of time a school bus idles. For more information on the Oklahoma Clean Diesel Grant Program, go to: www.deq.state.ok.us/AQDnew/resources/diesel/index.html.

  Indiana Announces Recipients of 2009 DieselWise Grants – On September 8, 2010, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) announced the recipients of its 2009 DieselWise Indiana initiative. The DieselWise Indiana initiative provides funds for clean diesel projects across the state affecting a wide range of heavy-duty vehicles and equipment. The initiative’s funding comes primarily from DERA funds under the U.S. EPA’s State Clean Diesel Grant Program. Additional funding comes from EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance grants, as well as supplemental environmental projects.

  The 2009 grant recipients are:

  • Baylor Trucking, Milan (Ripley County) – For the purchase of 53 battery-powered air-conditioning systems and 153 low-rolling resistance tires on their fleet of diesel tractor trucks and trailers.
  • Crum Trucking, Batesville (Ripley County) – For the purchase of 40 battery-powered auxiliary power units and for 40 aerodynamic tractor trailer skirts.
  • Hiner Transport, Huntington (Huntington County) – For the purchase of 140 aerodynamic tractor trailer skirts on their fleet of diesel tractor trucks.
  • JAT of Fort Wayne (Allen County) – For the purchase of 48 thermal storage cooling systems and low-rolling resistance tires on their fleet of diesel tractor trucks.
  • Pasquale Trucking, Logansport (Cass County) – For the purchase of 12 replacement diesel trailer refrigeration units on their fleet of tractor trailers.
  • American Commercial Lines, Jeffersonville (Clark County) – For the purchase of two diesel replacement engines on their fleet of powered towboats.
  • Avon Schools (Hendricks County) – For the purchase of 26 DOCs plus closed crank ventilation systems on their fleet of diesel school buses.
  • Carmel Schools (Hamilton County) – For the purchase of 64 DOCs plus closed crankcase ventilation systems on their fleet of diesel school buses.
  • Pike Township Schools, Indianapolis (Marion County) – For the purchase of 88 DOCs plus closed crankcase ventilation systems on their fleet of diesel school buses.
  • Primex Plastics, Richmond (Wayne County) – For the purchase of seven EPA Tier 2-compliant diesel auxiliary power units on their fleet of diesel tractor trucks.
  • Steel Dynamics, Pittsboro (Hendricks County) – For the purchase of two automatic locomotive engine shutdown/restart systems on their fleet of diesel switcher locomotives.
  • Celadon, Indianapolis (Marion County) – For the purchase of 345 diesel-fired bunk heating systems on their fleet of diesel tractor trucks.
  • Gary Hoffman Trucking, Columbia City (Whitley County) – For the purchase of eight low-rolling resistance tires on their fleet of diesel tractor trucks.

  IDEM is currently accepting new applications for its 2010 DieselWise Indiana initiative through September 30, 2010. For more information on the 2009 grant recipients, go to: www.in.gov/idem/5389.htm.

  Shanghai, China, to Conduct Pilot Diesel Retrofit Project – On September 7, 2010, the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau (SEPB) announced that it will conduct a pilot project using retrofit technologies on municipal diesel buses to minimize air pollution. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is assisting SEPB with the project. The project will showcase retrofit technologies from two U.S.-based emission control technology companies, who will share the cost of the $222,949 project with USTDA. The focus of the feasibility study will be to demonstrate that retrofitting existing buses in China with advanced emission control technologies can reduce fine particulate matter in the air, as well as lead to a reduction of black carbon soot, which has been tied directly to global warming. In addition, USTDA says that the project could provide opportunities for U.S. manufacturers of diesel retrofit products to gain a foothold in Shanghai and other southern China markets. For more information, go to: www.ustda.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/EastAsia/China/ChinaRetrofit_090710.asp.

• September 10, 2010

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to Minnesota Environmental Initiative – On September 7, 2010, the U.S. EPA’s Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative (Region 5) awarded a $977,242 grant to the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI). The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Work conducted through this grant includes installation of more than 230 exhaust retrofit technologies, such as DPFs and DOCs, on school buses, heavy-duty trucks, and construction equipment across Minnesota. Grant projects also include the repowering of seven pieces of construction equipment, including front-end loaders and cranes, with newer, cleaner EPA-certified diesel engines. One of the projects will reduce emissions from heavy-duty trucks and construction fleets contracted for work on the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project, a new light rail line connecting the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. More than half of the fleets to be upgraded as a result of this grant are located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/a6e858c30aa5c69b852577970058e705!OpenDocument.

• September 3, 2010

  EPA Announces over $2 Million for Kern County, CA, for Clean Diesel Projects – On September 1, 2010, the U.S. EPA held a press event announcing more than $2 million in funding for clean diesel projects in Kern County, CA. The money comes from EPA’s FY 2009/2010 DERA funding, last year’s DERA economic stimulus funding, and other sources, and is being distributed through the Kern County superintendent of schools, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and ARB. This funding is being used to retrofit and replace hundreds of diesel vehicles and equipment, including additional school buses, long-haul trucks, agricultural tractors and pumps, construction equipment, and locomotives. These projects translate to over $146 million in public health benefits for people who live in the San Joaquin Valley. In total, these clean diesel projects will result in the reduction of more than 1,800 tons of PM, over 37,000 tons NOx, and close to 3 million tons of CO₂ per year. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/3a317f020f9c5c82852577910060483c!OpenDocument.

  New Haven, CT, Approves Funding from Power Company for Clean Diesel Projects – On August 26, 2010, the New Haven, CT, Board of Alderman’s City Services and Environmental Policy Committee voted in favor of a resolution that authorizes the city to accept a $500,000 contribution from PSEG, the gas and electric company based in New Jersey, for three air quality improvement initiatives focused on cleaning up diesel engines. The three air quality improvement initiatives are: 1) retrofit six trash trucks in the Fair Haven-East Shore area with DPFs, 2) retrofit equipment used in the port area, such as cranes, forklifts, and bulldozers, with emission control devices, and 3) provide power outlets for tugboats in the harbor while they are docked.

  In November 2009, the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, the City of New Haven, New Haven Environmental Justice Network, Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, and others reached an agreement with PSEG on plans to build a new peaking plant on the New Haven Harbor Station site. PSEG gained approval for the $140 million peaking generation plant from the Connecticut Siting Council earlier this year. PSEG agreed to make the $500,000 contribution in exchange for assurances from the city and the neighborhood and environmental groups that they will not oppose the project. The plant, which will include three natural gas-powered turbines and a smokestack, will run during times of peak energy demand. As part of the agreement, PSEG has vowed not to create any “net increase” in pollution to the air. Construction on the new plant is slated to begin in the summer of 2011, with completion expected by the following summer.

  The resolution now goes to the full Board of Aldermen for approval next month where it’s expected to be passed. For more information on the agreement, go to: www.cityofnewhaven.com/Mayor/ReadMore.asp?ID={C1B10138-B32C-480A-96F4-DF82072C122E}.

  SC Ports Authority and Environmental Group Reach Agreement over Port Expansion Project, Includes Clean Trucks Initiative – On August 6, 2010, the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) and the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League (CCL) successfully concluded several months of mediation and reached a settlement over a port expansion project, ending a four-year legal battle and allowing Charleston’s new container terminal and port access road to proceed. CCL had argued that the project could harm the health of residents in the area. Included in the agreement is a commitment by SCSPA to reduce emissions by launching a voluntary truck replacement program to replace 85% of pre-1994 trucks calling on the port terminals by January 1, 2014. Also included in the agreement are specific actions by SCSPA to monitor and reduce air emissions from existing operations, as well as a commitment to accommodate and participate in a regional rail solution in the Charleston area. In return for SCSPA’s commitments, CCL agreed to drop four lawsuits challenging the port expansion.

  Details of the truck replacement program have yet to be worked out, but the program will likely incorporate a combination of various financial incentives. The port said it will take six months to develop the program. Studies by SCSPA show that 2,500 trucks regularly come in and out of the port. Approximately 10-15% of these trucks are pre-1994. According to a report by The Associated Press, the pre-1994 trucks contribute about one-third of the air pollution from port operations.

  SCSPA said plans are to have the expanded port site operational by early 2017. The port expansion project will cost between $500 million and $900 million.

  For more information, go to: www.port-of-charleston.com/spa/news_statistics/news/pressroom/pressroom.asp?PressRelease=283.

• August 27, 2010

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to South Shore Clean Cities for Marine Engine Replacement – On August 25, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced that it has awarded a $630,500 grant to South Shore Clean Cities Inc. for a project that will help reduce exposure to diesel emissions from two marine vessels operating on Lake Michigan. The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Replacing the older diesel engines in the two marine vessels with newer, cleaner engines will result in an estimated yearly reduction of 11.9 tons of NOx, 1,200 pounds of PM, and 26 tons of CO₂ emitted from these vessels. South Shore Clean Cities is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a sustainable transportation fuels industry in Northern Indiana. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/8859ef60131cf38985 25778a00609cbc!OpenDocument.

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to Philadelphia International Airport for Diesel Shuttle Buses – On August 18, 2010, the U.S. EPA awarded a $475,669 grant to the Philadelphia International Airport to help put eight fuel-efficient, low-emission, low-floor diesel shuttle buses into service at the airport. The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. In addition to EPA’s grant, US Airways will spend more than $3.5 million for the new shuttle buses. By replacing the older, diesel-powered shuttle buses with the newer, cleaner ones (manufactured by Cobus Industries), this project is expected to eliminate more than 1.18 tons of NOx, 1,540 tons of CO₂, and 0.02 tons of PM from the local air. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/28f051f932fb7423852577830061d024!OpenDocument.

