U.S. EPA’s Region Two Awards $17 Million in Recovery Backing to Reduce Diesel Emissions and Create Jobs
Category:Air Type: News Source: EPA Date: Thursday, July 9th, 2009
(New York, N.Y.) - In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for people of New Jersey, New York and Puerto Rico, the E.P.A. has awarded $17 million to clean up a diesel-powered ferry, cruise ships and other marine vessels, a variety of trucks, construction equipment, and locomotives. These clean diesel plans will create jobs while protecting air quality.
"Innovative clean diesel plans can create jobs, cut fuel costs, keep people healthy, and move our country into a clean energy future," said Acting Regional Administrator, George Pavlou. "Projects like these help rebuild the economy while contributing to cleaner, healthier air quality."
The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 Countrywide Clean Diesel Backing Assistance Program. Under this Backing competition, E.P.A. Region two alone received over 52 grant applications requesting $168 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects. The awards announced today were chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions.
These plans include:
Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) - Marine Ferry Repower and McAllister Sisters Marine Tug Repower Plans ($2,800,000): Under the Marine Ferry Repower project, NESCAUM will repower 4 marine vessels, including ferries that operate in the Hudson River and tugs operating at the Port of San Juan, by replacing 13 pre-regulation engines with new engines. Under the McAllister Sisters project, NESCAUM will repower one marine vessel that operates in the New York Harbor, Long Island Sound, and the Delaware River by replacing 4 pre-regulation engines with new engines.
New York State Department of Transportation - Switch Locomotive Repower with Gen-set Technology ($1,050,000): This plan will repower one switch locomotive operating at CSX's Selkirk Yard (near Albany, NY) by replacing the existing pre-regulation engine with cleaner engines.
Columbia University - Voluntary Construction Retrofit Plan ($1,997,279): This plan will retrofit up to 78 pieces of construction equipment used on the Manhattanville campus expansion plan with diesel particulate filters. The University will partner with equipment rental companies.
Port Authority of New York & New Jersey - Regional Truck Replacement Plan ($7,000,000): This plan will replace up to 636 model year 1993 and older drayage trucks that service Port Authority facilities with cleaner, 2004 and newer model year trucks by offering truckers 25% off the cost of the newer truck.
Port Authority of New York & New Jersey - Shore Power Installation at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal ($2,858,200): This plan will install the land-side electrical infrastructure necessary for cruise vessels calling at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal to hook up to shore power while docked, eliminating the need to operate on-board generators. Carnival Cruise Lines has committed to use the facility.
New York City Department of Transportation -Staten Island Ferry Marine Engine Repower ($1,275,000): This plan will repower the Staten Island Ferry vessel John H. Noble by replacing 4 pre-regulation engines with new engines.
In addition to helping create and retain jobs, the clean diesel Plans would help to reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year.
The Recovery Act allotted the Countrywide Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) a total of $300 million, of which the Countrywide Clean Diesel Backing Assistance Plan received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation. The Recovery Act also included $20 million for the Countrywide Clean Diesel Emerging Technology Plan grants and $30 million for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Plan grants.
In addition, under the Act's State Clean Diesel Grant program, a total of $88.2 million has been provided to states for clean diesel Plans through a noncompetitive allocation process.
President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009 and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at Recovery.gov.
For information on EPA's implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, visit: http://www.epa.gov/recovery
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