Diesel Clean Up Programs
OEC
is actively working with fleets, policymakers, organizations
and industry to identify funding sources for clean diesel
projects. While we encourage fleets to adopt clean-up strategies
as much as possible, we recognize that cash-strapped transportation
departments often need outside funding for clean diesel projects.
Below is a brief summary of some grant opportunities available
to reduce diesel pollution.
OEC's Diesel Clean Up Fact Sheet
Ohio EPA has created a grant program to help districts retrofit with pollution controls and switch to cleaner fuels. Grants are funded through civil penalties collected by the Agency.
Grants are funded from civil penalties Ohio EPA collects from environmental violations. Since the program began, Ohio EPA has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to over 13 school districts that retrofitted more than 293 school buses. Columbus Public Schools, a member of OEC’s coordinated Franklin County Diesel School Bus Working Group, received a grant to retrofit 88 buses with diesel oxidation catalysts. Click for details. (external link)
| Diesel Emission
Reduction Act (DERA) |
 |
OEC worked with Senator
Voinovich and a diverse stakeholder group in developing
legislation to create a comprehensive national diesel
retrofit program. The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act
of 2005 (DERA), which is still in effect, established voluntary national and state-level
grant and loan programs to promote the reduction of
diesel emissions.
|
The legislation:
- Authorized $1 billion over 5 years
($200 million annually);
- Provided that 70% of the funds
are distributed by EPA;
- Allocated 20% of funds to states
to develop retrofit programs with an additional 10%
available as an incentive for state’s to match the
federal dollars being provided;
- Established priority areas for projects
– such as those that are more cost-effective and
affect the most amount of people – and focuses the
federal program on public fleets; and
- Included provisions to help develop
new technologies, encourage more action through non-financial
incentives, and require EPA to outreach to stakeholders
and report on the success of the program.
What
you can do to help clean up dirty diesel engines:
Concerned about the health effects of diesel emissions?
Want your local school district to change their bus idling
policy? Need help knowing where to start?
You
can be part of the solution!
Apply for the DERA grant program! Click for details.
| Ohio Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Program |
The Ohio Department of Development has released its Ohio Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Program (ODERGP). Diesel fleets can apply for a grant to cover emission control retrofits, anti-idling equipment, replacement of older vehicles and repowering engines. This grant program covers 80% of the cost with a 20% match from the applicant.
Click here for more information.
|