  Texas Approves $1,552,145 in Environmental Fines, Includes Funds for School Bus Retrofit – On August 25, 2010, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $1,552,145 against 85 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total are penalties of $542,251 against Rohm and Haas Incorporated, Harris County, for air violations as a result of routine investigations conducted from February to June 2009. Of the total fines, $271,125 will be used to retrofit or replace older diesel school buses as part of the Texas Association of Resource Conservation and Development Areas, Inc. Clean School Buses initiative. Also included are penalties of $246,600 against TOTAL Petrochemicals, Jefferson County, for air violations as a result of investigations conducted in December 2005 and January 2006. Of that amount, $146,000 will be used by the Texas PTA Clean School Bus Program to retrofit or replace older buses. In addition, $100,000 will be used to retrofit or replace/retire diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles and equipment through the City of Port Arthur’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Equipment program.

  Also included in the total are penalties of $121,750 against Neelam Markets, Inc., Harris County, for petroleum storage tank violations as part of a routine investigation conducted in July 2008, and penalties of $105,590 against Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America, Inc., Harris County, for air violations as part of a routine investigation conducted in May 2009.

  For more information, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/communication/media/08-10Agenda8-25.

• August 20, 2010

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to Construction Group for Off-Road Retrofit Projects in Southeast – In early August, the U.S. EPA announced that it has awarded a two-year, $1.675 million grant to the Florida Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (FRACCA) for projects to reduce diesel emissions from off-road construction equipment. The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. More than 200 pieces of older (Tier 0-2) equipment in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, including backhoes, wheel loaders, dozers, excavators, compactors, material handlers, skid steers, concrete pumps, and various diesel generators/power units, are expected to be retrofitted, repowered, or replaced under this program (the Southeast Construction Associations Coalition for Clean Diesel program). Companies from small to large – including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, general contracting, and others – can participate in the program. Grants will provide 100% funding for installation of DOCs, 75% for replacement of old diesel engines, and 25% for equipment replacement. Applicants must be current members of one of the member associations of the Southeast Construction Associations Coalition for Clean Diesel (see list in the rebate application). Applications will be accepted until October 15, 2010. For more information, including a copy of the rebate application, go to: fracca.org/diesel.cfm.

  Indiana Issues Solicitation for Clean Diesel Projects – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM) DieselWise program is accepting applications for clean diesel projects affecting a wide range of heavy-duty diesel vehicles and equipment in the state. The total estimated DERA funding for this competitive grant opportunity is over $750,000. IDEM anticipates awarding cooperative agreements from this announcement ranging from $25,000 to $250,000. The 2010 DieselWise program is being funded primarily from State Clean Diesel Grant Program DERA funds covering several years. Additional funding comes from National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance grants, as well as a couple of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs).

  Eligible projects may include on-road or nonroad diesel vehicles and equipment. Eligible diesel emission reduction technologies include, but are not limited to, certified/verified exhaust retrofit technologies, idle reduction technologies, diesel engine upgrades, repowers, diesel vehicle replacements, aerodynamic technologies, and low-rolling resistance tires. The grant program is open to both private and public entities.

  Applications are due by September 30, 2010, and all projects must be completed by September 30, 2011, to qualify for reimbursement. For more information, including a copy of the solicitation, go to: www.idem.in.gov/5255.htm.

  Spartanburg County, SC, Uses DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Retrofit Trucks with DPFs – At the end of July, Spartanburg County, SC, began the process of retrofitting nine on-road diesel trucks with active DPF systems. The nine vehicles represent about 13% of the county’s on-road diesel fleet. To regenerate the filters, the county says they will be plugged into a 208-volt outlet for approximately four hours (typically, overnight). The county received $148,900 in DERA economic stimulus funding from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for the project and supplied about $10,000 in matching funds. Upstate Forever, a non-profit organization in upstate South Carolina, partnered with the county on the project, and Cummins Atlantic of Spartanburg is retrofitting the vehicles.

• August 13, 2010

  EPA Announces Recipients of FY 2009/2010 DERA Funding in EPA Region 7 – On August 6, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of more than $5.1 million in FY 2009/2010 DERA funding in EPA Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska). The funds are provided through EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.

  The recipients of the DERA funding are:

  • The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has been selected to receive more than $1.8 million in DERA funds (with a state cost share of $382,425). This grant will apply clean diesel technology (vehicle replacements, DOCs, and/or anti-idling devices) to school buses, trash trucks, and concrete mixers, as well as switch engine locomotives in Springfield, St. Louis, and Kansas City.
  • The Passenger Vessel Association has been selected to receive almost $1.5 million to reduce engine emissions on the Showboat Branson Belle in Branson, MO. The grant will be used to replace three engines and install retrofit devices. The association will also use the funds to make improvements on vehicle-to-shore connections to assist in idle reduction.
  • The National School Transportation Association has been selected to receive $362,642 in federal funds (with a cost share of $243,142) for vehicle replacements for five school buses in Richmond, MO, and Perry County, MO. The grant will also fund the installation of 45 fuel-operated heaters on school buses.
  • The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association of Grain Valley, MO, has been selected to receive a $1 million grant to implement a project with a total cost of more than $2.3 million. Through the project, approximately 300 auxiliary power units (APUs) will be installed in long-haul diesel trucks operating in EPA Regions 6 and 7.
  • The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been selected to receive $233,218 (with $45,394 in state matching funds) to assist with school bus emission control upgrades and the installations of three APUs on long-haul trucks in Wichita, KS. The grant will also allow APUs to be installed in five local trucks. A construction repower project will also be completed in the Kansas City area.
  • The Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi has been selected to receive $190,000 in federal funding. The grant will assist in the replacement of four school buses for the community at the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama, IA.

  For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/46b7eec1472bab09852577830067147b!OpenDocument.

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to Mississippi State University for Truck Anti-Idling Project – On August 5, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced that it has awarded a $1,083,595 grant to the Mississippi State University Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems to install battery-operated air conditioning units (BACs) on 101 long-haul trucks. The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The BACs will eliminate the need for idling when trucks are stopped for required rest periods or for loading and unloading. Mississippi State University’s partners in this project, two private companies operating large fleets of vehicles in Mississippi, will install BACs on 6.5% of the fleet for KLLM Transport Services and 8.3% of the Dufour Petroleum Incorporated fleet. Additional BACs will be offered to independent truck owners located in Mississippi. This clean diesel project is expected to save 144,502 gallons of diesel fuel and reduce CO₂ emissions by 1,608 tons annually. In addition, the project is expected to result in annual reductions of 28.67 tons of NOx and 0.78 tons of PM. For more information, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/97a88b3f50d7359b852577760063a6f7!OpenDocument.

• August 6, 2010

  Massachusetts Announces Additional Retrofit Installations under State Clean School Bus Program – On August 4, 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced that nine new bus owners have joined the MassCleanDiesel program, the state’s fully funded clean school bus program. Collectively, these nine private and public bus owners have installed retrofit devices on 72 diesel school buses that serve nearly 9,000 students across 32 municipalities in the state. Overall, there are now 18 participating bus owners who have retrofitted 136 school buses serving more than 22,000 students. By participating in the program, the bus owners can install a DOC, a closed crankcase ventilation (CCV) system, or both.

  The nine new bus owners who have joined the program are:

  • Joseph Ingle Bus Service, Inc., a private bus owner located in Hanover, provides transportation services to approximately 2,500 students attending the five schools in the Hanover Public School System, received retrofit devices on 16 school buses.
  • John B. Ormsbee, Inc., a private bus owner located in New Marlborough, received retrofit devices on seven buses in its fleet, which transport 325 students to and from municipalities attending the Southern Berkshire Regional School District.
  • Four school buses servicing 500 students in the Acton Public Schools and Acton-Boxborough Regional Schools have also received retrofit devices.
  • The Town of Monson received retrofits on 14 buses in its fleet, which serve approximately 1,100 students in its public school system.
  • Southeastern Regional School District installed retrofit devices on 17 school buses serving 1,200 students from nine communities attending the Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School in South Easton.
  • The Seekonk School Department installed retrofit devices on 10 school buses serving 1,200 students attending four of its public schools.
  • Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, located in Bourne, and which serves about 500 students, retrofitted one school bus.
  • Mohawk Trail Regional School District installed retrofit devices on three of its school buses, which are responsible for transporting approximately 1,300 students.

  With $16.5 million in state and federal funding provided by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), under an agreement associated with the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, MassCleanDiesel aims to install retrofit devices on thousands of diesel-powered school buses across the state.

  For more information, go to: www.mass.gov/dep/public/press/0810cldi.htm.

  EPA Settles with Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for Anti-Idling Violation – The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) will spend more than $2 million to reduce diesel locomotive emissions throughout the MBTA’s commuter rail system. Under a consent decree lodged in federal court, MBTA and MBCR will spend over $1 million on anti-idling equipment at all end-of-line stations and maintenance facilities, and will spend another $1 million on clean diesel fuel for all trains in the commuter rail system for two years. These measures are the result of a federal enforcement action brought by the Department of Justice on behalf of the U.S. EPA in response to MBTA’s and MBCR’s excessive locomotive idling at the Widett Circle layover facility in South Boston and the Greenbush line station in Scituate, MA. Neighboring residents have complained of excessive train idling at both locations.

  To settle the enforcement action, MBTA and MBCR will:

  • Install or upgrade electric plug-in stations as anti-idling equipment to supply all commuter locomotives with electric auxiliary power to prevent excess idling during train layovers;
  • Switch to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel for all trains on the MBTA’s commuter rail lines for a two-year period at an estimated cost of $1 million;
  • Install new, less polluting auxiliary engines on 14 commuter locomotives by no later than December 2012; and
  • Pay a $225,000 fine.

