(Kansas City, Kan., August 6, 2010) - In excess of $5.1 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funds have been granted to 6 organizations to aid in diesel emissions reductions in E.P.A. Region 7. The funds are part of $64 million allocated nationwide for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 through the National Clean Diesel Program's DERA grant program.
Through DERA, E.P.A. provides support for retrofits, engine upgrades, vehicle replacements, idle reduction, cleaner fuels and financing for clean technologies for trucks, buses, and non-road equipment. Overall, the enhancements funded by these grants consist of EPA-verified and certified technologies to assist in the reduction of diesel emissions.
The
Missouri Department of Natural Resources has been selected to gain In excess of $1.8 million in federal funds. This grant will aid in enhancements to school buses, trash trucks and concrete mixers, as well as switch engine locomotives in Springfield, Saint Louis and Kansas City. The enhancements will include vehicle replacements, the addition of diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs), and/or the addition of anti-idling technologies to cut diesel emissions.
The
Passenger Vessel Association has been selected to gain almost $1.5 million to reduce maritime engine emissions on the Showboat Branson Belle in Branson, Mo. The grant will replace 3 engines and install pollution control technologies. The association will also use the funds to make enhancements on vehicle-to-shore connections to assist in idle reduction.
The
National School Transportation Association has been selected to gain $362,642 in federal funds for vehicle replacements on 5 school buses in Richmond, Mo., and Perry County, Mo., that meet E.P.A. emission requirements for 2010. The grant will also fund the installation of 46 fuel-operated heaters to school buses, which will reduce idle time.
The
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association of Grain Valley, Mo., has been selected to gain a $1 million grant to implement a plan with a total cost of In excess of $2.3 million. Through the project, approximately 300 emission-cutting auxiliary power units (APUs) will be installed in long-haul diesel trucks operating in E.P.A. Regions six and 7. (Region seven includes Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska and 9 tribal nations. E.P.A. Region six includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and 66 tribal nations.)
The
Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been selected to gain $233,218 to assist with school bus upgrades and the installations of 3 APUs on long-haul trucks in Wichita, Kan. The grant, paired with state matching funds, will also allow APUs to be installed in 5 in-town trucks. A construction repower and upgrade plan will also be completed in the Kansas City area.
The
Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi has been selected to gain $190,000 in federal backing and will match that amount in mandatory cost shares. The grant will assist in the replacement of 4 school buses for the community at the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama, Iowa.
E.P.A. estimates every dollar invested in reducing diesel exhaust will yield up to $13 in public health benefits. Through the use of this funding, there is potential for approximately $4 billion of health benefits nationwide. Since Congress 1st appropriated funds under this program, 279 grants totaling nearly $350 million have been awarded. A total of 119 grants were awarded with FY08 backing ($49.2 million) and 160 have been awarded since then with Recovery Act backing ($300 million).
