Proposals for 2016 grants accepted until April 24
Contact: Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant at
214-665-2200 or
[email protected]
DALLAS - (April 4, 2016) Grants aimed at cleaning up old diesel engines have greatly improved public health by cutting harmful pollution that causes premature deaths, asthma attacks, and missed school and workdays, according to a new report by the E.P.A. (EPA). Since its start in 2008, the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) plan has significantly improved air quality for communities across the country by retrofitting and replacing older diesel engines.
Diesel exhaust significantly contributes to the formation of dangerous soot and smog and is likely to increase the risk of cancer. The backing from the plan has helped clean up approximately 335,200 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 14,700 tons of particulate matter (PM), which are linked to a range of respiratory ailments and premature death. The plan has also saved 450 million gallons of fuel and prevented 4.8 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions - equivalent to the yearly CO2 emissions from in excess of 900,000 cars. E.P.A. estimates that clean diesel backing generates up to $13 of public health benefit for every $1 spent on diesel projects.
"Research shows again and again that improved air quality benefits people's health, especially for children, the elderly, and those with breathing problems," said Ron Curry, administrator for E.P.A. Region 6. "EPA has helped communities earn more of these benefits by replacing old, dirty engines with newer, cleaner technology."
Operating throughout our transportation infrastructure today, over ten million older diesel engines-the nation's "legacy fleet," built before 2008-need to be replaced or repowered to reduce air pollutants. While some of these will be retired over time, many will remain in use, polluting America's air for the next 20 years. DERA grants and rebates are gradually replacing legacy engines with cleaner diesel engines. Priority is given to fleets in regions with disproportionate amounts of diesel pollution, such as those near ports and rail yards.
One Region six DERA backing recipient was the Aldine Independent School District (Aldine ISD), which used $100,000 in rebates from the 2014 School Bus Replacement Backing Opportunity to help replace 5 district-owned school buses. The old buses ranged from 1990-1995 and were replaced with newer, cleaner buses that reduced NOx emissions by 95 percent and Colorado emissions by 63 percent. "One of the goals of Aldine ISD is to provide a safe learning environment for our students, which applies to our students' safety and the safety of their environment. The E.P.A. reimbursement gave us the opportunity to provide new buses that contribute to improving the air quality of the community where our students and family live and update 5 vehicles in our transportation fleet," said Dr. Archie Blanson, Aldine ISD Deputy Superintendent.
Visit https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-national-grants to view 2016 DERA Request for Proposals (RFP) as well as a list of all grant recipients.
This 3rd report to Congress presents the final results from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and covers fiscal years 2009-2011. It also estimates the impacts from grants funded in fiscal years 2011-2013.
Additional report highlights include:
Environmental Benefits
• 18,900 tons of hydrocarbon prevented
• 4,836,100 tons of carbon dioxide prevented
• 450 million gallons of fuel saved
Public Health Benefits
• Up to $12.6 billion in monetized health benefits
• Up to 1,700 fewer premature deaths
• Although not quantified in the report, NOx and PM reductions also prevent asthma attacks, sick days, and emergency room visits.
Plan Accomplishments
• 642 grants funded
• $570 million funds awarded
• 73,000 vehicles or engines retrofitted or replaced
• 81% of plans targeted to areas with air quality challenges
• 3:1 leveraging of funds from non-federal sources
For more information on the National Clean Diesel campaign, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.
To access the report, visit: http://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-03/documents/420r16004.pdf
Connect with E.P.A. Region 6:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6
Activities in E.P.A. Region 6: http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central