  The Massachusetts locomotive idling regulation, a federally-enforceable state regulation, prohibits all unnecessary diesel locomotive idling for more than 30 minutes. According to a 2008 notice of violation issued by EPA, MBTA and MBCR committed 33 violations of this regulation at Widett Circle and Greenbush in three months. At Widett, the average idling time during the violations was just under four hours.

  More information on this is available at: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/b89a1cd70da60b9685 25777500615ce7!OpenDocument.

  EPA Settles with County Landfill in Nebraska for CAA Violation, Includes Funding for Retrofit – The Sarpy County Sanitary Landfill in Nebraska has agreed to pay a $10,080 civil penalty to settle allegations that it failed to make a timely application for a proper environmental permit following the landfill’s expansion in 2005. In addition to paying the civil penalty, the landfill has agreed to perform a supplemental environmental project for $34,218 involving diesel retrofits on seven pieces of heavy equipment, including a bulldozer, waste grinder, two scrapers, and three landfill compactors.

  According to an administrative consent agreement filed in Kansas City, KS, the municipal solid waste landfill in Springfield, NE, violated the Clean Air Act when it failed to apply for a Title V operating permit from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) within 15 months of its 2005 expansion. EPA Region 7 conducted an inspection of the landfill in March 2009 and discovered that the facility had not applied for a Title V permit within the required timeframe after its expansion. Soon after the inspection, in April 2009, Sarpy County Sanitary Landfill submitted a permit application to NDEQ. It remains under review by NDEQ.

  More information on this is available at: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/beebc0b489d357e08525735900400c2f/e99f28e4f4102d2b85 25777500580509!OpenDocument.

• July 30, 2010

  EPA Awards FY 2009/2010 DERA Grant to Port of Pittsburgh for Repower of Towing Vessels – On July 28, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced that it has awarded a $1,156,838 grant to the Port of Pittsburgh Commission to repower four marine towing vessels with new, more efficient diesel engines and generators. The DERA grant was awarded under EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. In addition to EPA’s grant, the Pittsburgh Port Commission and three private companies will provide $1.97 million in funding for a total of more than $3 million to repower the four vessels. The port says the new engines will eliminate 112 tons of NOx, 15 tons of CO, 5 tons of PM, and 2 tons of HCs every year. The Port of Pittsburgh is the second busiest inland port in the U.S., moving 30 to 40 million tons of cargo a year worth $6.6 billion. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/c91e63798ec15b2b8525776e005fba50!OpenDocument.

  Railway Company Uses DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Convert Diesel Locomotive to Electric Slug – Iowa Northern Railway (INR) recently unveiled two new electric rail “slugs” at their facility in Waterloo. Each slug has four motors on each of their axles and can help pull or stop a fully loaded train with 3,000 hp. Three of INR’s standard diesel-powered locomotive engines were converted to “mother units” to power the slugs. (A slug increases the number of traction motors available to the main locomotive, increasing both the pulling and braking power.) The $303,800 DERA grant, awarded in October 2009, was funded from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The railway provided a $50,000 match. INR said the two slugs being put into service would eliminate 220 tons of air pollutants and save up to $500,000 per year in fuel costs. The company plans to add four more slugs within a year. For more information, go to: www.iowanorthern.com/pdf/IANR%20RIDE%20Grant.pdf.

  EPA Settles with Electric Company for Clean Air Violations, Includes Funds for Retrofit Projects – On July 22, 2010, the U.S. EPA, the Justice Department, and the state of Indiana announced that Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $950,000 and install and upgrade pollution control technology at its two coal-fired power plants in Indiana to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act. The settlement will reduce harmful air pollution by more than 24,500 tons per day and requires Hoosier to spend $5 million on environmental projects in its service territory.

  The $5 million will be spent on one or more of the following projects (Hoosier must direct $200,000 of the total for projects to mitigate the harm caused by Hoosier’s excess emissions at lands owned by the U.S. Forest Service):

  • Clean Diesel Retrofits: Hoosier will retrofit in-service, public diesel engines with emission control equipment.
  • Coal Bed Methane: Hoosier will capture and combust methane from coal beds to generate at least 10 megawatts of electricity. Carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the methane combustion will be supplied to a greenhouse for use as a fertilizer.
  • Wood Appliance Change-Out and Retrofits: Hoosier will sponsor a wood-burning appliance change-out and retrofit project. Hoosier will provide incentives through rebates, discounts, and, in some cases, replacement of old, inefficient, high-polluting wood-burning technology.
  • Solar Technologies: Hoosier will install solar power systems on public schools or on buildings housing non-profit groups in the company’s service territory.

  EPA issued a notice of violation to Hoosier, an Indiana electric generation and transmission cooperative, alleging that, in 2008, it made modifications at its Merom coal-fired power plant without first complying with New Source review requirements, including obtaining pre-construction permits and limiting emissions based on best available control technology. The settlement requires Hoosier to reduce air pollution from the cooperative’s Merom and Ratts Stations located in southwest Indiana.

  This settlement marks EPA’s 20th settlement under its national enforcement initiative to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act’s New Source Review requirements. More information on this is available at: www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/hoosier.html.

  Texas Approves over $1 Million in Environmental Fines, Includes Funds for Retrofit of School Buses – On July 28, 2010, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $1,001,983 against 83 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total are penalties of $245,227 against Diamond Shamrock in Moore County for 17 air violations as a result of routine investigations conducted in February, April, and June 2009. Of this total, $122,613 will be used to replace or retrofit school buses in the Amarillo and Lubbock regions. Also included are penalties of $143,460 against The Lubrizol Corporation in Harris County for four air violations as a result of routine investigations conducted in August 2009. For more information, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/communication/media/072810CommissionersAgenda.

• July 23, 2010

  EPA Announces Recipients of DERA Grants under FY 2009/2010 National Emerging Technologies Program – On July 22, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced that it has awarded $5.6 million in DERA funding for five clean diesel projects under the agency’s FY 2009/2010 National Emerging Technologies Program. The emerging technologies program promotes deployment of innovative approaches that have not yet been verified or certified by EPA or ARB. Instead, the program enables evaluation of these technologies in the field while providing air quality benefits to the surrounding area.

  The recipients of the emerging technologies grants are:

  • City of Los Angeles Harbor Department for an EcoCrane project ($731,298) – Replace a conventional diesel generator on a rubber tire gantry crane used to handle cargo at the Port of Los Angeles with EcoPower Hybrid Systems Inc.’s EcoCrane Hybrid system. This technology uses a lower horsepower, more efficient generator certified at Tier 3 with a battery pack. This technology will reduce PM by 25%.
  • California ARB for an SCR project ($1.2 million) – Install and demonstrate the durability of Caterpillar’s SCR system with a DOC on a line-haul locomotive that operates between the Port of Los Angeles and West Colton, CA. Emission levels are expected to meet the upcoming Tier 4 requirements ahead of the actual implementation date. This technology will reduce PM by 25%, NOx by 65%, and HCs by 70%.
  • University of Houston for an SCR project ($1.05 million) – Install Nett Technologies’ SCR system on 10 school buses in the Houston Independent School District. This technology will reduce PM by 25%, NOx by 65%, and HCs and CO by 60%.
  • Puget Sound Clean Air Agency for a seawater scrubber project ($1.2 million) – Install and demonstrate the durability of Krystallon’s particulate matter seawater scrubber on a dinner cruise vessel that operates in the Seattle area. The scrubber will reduce PM by 50% from all four engines on the vessel (two auxiliary engines and two main engines). The retrofit is expected to result in emission levels that meet Tier 3 requirements.
  • South Coast Air Quality Management District for an advanced maritime emission control system project ($1.5 million) – Install Advanced Cleanup Technologies’ Advanced Maritime Emission Control System. The technology acts as a bonnet that encompasses the stack of a vessel while docked at the Port of Long Beach. It then captures and treats the exhaust, reducing emissions of PM, NOx, and HCs by 70%, and CO by 30%. The technology can service up to four vessels at one time.

  For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/5fd74eef77484a8a8525776800455045!OpenDocument.

  EPA Announces Recipients of FY 2009/2010 DERA Funding in EPA Region 1 – On July 21, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of FY 2009/2010 DERA funding in EPA Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont). The funds are provided through EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.

  The recipients of the DERA funding are:

  • Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ($700,000) – This grant will allow MBTA to replace seven unregulated head end power (HEP) engines operating in Massachusetts and Rhode Island with new Tier 2-certified HEP engines, resulting in an estimated reduction in annual NOx and PM emissions of 46% and 60%, respectively. Additionally, annual fuel use is projected to decrease by approximately 5% for each locomotive HEP engine due to the higher efficiency of the new, electronically-controlled engines. The grant will cover up to 75% of the cost of each eligible HEP engine. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/c78ea7a87d99fd0785257767007290ff!OpenDocument)
  • Maine Department of Environmental Protection ($571,638) – This grant will allow Maine DEP, in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, to repower approximately 17 commercial fishing vessels, research vessels, and excursion vessels operating in Maine and New Hampshire waters with new Tier 2-certified marine diesel engines, resulting in an estimated reduction in annual NOx and PM emissions of 25% and 66%, respectively. Additionally, annual fuel use is projected to decrease by approximately 8-12% for each marine engine due to the higher efficiency of the new engines. The grant will cover up to 75% of the cost of each eligible engine repower. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/6edc7981c24194d38525776700654612!OpenDocument)
  • Town of Fairfield, CT ($831,030) – This grant will allow the town of Fairfield, CT, to retrofit 39 on-road and nonroad diesel vehicles operated by the Department of Public Works with verified DPFs, resulting in estimated lifetime reductions of PM, HC, and CO emissions of 1.7, 2.6, and 7.9 tons, respectively. The grant will cover 100% of the cost of purchase and installation of each emission control device. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/f1424cd71a32dd388525776700663314!OpenDocument)
  • Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management ($850,000) – This grant will allow NESCAUM to install Tier 3-certified auxiliary power units (APUs) on 29 regional freight locomotives operating in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The APUs will provide power to vital locomotive systems, thereby reducing locomotive engine idling and resulting in an estimated reduction in annual NOx, PM, and CO2 emissions of 37, 1.1, and 2,301 tons per year, respectively. The grant will cover 100% of the cost of each eligible APU. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/a69f8358813aafc185257767006656b7!OpenDocument)

  Other New England entities receiving FY 2009/2010 DERA grants this year include the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission.

