(Chicago, Ill. - Feb. 26, 2009) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 today announced the award of more than $4.8 million in grants to 13 state and local partners as part of the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative. These regional grants come from the $49.2 million 2008 National Clean Diesel Campaign.
EPA presented a $750,000 check to one of the grant recipients, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, at a Forward Wisconsin clean diesel workshop today in Milwaukee.
"The Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative is a collaboration by government, industry and environmental organizations that reflects our commitment to protecting public health by reducing the impacts of diesel pollution," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Bharat Mathur. "We have set high goals. By leveraging public and private money, we are reducing pollution from existing diesel engines while encouraging new technologies."
The Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative was founded by EPA Region 5 in 2004 to reduce pollution from older diesel engines by making them run cleaner and eliminating unnecessary idling. Since then, the partnership has affected more than 600,000 engines.
"EPA looks forward to funding even more of these very worthwhile clean diesel projects thanks to the American Recovery and Revitalization Act, better known as the Economic Stimulus Package," added Mathur.
Under ARRA, about $300 million will go to reducing emissions from diesel engines nationally. This additional funding is expected to improve air quality and create jobs at companies that manufacture emission control devices and idle reduction technologies. EPA anticipates that it will also create jobs for the technicians who install these devices on trucks, buses, and construction equipment.
The groups receiving funding today from the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative are:
Illinois Green Fleets (statewide)-$678,604
Chicago Public Schools (City of Chicago)-$373,909
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation (ArcelorMittal Steel, NW Indiana)-$164,032
Indiana Department of Environmental Management (statewide)-$334,500
NextEnergy Center (Southeast Michigan)-$250,000
Lenawee Intermediate School District (Lenawee County, Mich.)-$154,381
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker School District (Huron County, Mich.)-$251,100
Clean Energy Coalition (Michigan statewide)-$250,000
Minnesota Environmental Initiative (statewide)-$400,000
Stark County Educational Services Center (Ohio)-$465,364
Clean Fuels Ohio (statewide)-$412,554
Ohio Environmental Council (Franklin and Cuyahoga counties)-$394,589
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (statewide)-$750,000
Projects include a variety of diesel emission reduction approaches such as retrofit technologies, idle-reduction technologies, cleaner fuel use, engine upgrades and vehicle or equipment replacement.
Nationwide, diesel engines emit 7.3 million tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and 333,000 tons of soot annually. This pollution is linked to thousands of premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and millions of lost work days. EPA's new diesel engine standards will significantly reduce emissions from newly manufactured engines.
More information on EPA Region 5's Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative is at http://www.epa.gov/midwestcleandiesel
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