  EPA Announces Recipients of FY 2009/2010 DERA Funding in EPA Region 6 – On July 15, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced the recipients of FY 2009/2010 DERA funding in EPA Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas). The funds are provided through EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.

  The recipients of the DERA funding are:

  • North Central Texas Council of Governments ($1.5 million) – The funds will be used to reduce diesel emissions within the construction sector through the replacement, repowering, and retrofit of construction equipment; to reduce the idling of school buses; and to reduce the long-term idling of heavy-duty diesel engines. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/dd7e8f4389072df185257761004f1fff!OpenDocument)
  • Port of Houston Authority ($1,487,909 – The project will replace fuel switching on 21 ocean-going vessels to a lower sulfur fuel. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/35b62b835cf97de685257761004f6e62!OpenDocument)
  • Port of Corpus Christi Authority ($1,026,058) – The project will repower a 120-ton switch engine locomotive and retrofit two industrial diesel engines with DPFs, anti-idling devices, and fuel-efficiency technology. (yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/20b6270cbb81cd5b85257761004faa21!OpenDocument)

  EPA Awards $250,000 in FY 2009/2010 DERA Funding to Native American Tribe in California – On July 19, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced that it has awarded a $250,000 grant to the Morongo Band of Mission Indians in California to replace two diesel school buses with compressed natural gas buses, and to retrofit four other buses and three heavy-maintenance vehicles with DPFs. The grant is from EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.

  EPA Awards $1.24 Million in DERA Economic Stimulus Funding to Cobb County, GA – On July 19, 2010, the U.S. EPA awarded $1,240,275 to the Cobb County School District in Georgia to retrofit 108 Cobb County school buses with DPFs and to install engine start-up/shut-off idle control systems on 480 buses. The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program through EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Under this funding competition, EPA Region 4 received 98 grant applications requesting more than $140 million to help fund clean diesel projects. (Note: Funding for the Cobb County School District project became available as a result of the voluntary termination of an existing DERA economic stimulus grant that was awarded in 2009 to a separate entity.) For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/104dda0ca0cf560e85257765006d6fee!OpenDocument.

  NYSERDA Announces Availability of $2.4 Million in Funding for Private Fleet Retrofit Projects – The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), is soliciting applications for projects that maximize the environmental and economic benefits of introducing diesel emission control devices (DECDs) for diesel-fueled vehicles into New York City private fleets and accelerating the introduction of these technologies into the market. Approximately $2.4 million is available through this Program Opportunity Notice (PON) to be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. The program (the New York City Private Fleet Diesel Retrofit Program) is funded utilizing federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program (CMAQ) funds. The maximum award per applicant is $500,000. NYSERDA will fund up to 80% of the cost of purchasing and installing EPA- and/or ARB-verified retrofit devices on medium-and heavy-duty diesel vehicles. Applicants must be a private-sector (non-governmental) company or organization, or a non-profit entity, who owns or leases a diesel fleet that is primarily operated in New York City.

  Eligible DECDs include, but are not limited to, DPFs and DOCs that are not part of a standard or required engine configuration. The program will fund projects to install a crankcase ventilation (CCV) filter on a vehicle that does not yet have one even if the vehicle already has a DPF or DOC installed.

  Applications will be accepted through July 1, 2011, or until funds are exhausted. For a copy of the PON (PON 2058), go to: www.nyserda.org/funding/2058pon.asp.

  Kansas City Announces Availability of CMAQ Funding for Clean Air Projects, Includes Retrofit Projects – The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) is now accepting proposals for FY 2011-2012 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program funds from state, regional, and local government agencies for projects and programs that improve air quality by reducing emissions from on-road vehicles. One of the eligible funding categories is diesel retrofit projects (see below). MARC is Greater Kansas City’s federally designated planning organization. MARC anticipates awarding $3.5 million/year in Kansas and $2.5 million/year in Missouri in 2011 and 2012. Eligible counties are Johnson and Wyandotte in Kansas, and Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties in Missouri. Most projects require a minimum 20% cost share.

  The funding categories include:

  • Alternative Fuel: Projects that replace conventionally-fueled vehicles with alternatively-fueled vehicles, or which provide fueling stations for alternative vehicles.
  • Bicycle/Pedestrian: Projects that construct or improve facilities which promote bicycle or pedestrian usage as a form of transportation.
  • Diesel Retrofit and Conventional Fuel Strategies: Diesel retrofit includes technology-based strategies to improve diesel emissions, aftermarket devices, repowering, or early replacement of vehicles. Conventional fuel strategies are the delivery and use of conventional fuels in a manner that reduces emissions, such as advanced vapor recovery.
  • Outreach: Educational or promotional activities that reduce vehicle trips and increase emissions-reducing behavior.
  • Traffic Flow: Projects that improve traffic flow by reducing congestion.
  • Transit: Projects that remove vehicle trips by increased use of transit.

  The application deadline is August 20, 2010. For more information, including copies of the application forms, go to: www.marc.org/transportation/cmaq/2011call.

  EPA Settles with City of Tacoma for Clean Air Act Violation, Includes Funds for Retrofit Project – On July 15, 2010, the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the city of Tacoma will pay nearly $225,000 in penalties for the release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) stemming from its refrigerated appliance disposal service. The city will also pay nearly $300,000 for new pollution-reduction projects in Tacoma, including a diesel retrofit project.

  From October 2004 to August 2007, the City of Tacoma Solid Waste Management Division processed more than 14,600 appliances to recover refrigerants. Due to a flawed purging process, an estimated 4,600 pounds of refrigerant was released to the environment. The CFCs released in this case are equivalent to 32 million pounds of carbon dioxide. The releases were a violation of the federal Clean Air Act, which prohibits the release of CFCs to the environment. CFC refrigerants are a leading cause of ozone depletion, which contributes to climate change and has negative human health impacts.

  The city has agreed to take corrective action and conduct additional monitoring beyond the regulations to ensure that it is covering a maximum amount of refrigerant from the disposal process. In addition to the penalty, the city will fund several projects worth nearly $300,000 to reduce air pollution in the Tacoma area. These projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter in the Tacoma area.

  These projects include:

  • Retrofitting 10 long-haul diesel tractors with DPFs;
  • Replacement of one diesel waste collection truck from the city’s fleet of 50 with a truck powered by a hybrid technology; and
  • Replacement of one terminal tractor at the city’s landfill facility with a hybrid-electric terminal tractor.

  More information on this is available at: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d96f984dfb3ff7718525735900400c29/0d5c11b7ba5f47f18525776100784011!OpenDocument.

• July 16, 2010

  EPA Awards DERA Funding to New Bedford, MA, for Shore-Side Power Project – On July 8, 2010, the U.S. EPA announced that it has awarded $1 million to the city of New Bedford’s (Massachusetts) Harbor Development Commission to install 16 shore-side electric power pedestals on two fishing piers within New Bedford harbor. The DERA funds are being awarded through EPA’s FY 2009/2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The 16 pedestals will provide shore-side electricity to approximately 100 vessels at the two piers. The electrification technology will provide power to vital vessel systems, thereby eliminating virtually all marine engine idling while at berth. The grant will cover 100% of the cost to purchase and install each pedestal and will also provide up to $230,000 in rebates for up to 100 vessel owners to retrofit their vessels with switches to enable the vessel to receive shore-side power.

  Other New England entities receiving FY 2009/2010 DERA grants include the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the town of Fairfield, CT, and the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).

  For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/788a064c6af795378525775e0075438c!OpenDocument.

  Settlement with Cast Iron Pipe Manufacturer Includes Funds for Retrofit – On July 14, 2010, the U.S. EPA, the Justice Department, and the states of Alabama and Iowa announced that McWane Inc., a national cast iron manufacturer headquartered in Birmingham, AL, has agreed to pay $4 million to resolve more than 400 violations of federal and state environmental laws. The settlement covers 28 of McWane’s manufacturing facilities in 14 states and also requires the company to perform seven environmental projects valued at $9.1 million.

  The $4 million civil penalty will be divided among the United States, Alabama, and Iowa. The Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) McWane will perform are: diesel emission reduction projects in Coshocton, OH, by retrofitting diesel engines; storm water contamination at numerous locations; reduce mercury emissions in Provo, UT, and Tyler, TX; and reduce volatile organic compounds emissions in Bedford, IN, and Anniston, AL. The settlement requires McWane to expend no less than $9,154,000 to implement these SEPs.

  The settlement resolves civil violations over the past decade of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, the Toxic Substance Control Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as alleged by the United States, Alabama, and Iowa in the compliant. As part of the settlement, the United States also required McWane to develop and implement a corporate-wide environmental management system (EMS) to promote environmental compliance, achieve pollution prevention, and enhance overall environmental performance.

  More information on this is available at: www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/mm/mcwane-infosht.html.

• July 2, 2010

  Massachusetts Announces DERA Grant to Retrofit Garbage Trucks – On June 29, 2010, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick awarded $204,109 in grants to four municipalities and eight private waste haulers to retrofit 78 diesel waste collection vehicles serving 63 communities across the Commonwealth. This round of grants is being supported by FY 2009/2010 DERA funds from the U.S. EPA. (During the first two rounds of DERA funding in 2008 and 2009, $492,000 in grants was awarded to 13 communities and nine private waste haulers to retrofit 169 waste collection vehicles.)

  The grants, funded as part of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Diesel Waste Collection Vehicle Retrofit Program, have been awarded to the towns of Framingham and Norwood, the cities of Holyoke and Quincy, and to private waste haulers based in Boston, Cohasset, Raynham, Rockland, Rutland, Shrewsbury, and Tyngsboro that service multiple communities across the Commonwealth. Twenty-eight of the communities served by these vehicles are environmental justice areas, and 24 of the communities have pediatric asthma rates that are at or above the statewide incidence level of 10%. Depending on the vehicle owner’s preference and the vehicle’s duty cycle, 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.

  For more information, including the complete list of grant recipients, go to: www.mass.gov/dep/public/press/0610wadi.htm.

  Georgia Ports Authority Awarded DERA Grant to Repower RTG Cranes – On June 24, 2010, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) announced that it has been awarded a $2.72 million DERA grant from the U.S. EPA for FY 2009/2010 through the agency’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Using this grant funding, the GPA will repower 17 of its older rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes from Tier 1 to newer Tier 3 diesel engines. In addition to being cleaner, these new diesel engines will be more fuel-efficient (the engines automatically switch from idle to higher operating speeds and back to idle as needed to meet the variable load demands). GPA says the RTG repower project will reduce diesel emissions by 33%, or 24,829 tons, and fuel consumption by 129,200 gallons annually over the lifetime of the 17 cranes. For more information, go to: www.gaports.com/corporate/tabid/379/xmmid/1097/xmid/4438/xmview/2/default.aspx.

  Missouri Receives DERA Grant to Implement Clean Diesel Projects for School Buses, Service Trucks – On June 16, 2010, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced that it has received a $1,872,739 grant from the U.S. EPA to fund a number of diesel emission reduction projects throughout the state. This FY 2009/2010 DERA grant, which is named the Missouri Green Fleet Project, will issue subgrants to St. Louis Regional Clean Cities, the Mid-America Regional Council, and the Ozark Center for Sustainable Solutions at Drury University to implement these clean diesel projects.

  Below is a summary of the projects:

  • St. Louis Regional Clean Cities will be receiving a subgrant for $477,800. The project will include retrofitting 197 school buses with fuel-operated heaters.
  • The Mid-America Regional Council will be receiving a subgrant for $611,394. The project will include retrofitting 169 school buses with fuel-operated heaters, replacing an old school bus with a new bus that will meet 2010 emission standards, and retrofitting three switch engine locomotives with auxiliary power units and automatic engine shutdown/startup devices.
  • The Ozark Center for Sustainable Solutions at Drury University will be receiving a subgrant for $739,200. The southwest Missouri-area project will include retrofitting 118 school buses operating in the area with fuel-operated heaters and/or DOCs, replacing eight older school buses with brand new buses that will meet 2010 emission standards, and retrofitting 14 trash trucks and 45 concrete mixers with DOCs.

  For more information, go to: www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel/nr10-349.htm.

  Kansas City Suburb Approves Contracts to Clean Up Construction Vehicles and Equipment – On June 24, 2010, the Board of Commissioners for Johnson County, Kansas, approved contracts with MHC Kenworth and Central Power Systems in the amount of $1 million to clean up 139 diesel vehicles and equipment used by 11 public and private partners. The funds are provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) through the U.S. EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The public partners are the cities of Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Merriam, Prairie Village, Gardner, and Kansas City/Wyandotte County. The private partners are construction companies, including Reike Brothers, O’Donnell, APAC, and BRB. Diesel emission control technologies covered in the grant award include retrofits (DPFs and DOCs), engine repowers or rebuilds, and/or vehicle replacements. The grant funds the technologies at 100% of cost and there is no County match required. Full implementation of the grant, including all diesel vehicle and equipment upgrades, must be completed by October 1, 2010. For more information, go to: lims.jocogov.org/sirepub/cache/0/23rcpmqesbdzy4v4kpxktl20/31451306292010111644204.PDF.

• June 25, 2010

  Rhode Island Legislature Passes Clean Construction Regulation – On June 10, 2010, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed one of the most comprehensive clean construction regulations in the nation. The House and the Senate passed the clean construction law as part of the state’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, which aims to reduce emission from diesel engines through an anti-idling program, an ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel use requirement, and a retrofit program for school buses and construction equipment. The bill is sponsored by Senator Josh Miller (D-District 28). There is a House companion bill (H7850A) sponsored by Representative Ray Sullivan (D-District 29). Members of the Rhode Island General Assembly have been working on this bill for over three years, gaining industry support only after convening a commission that conducted an in-depth review of the health, environmental, and economic implications of implementing a clean construction policy for large state projects.

  The legislation, which will be sent to the Governor for approval, requires heavy-duty diesel vehicles contracted on behalf of the state with federal funds to be equipped with emission control devices, reimbursable through federal project funds starting in 2013; to comply with the state anti-idling law, limiting idling to 5 minutes; and to be fueled with ULSD. Starting in January 1, 2013, on-road and nonroad heavy-duty diesel vehicles contracted with the state using federal money (in whole or in part) must be powered by engines with Level 3 emission control devices. If the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management finds that no Level 3 emission control technologies have been verified or are not appropriate for use on the particular engine, Level 2 verified devices must be required. If neither Level 3 nor Level 2 devices have been verified and are not appropriate for use on particular engines, Level 1 verified devices must be used. In addition, contractors must establish staging zones so that the diesel vehicles are away from the general public or sensitive receptors, such as hospitals, schools, and residential neighborhoods. All costs from the purchase and installation of the emission control technologies for a specific project will be fully reimbursed from the project funds within 60 days of the technology installation if the device is installed within 30 working days after the vehicle is brought onto the project site.

  For school buses, no full-size school bus with an engine model year 1993 or older may be used after September 1, 2010. By September 1, 2010, any new bus added to the school bus fleet must be equipped with a closed crankcase ventilation system and must also be equipped with a Level 1, 2, or 3 device verified by EPA or ARB or must be equipped with an engine of model year 2007 or newer, or must achieve the same or higher diesel PM reductions through the use of alternative fuel.

  A copy of the legislation is available at: www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText10/SenateText10/S2440Aaa.pdf.

• June 18, 2010

  San Joaquin Issues RFP for Clean Air Technology Projects, Funds Can Be Used for Retrofits – On June 3, 2010, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) announced that it is seeking proposals for projects demonstrating new and innovative emission reduction technologies that have the potential for broad applicability in the San Joaquin Valley. The Technology Advancement Program (TAP) is the District’s strategic approach to encouraging innovation and development of new emission reduction technologies.

  In order to encourage technology development in areas that best serve the Valley’s needs to reach attainment, the District has established the following set of technology focus areas tailored for Valley businesses and sources of emissions under this available funding:

  • Mobile Sources – Retrofit technologies for reducing particulate and/or NOx emissions from heavy-duty trucks, clean alternative fuels, vehicle hybridization, and efficiency improvements to on-road or off-road equipment.
  • Renewable Energy – Projects that overcome the barriers to utilizing renewable energy, such as remote solar energy/storage, vehicle-to-grid, wind energy, or peak shaving systems.
  • Waste to Energy – Waste to energy systems or technologies to minimize or eliminate criteria pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from existing waste to energy systems, including waste to fuel systems (such as dairy digesters and other bio-fuel applications).

  The total funding available is $900,000. The District expects to fund three to six projects with this amount. The deadline to submit an application is July 9, 2010. For more information, including a copy of the RFP, go to: valleyair.org/Grant_Programs/TAP/tap_idx.htm#available-funding.

  Massachusetts Uses EPA Grant to Retrofit Construction Equipment with DOCs – On June 10, 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced that it had used a $50,000 grant from the U.S. EPA to install DOCs on 15 municipally-owned construction vehicles. Shuster Corporation installed the DOCs on construction vehicles in the following Massachusetts communities: Buckland (two John Deere loaders), Fairhaven (a John Deere backhoe, a Caterpillar loader, and a John Deere grader), Framingham (one Caterpillar loader and three John Deere loaders), Greenfield (one Caterpillar loader and a John Deere backhoe), Lowell (one Caterpillar skid steer loader, one Caterpillar backhoe loader, and one Volvo front-end loader), and Orange (a John Deere backhoe). The construction vehicles are used for trench excavation, snow removal, water main repair work, and other activities. These retrofits supplemented EPA-funded retrofits that were installed on three front-end loaders in Bernardston, North Andover, and Wakefield in 2007. For more information, go to: www.mass.gov/dep/public/press/0610redi.htm.

  New Report Shows Air Quality at Port of Long Beach Continues to Improve – According to a Port of Long Beach report released on June 14, 2010, air pollution at the Port fell for the third year in a row in 2009, with declines of up to 50% for key pollutants. Air quality measures such as the Clean Trucks Program, the Green Flag vessel speed reduction program, and shore power for ships are having a positive effect on air quality. Some of the pollution reduction can be attributed to a recession-related drop in cargo volume, but the Port’s air pollution decline far outpaced the decline in trade. While container shipments were down 24% from 2005 to 2009, diesel PM was reduced by 52%, NOx emissions were down 35%, and sulfur oxides declined 46%. The Port’s Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) has set ambitious goals for reducing the pollution from goods movement activities. In the 2010 proposed update to the CAAP, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles together have set goals of reducing diesel particulates by 72% by 2014. One of the most well-known elements of the CAAP is the Clean Trucks Program, which is requiring the replacement or retrofitting of the roughly 10,000 drayage trucks that serve the Port. Started in October 2008, the Clean Trucks Program has already achieved nearly an 80% reduction in emissions from the trucking fleet. For a copy of the report, “Air Emissions Inventory – 2009,” go to: www.polb.com/environment/air/emissions.asp.

• June 11, 2010

  Texas Announces Availability of Grants for Clean Diesel Projects to Reduce NOx – On June 3, 2010, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced that applications are now being accepted for the latest round of grant funding under TCEQ’s Emission Reduction Incentive Grants (ERIG) Program. The ERIG Program provides grants to eligible projects in nonattainment areas in Texas to offset the incremental costs associated with reducing emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from high-emitting diesel engines. The current request for applications is only open to applicants from the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Dallas-Fort Worth, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Tyler-Longview, Austin, and San Antonio areas. A total of $90 million in funding is being made available to retrofit, replace, or repower heavy-duty on-road vehicles, nonroad equipment, marine vessels, locomotives, and stationary equipment. Funding is also available for on-site and on-vehicle infrastructure to reduce idling. Projects must result in a reduction in NOx emissions of at least 25%. Applications will be accepted until August 13, 2010. For more information, including a copy of the application forms, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/implementation/air/terp/erig.html.

• June 4, 2010

  Coalition for Responsible Transportation, EDF Announce Joint Clean Trucks Initiative – On May 14, 2010, the Coalition for Responsible Transportation (CRT) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced a joint “Clean Trucks Initiative” designed to develop clean truck programs at ports across the U.S. The announcement was made during a joint presentation by CRT and EDF before the South Atlantic and Caribbean Ports Association. One of the efforts currently being considered under the initiative is a retrofit program for drayage trucks operating at ports in the Southeast.

  The CRT/EDF Clean Trucks Initiative is a framework designed to facilitate a working partnership with individual ports across the country in a manner that recognizes their individual needs and the needs of their stakeholders.

  The key features of the CRT/EDF Clean Trucks Initiative include:

  • Engaging with port communities and stakeholders to identify opportunities to partner together to reduce diesel pollution from port drayage activities.
  • Conducting an emissions inventory from port-related activities to assess opportunities for air quality improvement.
  • Developing a collaborative and stakeholder-driven process to set goals for air quality improvement from port drayage activities.
  • Creating an action plan for meeting those air quality goals that recognizes the unique needs of individual ports and their stakeholders.
  • Implementing air quality action plans through the collaborative efforts of ports and their customers.

  CRT said the Clean Trucks Initiative will have the dual benefit of reducing air quality impacts on human health and the environment from diesel PM emissions while also reducing maritime-related contribution to greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with climate change.

  CRT (www.responsibletrans.org) is a national coalition of importers, exporters, trucking companies, clean truck manufacturers, and ocean carriers dedicated to reducing port truck pollution at ports across the U.S. For more information, go to: www.edf.org/pressrelease.cfm?contentID=11055.

  Texas Approves $823,010 in Environmental Fines, Includes Funds for Clean School Bus Program – On June 2, 2010, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $823,010 against 70 regulated entities for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total are penalties of $249,818 against Motiva Enterprises LLC, in Jefferson County, for numerous air violations as a result of routine investigations conducted in March and June 2009. Of the total penalties assessed, a total of $124,909 will be dedicated through Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) to the Texas Clean School Bus Program, the Port Arthur Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Equipment Program, and the City of Port Arthur: Port Arthur Building and Infrastructure Energy Efficiency Upgrades Program. For more information, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/communication/media/6-10Agenda6-2.

  Texas Extends Deadline to Apply for Funding under Clean School Bus Program – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) recently announced that applications will now be accepted until June 30, 2010, for funding to install retrofit devices on diesel school buses operating in the state. The original deadline was April 15, 2010, and then later extended to April 30, 2010, and then to May 31, 2010. The grant is available to all school districts in the state. A total of about $1.7 million in economic stimulus funding is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Eligible retrofit devices include DPFs, flow-through filters, DOCs, and crankcase filtration systems. For more information, including a link to the Request for Grant Applications (RGA), go to: www.texascleanschoolbus.org.

  In a related action, the Texas Procurement and Support Services (TPASS), in coordination with TCEQ, is seeking proposals to establish a contract for retrofit systems (i.e., DPFs, DOCs, and crankcase filters) purchased under the Texas Clean School Bus Program. The contract resulting from this solicitation will be available for use by all school districts. The deadline for submissions is July 2, 2010. For more information, including links to the necessary application documents, go to: esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=89034.

• May 28, 2010

  North Carolina Solar Center Receives EPA Leadership Award for Reducing Diesel Emissions – On May 26, 2010, the U.S. EPA, on behalf of the Southeast Diesel Collaborative (SEDC), presented the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University with the Leadership Award at the Mobilizing North Carolina Conference in Raleigh, NC. This is the second year the SEDC Leadership Council has presented the Leadership Award to recognize exemplary projects in emission reductions throughout the Southeast. The Center was recognized for demonstrating leadership through the implementation of a sub-grant program to reduce transportation-related diesel emissions.

  With $1.6 million, the Center was able to fund 17 out of 30 diesel emission reduction projects. The project results include: 72 diesel retrofits, five heavy-duty hybrid electric vehicles, 11 refueling stations (biodiesel, ethanol, and natural gas), and 24 truck stop electrification spaces. Project partners include: Triangle Transit, Piedmont Biofuels, Charlotte Airport, Rowan County School District, Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation, Metrolina, Piedmont Biofuels and Piedmont Natural Gas, cities of Monroe, Greensboro, and Gastonia, Duke Energy, Smoky Mountain National Park and Friends of Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Progress Energy, and World Energy.

  For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/e77fdd4f5afd88a3852576b3005a604f/cfaaec619ca4a9068525772f006befb9!OpenDocument.

  EPA Releases New Technical Bulletins on Use of DPFs, DOCs – New technical bulletins are now available on the U.S. EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) website on the use of DPFs and DOCs in diesel retrofit projects. These technical bulletins are designed to support NCDC grant recipients (as well as their sub-recipients and others) and fleet managers who are using (or are considering using) DPFs or DOCs as retrofit technologies. The technical bulletins provide general information on how the technologies work, as well as information on the installation and operation and maintenance of the technologies. For a copy of the technical bulletins, go to: www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/publications.htm#tech.

• May 21, 2010

  Illinois DOT Clean Construction Requirements to Start in June – The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will require that certain off-road diesel equipment used in state-funded construction projects be retrofitted with emission control devices starting on June 11, 2010. These requirements were established last year in response to an Executive Order signed by Governor Pat Quinn (D) in April 2009. The specification requires the installation of U.S. EPA- or ARB-verified Level 2 devices (or verification by a manufacturer’s certification that the retrofit will provide a 50% reduction in PM) on Tier 0 and Tier 1 off-road diesel engines.

  The clean construction requirements will be phased-in according to the following schedule:

  • In the first year, the requirements will apply only to prime contractors and for equipment rated at 600 hp and greater.
  • Beginning the second year, the requirements will apply to prime contractors and subcontractors and for equipment 100 hp and greater.
  • Beginning the third year, the requirements will apply to prime contractors and subcontractors and for equipment 50 hp and greater.

  The provision is only applicable in areas of the state designated as being in nonattainment for ozone and/or fine particulate matter. Exemptions will be made for large cranes and other equipment where no retrofit device is available. For more information, contact IDOT’s Mike Renner at: (217) 782-6667 or Mike.Renner@illinois.gov.

  (Note: Cook County, IL, adopted its own clean construction ordinance back in May 2009.)

• May 14, 2010

  Kansas Announces Availability of Funding for On- and Off-Road Clean Diesel Projects – On April 23, 2010, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced a grant opportunity for public and private fleet owners in Kansas to apply for funding to clean up their on-road and off-road diesel fleets. The funding for this program (the Kansas Clean Diesel Grant Program) comes from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The minimum amount that may be applied for is $5,000 and the maximum amount is $100,000. Eligible projects include: verified diesel retrofit technologies, verified idling reduction technologies, verified cleaner fuel, certified vehicle replacements, and/or certified engine repowers. The deadline for submission of grant applications is June 18, 2010. For more information, including a copy of the grant application, go to: www.kdheks.gov/bar/air-monitor/dieselgrant.html.

• May 7, 2010

  British Columbia Requirement to Retrofit Older Diesel Trucks to Take Effect this Fall – Effective October 1, 2010, model year 1989-1993 on-road, commercial heavy-duty diesel vehicles registered in British Columbia, Canada, that have a licensed gross vehicle weight (GVW) of more than 8,200 kg will need to be retrofit with a verified DOC (or equivalent). The B.C. Air Action Plan (www.bcairsmart.ca), released in June 2008, sets out the requirements for the program. The retrofit requirement will not apply to buses, off-road vehicles (e.g., construction equipment), emergency vehicles, and farm vehicles under 17,300 kg. Only emission control devices verified by the U.S. EPA or California ARB will be accepted. Based on motor vehicle registrations, Ministry of Environment officials say approximately 4,200 on-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles will be affected. The measure is expected to reduce PM emissions in B.C. by an estimated 60 million tons a year, equivalent to permanently removing at least 1,000 heavy-duty vehicles from the road, say officials. B.C. is the first province in Canada to make retrofit technology mandatory for on-road, heavy-duty diesel vehicles. For more information, go to: cvse.ca/diesel_retrofit/faq.htm.

  Maryland to Retrofit Older Dump Trucks – On April 28, 2010, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) announced that it will use a $250,000 grant from the U.S. EPA to retrofit up to 120 older dump trucks with emission control devices. The funding comes from DERA funds awarded last year under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The retrofits will be installed this summer on pre-2004 heavy-duty dump trucks. SHA will conduct a pre- and post-vehicle emission evaluation to evaluate the effectiveness of the devices. SHA maintains a fleet of approximately 700 dump trucks. SHA plans to apply for additional grants to retrofit more dump trucks across the State. In addition to the retrofits, SHA noted that it has been using biodiesel (B5) in all of its dump trucks since 2005. For more information, go to: www.marylandroads.com/Pages/release.aspx?newsId=634.

  Project to Retrofit School Buses and City Vehicles Announced in Northwest Indiana – On April 20, 2010, South Shore Clean Cities (SSCC), in cooperation with the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC), announced the NWI Clean Fleet Collaborative project in northwest Indiana. SSCC will work with school districts and municipal fleets in Lake and Porter Counties to install DOCs on their buses and diesel vehicles. The goal of the program is to achieve immediate air quality improvements in the near-term, with the long-term goal of eventually turning to alternative fuel sources for the region’s vehicle fleets. Schools and municipalities will pay up front for the retrofits and will then be reimbursed through federal grant money. The program has $300,000 available now, with another $200,000 in funds available in July. SSCC said this program will result in cleaner air for over 125,000 children who ride school buses and the nearly 725,000 people who reside in these counties. For more information, go to: www.southshorecleancities.org.

  Texas Extends Deadline to Apply for Funding under Texas Clean School Bus Program – On May 3, 2010, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced that applications will now be accepted until May 31, 2010, for funding to install retrofit devices on diesel school buses operating in the state. The original deadline was April 15, 2010, and then later extended to April 30, 2010. In addition, the grant is now available to all school districts in the state (previously, the grant was only available to school districts in nonattainment counties). A total of about $1.7 million in economic stimulus funding is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Eligible retrofit devices include DPFs, flow-through filters, DOCs, and crankcase filtration systems. For more information, including a link to the Request for Grant Applications (RGA), go to: www.texascleanschoolbus.org.

• April 2, 2010

  Texas Announces Environmental Fines, Includes Funds for Retrofit of School Buses – On March 30, 2010, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) approved penalties totaling $584,688 against 71 regulated entities in the state for violations of state environmental regulations. Included in the total are penalties of $146,917 against Dow Chemical Company for three air violations stemming from an investigation in May 2009 that found excess air emissions and inadequate equipment maintenance. Of this amount, $73,458 will be used in the Houston-Galveston area to retrofit school buses with emission control devices as part of the Texas Clean School Bus Program. For more information, go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/communication/media/033010CommissionersAgenda.

• March 26, 2010

  NYSERDA Issues RFP for Database on Clean Diesel Technologies for Construction Equipment – On March 23, 2010, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced a request for proposals (RFP) to create a web-based information database focused on best available emission control technology (BAT) for diesel construction equipment used in New York State. By creating an inventory of entity-approved BAT, “the burden of research into appropriate and effective pairings of engines and devices is intended to be minimized for both contractors and regulators.” Entities such as the “NY Interest Group” have advocated for the creation of this type of clearinghouse to facilitate decision-making in the specifying of BAT for construction projects in the NYC metropolitan area. The NY Interest Group includes: the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and some colleges and universities.

  The funding available for this RFP is $500,000. NYSERDA intends to award one contract under this solicitation. Proposals are sought from a team with experience and expertise in the areas of diesel emission control technologies, relational database models, web-based information clearinghouses, business planning, in-use activity/emissions testing, and emission inventories, and who have a demonstrated ability to engage stakeholder groups in clearinghouse design. The funding, together with any in-kind and third-party support, is expected to cover all costs for a two-year period. Supplementary support for a third year may be available depending on the progress made by the contractor during the first year-and-a-half of the project.

  Proposals are due by May 11, 2010. A public webinar will be held on April 20, 2010 (details on how to join the webinar are provided in the RFP). For a copy of the RFP (RFP No. 1666), go to: www.nyserda.org/funding/1666rfp.asp.

• March 19, 2010

  Texas Announces Availability of Grant Funding for NOx-Reduction Technologies – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is seeking applications for technology projects focused on reducing air pollutant emissions, primarily NOx, from mobile and stationary sources in Texas. Eligible entities include developers of emission reduction technologies. This grant program is being implemented under the New Technology Research and Development (NTRD) Program. The primary purpose of this program is to facilitate the development, verification, and commercialization of technologies that businesses and governments may use to achieve emissions reductions under the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) and/or State Implementation Plan (SIP). TCEQ has a strong preference for those technologies which can be verified and made available for commercial sale within two years of the date of the application for funding.

  TCEQ is soliciting applications for projects for:

  • Development, testing, and certification or verification of retrofits, emission control systems, and other advanced technologies that reduce NOx emissions from existing equipment and engines at least 25% without significantly reducing fuel economy.
  • Development and testing of advanced technologies that produce very low or zero NOx emissions from stationary and mobile engines and/or vehicles.
  • Field validation of technologies that have been shown in testing or through verification or certification to reduce NOx emissions but require demonstration of viability for full commercial acceptance.
  • Development of innovative qualifying fuels and fuel production technologies that make use of energy resources in Texas.

  The application deadline for this round of funding is April 26, 2010. For a copy of the Request for Grant Applications (RFGA), go to: www.tceq.state.tx.us/implementation/air/terp/ntrd_apps.html.

  Louisville Announces New “Green” Business Incentive Programs, Includes Financing for Retrofit of Nonroad Equipment – Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government has added four small-business incentive programs to encourage economic development and the creation of “green” jobs. One of the incentive programs is a $2-million revolving loan fund to help reduce emissions from nonroad diesel equipment. The Providing Opportunities with Emissions Reduction (POWER) Loan program offers low-interest loans to businesses in the Louisville metropolitan area (Jefferson County, KY) to retrofit, repower, or replace existing nonroad diesel equipment. This funding was awarded to the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government in August 2009 through the U.S. EPA’s SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Examples of nonroad diesel equipment eligible for this loan program include construction, cargo-handling, agricultural, mining, energy production, marine engines, and locomotives. The equipment must currently be used in the Louisville metropolitan area at least 50% of the time and must continue to be during the duration of loan repayment.

  The other recently announced small-business incentive programs are:

  • Green Jobs Revolving Loan Fund, a $1.4 million revolving loan fund for companies with new green jobs or products;
  • Nonprofit Energy Audit Grant, a $200,000 grant pool for non-profit organizations to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities through energy audits; and
  • Go Green Loan program, a revolving loan fund that provides incentives for manufacturing companies that limit energy usage by installing monitors on power equipment.

  For more information on any of these small-business incentive programs, contact Louisville Metro Government’s Kurt Hummel at: (502) 574-4140 or Kurt.Hummel@louisvilleky.gov.

  Vancouver Issues Report on Latest Activities of Non-Road Diesel Engine Initiative – On March 2, 2010, Metro Vancouver staff released a report summarizing the recent consultation activities of Metro Vancouver’s Non-Road Diesel Engine Initiative. The proposed Initiative includes an emission regulation for older, higher polluting non-road diesel engines and an incentive fund to assist engine owners to upgrade, retrofit, or repower their engines. In this latest phase of consultation, Metro Vancouver solicited input on proposed regulatory requirements through public workshops, small group meetings, and ongoing correspondence with owners, operators, and managers of non-road diesel machines, equipment and emission control dealers and manufacturers, industry and environmental associations, interested groups, and the general public.

  The next phase of the process (March 2010 to September 2010) is to review and refine the draft Initiative. Metro Vancouver is forming a work group with representatives from sectors affected by the proposed emission regulation to further discuss the details of the proposed Initiative. The proposed Initiative will be presented to the Metro Vancouver Board for approval in late 2010. For more information on Metro Vancouver’s Non-Road Diesel Engine Initiative, including a copy of the report, go to: www.metrovancouver.org/services/permits/DieselEmissions.

• March 12, 2010

  Texas Announces New Round of Funding under Clean School Bus Program – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has announced a Request for Grant Applications (RGA) for federal grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for purchasing and installing retrofit devices on diesel school buses to reduce emissions. The grant is available to school districts in nonattainment and near-nonattainment counties in Texas. All sizes of diesel school buses are eligible. A diesel school bus proposed for retrofit must be used on a regular, daily route to and from a school and have at least five years of useful life remaining (unless the applicant agrees to remove the retrofit device at the end of the bus life and reinstall the device on another bus). Eligible retrofit devices include DPFs, flow-through filters, DOCs, and crankcase filtration systems. While there is not a limit on the amount of funding that can be applied for, the award amount is at the discretion of the TCEQ. Applications are due by April 15, 2010.

  For more information, including a link to the RGA, go to: www.texascleanschoolbus.org.

• March 5, 2010

  Grant Funding Available for Clean Diesel Projects in Kansas City – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a sub-grant to the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) to fund clean diesel projects within the Kansas City metropolitan area through two Request for Proposals (RFP). Public and private fleet owners in Jackson, Clay, Ray, Clinton, Cass, Buchanan, and Platte counties may be eligible to apply for reimbursement for the purchase of diesel retrofit technology, idle reduction technology, EPA SmartWay technologies, fuel conversion kits, engine repowers, and/or 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. The total amount of funding available is approximately $120,000. The grant funding is part of 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. Applications must be submitted to MARC by April 16, 2010. For more information, including a link to the RFPs, go to: www.marc.org/Environment/airQ/cleandiesel.asp.

  EPA Recognizes Port of Charleston, SC Department of Education for ARRA Clean Diesel Projects – On March 2, 2010, U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator of Air and Radiation Gina McCarthy joined the South Carolina State Ports Authority, the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the SC State Department of Education (SCSDE) at an event to recognize the Port of Charleston and the SCSDE for implementing clean diesel projects using funds through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. (These projects were first announced by EPA on June 29, 2009 and July 6, 2009, respectively.)

  The Port of Charleston is implementing a $3.6-million project to repower and retrofit cargo handling equipment, tug boats, a harbor dredge, and local drayage trucks. Local partners are providing $1.6 million in matching funds in addition to the nearly $2 million in economic stimulus money. The project, which is part of Charleston’s Pledge for Growth environmental initiative, will reduce total annual NOx emissions by 176 tons and PM emissions by 9.9 tons per year, while helping to create or retain 37 jobs. With over $700,000 in ARRA funds, SCSDE is replacing four existing 65-passenger school buses with four hybrid-electric buses. The department will also retrofit crankcase filtration systems on 500 of its 1995 model year buses. The crankcase upgrade will result in an estimated 4.7-ton reduction in diesel emissions. The project is expected to create or retain 17 jobs.

  For more information on this event, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424ac1caa800aab85257359003f5337/4328b7c7836c61ee852576da005b2c5b!OpenDocument.

• February 26, 2010

  EPA Region 4 Holds Event to Recognize Georgia Retrofit Project – On February 22, 2010, U.S. EPA Region 4 Acting Regional Administrator Stan Meiburg joined officials from the University of Georgia (UGA) and Athens-Clarke County in Atlanta to recognize a $1.7 million diesel retrofit project funded through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. (This project was first announced by EPA on July 10, 2009.) The project will retrofit 239 on-highway diesel vehicles in Athens-Clarke and Washington counties in Georgia. The retrofitted vehicles will operate on ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, which alone is expected to reduce PM emissions by 6.4 tons. The project is expected to create and/or preserve approximately 32 jobs in an area with 30% of the population currently below the poverty level. The event included a demonstration of how DPFs will be installed on buses, garbage trucks, and other on-highway diesel vehicles. The demonstration coincided with a day-long workshop at UGA that educated city and county officials, as well as community members, on steps municipalities can take to reduce diesel emissions. For more information, go to: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/4b0c776b42f65556852576d20060d3dd!OpenDocument.

• February 19, 2010

  Lawsuit Settlement Soliciting Applications for Projects to Reduce Vehicle Emissions, Includes Funding for Retrofits – The Reformulated Gasoline Settlement Fund is now soliciting applications from non-profit organizations for grants to fund projects designed to achieve fuel or air emissions benefits for consumers in California. The Reformulated Gasoline Settlement Fund is the result of the settlement of 14 class action lawsuits against Union Oil Company of California and Unocal Corporation (Unocal). In these lawsuits, the plaintiffs claimed that Unocal affected the price for CARB-compliant summertime reformulated gasoline (RFG) in California by urging ARB to adopt its proprietary formula for summertime RFG. Unocal denied any wrongdoing or that gas prices increased as a result of its actions. Under the settlement, the parties agreed to distribute 25% of the net proceeds (approximately $7 million) through an open competitive grants program.

  The types of projects that will be funded include those that:

  • Reduce diesel emissions (e.g., projects to retrofit existing or provide purchase incentives for new school buses, reduce port-related emissions, modernize older truck fleets, reduce emissions from locomotives);
  • Increase the use of alternative-fuel vehicles (e.g., projects to convert taxicab fleets to hybrid/electric vehicles, upgrade car-sharing fleets to hybrid/electric vehicles, provide infrastructure to support alternative-fuel vehicle refueling or charging, convert hybrid/electric fleet vehicles to plug-in hybrids);
  • Increase transit use and shared vehicle use (e.g., projects to expand the use of existing transit subsidy programs by the public, expand school bus use, increase car-share and bike-share rates of use);
  • Educate targeted groups (e.g., projects to train fleet operators and drivers to reduce diesel bus and/or truck idling, promote eco-driving as part of driver education, train and assist local officials in designing and implementing effective local strategies to improve air quality and/or fuel efficiency); and/or
  • Reduce the pool of high-emitting vehicles (e.g., projects to improve the identification, repair, or replacement of high-emitting vehicles).

  Grants will likely range in size from $500,000 to $1,000,000. Applications are due by May 3, 2010. For more information, including a copy of the application form, go to: cypresfunds.net/reformulatedgas.html.

  Louisiana Provides Additional Information on ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding – The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), approved funding on September 18, 2009, for six diesel emission reduction projects in response to a July 1, 2009 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. Additional information is now available on these six projects.

  Grants moving forward and needing completion by the end of September 2010 include:

  • $654,012 for Caddo Parish public schools to retrofit 111 school buses with DPFs.
  • $120,000 for Caddo Parish to retrofit seven trucks with DPFs and engine upgrade kits.
  • $429,682 for Bossier City to convert nine heavy-duty diesel trucks to compressed natural gas.
  • $195,870 for East Baton Rouge Parish to convert four heavy-duty diesel trucks to compressed natural gas.
  • $149,733 for New Orleans Public Belt Railroad to upgrade seven locomotives with idle switches.
  • (The contract for the replacement of landscaping equipment at LSU had to be withdrawn because matching money for the program could not be found.)

  All of the projects combined are estimated to reduce hydrocarbons by 9,700 tons, greenhouse gas emissions by 1,100 tons, and particulate matter by 240 tons over the life of the projects. In addition, the projects will help reduce the use of diesel fuel by 145,000 gallons a year, for a savings of about $362,500 annually.

• January 28, 2010

  EPA Reaches Settlement with Kansas Power Plant for CAA Violations, Includes Funding for Retrofits – The U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice reached a settlement with Westar Energy to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Westar Energy has agreed to spend approximately $500 million to significantly reduce harmful air pollution and pay a $3 million civil penalty. In addition, Westar will also spend $6 million on environmental mitigation projects. The agreement resolves violations of the Clean Air Act’s New Source Review requirements at the company’s Jeffrey Energy Center, a coal-fired power plant near St. Marys, Kansas. Under the settlement, Westar will install pollution control equipment at the Jeffrey Energy Center that is expected to reduce combined emissions of SO₂ and NOx by about 78,600 tons per year, which is 85% below 2007 emissions. In addition, Westar will surrender surplus SO₂ allowances. Westar will also rebuild and optimize controls to reduce PM emissions.

  The settlement also requires Westar to spend $6 million on projects to benefit the environment and mitigate the adverse effects of the alleged violations, including:

  • Retrofitting diesel engines on vehicles owned by or operated for public entities in Kansas with emission control equipment;
  • Installing new wind turbines that will result in the reduction of criteria pollutants and GHGs, and provide electricity for the benefit of a school or nonprofit;
  • Installing advanced truck stop electrification to reduce harmful emissions from idling trucks;
  • Installing plug-in hybrid infrastructure to facilitate the use of plug-in hybrid vehicles; and
  • Converting vehicles in Westar’s fleet to reduce pollution by retrofitting diesel vehicles with emission controls and purchasing hybrid vehicles.

  More information on this is available at: yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/a85fb73e4c613f4f852576b600565a8a!OpenDocument.

• January 15, 2010

  Alabama to Use ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding to Retrofit Vehicles, Locomotives in Birmingham – On January 5, 2010, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) announced that it is partnering with United States Pipe and Foundry Company (U.S. Pipe) and the American Cast Iron Pipe Company (ACIPCO) 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 reduce diesel emissions in the Birmingham area. ADEM has allocated $196,880 for this project. U.S. Pipe and ACIPCO utilize a fleet of diesel vehicles, equipment, and locomotives to support their daily operations. The companies have voluntarily agreed to install diesel retrofit devices and idle reduction equipment on many of these vehicles and locomotives. U.S. Pipe recycles scrap metal and turns it into ductile iron pipes that carry clean drinking water into homes and business. ACIPCO is a manufacturer of ductile iron pipe, fire hydrants, and valves for the waterworks industry and steel pipe for the oil and gas industries. Both companies have agreed to have the project completed by September 30, 2010. For more information, go to: www.adem.state.al.us/PressReleases/2010/PartnerstoReduceDieselEmissions.pdf.

• January 8, 2010

  Connecticut Announces Recipients of ARRA State Clean Diesel Grant Program Funding – On December 31, 2009, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell 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 clean diesel projects are:

  • State Highway Truck Retrofit ($600,000) – Using $150,000 of the funds, this project will retrofit 146 state highway plow trucks with DOCs (note: this project has been completed). After the winter season, the retrofitted trucks can be used year-round for other highway uses. Approximately $450,000 in stimulus funds will be used for similar retrofits for state highway construction equipment.
  • 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. The TSE units will allow truck drivers to have heat, air conditioning, and electricity for in-cab appliances without running their truck engines.
  • Locomotive Engine Repower ($750,000) – This project will replace a 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.

  The Governor noted that these projects will further implement strategies set out in the Connecticut Clean Diesel Plan that was adopted in 2006. The three projects were selected from among 16 submitted for consideration.

  North Carolina Announces RFA for Cleaning Up Nonroad Diesel Engines – North Carolina’s Division of Air Quality has announced its second request for applications (RFA) under its NC Clean Construction Leading to Early Adoption of Diesel Emission Reductions (LEADER) program. The purpose of the LEADER program is to help clean up North Carolina’s legacy fleet of Tier 0 (unregulated) nonroad diesel engines through the funding of retrofits, equipment replacements or engine repowers, or engine upgrade group solutions. The total funding available for this second request for applications is about $125,000. This funding comes from a DERA grant awarded to the NC Division of Air Quality by the U.S. EPA in October 2008. The application period closes on February 5, 2010. For more information, including a copy of the application package, go to: daq.state.nc.us/motor/LEADER/.