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Clearing the Northwest’s air with clean diesel technology

Release Date: 11/10/2011
Contact Information: Hanady Kader, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-0454, [email protected]; Dan Brown, EPA Federal and Delegated Air Programs Unit, 503-326-6832, [email protected]

(Seattle—Nov. 10, 2011) Clean diesel technology is coming to the Northwest thanks to nearly $3.9 million in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grants for advanced diesel and heat recovery technology. Dennis McLerran, Regional Administrator for EPA Region 10, highlighted the grants at an event in Portland, Oregon showcasing the Northwest states’ grant recipients.

The grants are funded under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act through the West Coast Collaborative, a partnership between leaders from federal, state, and local government, the private sector, and environmental groups committed to reducing diesel emissions throughout western North America.

Since its inception in 2004 as part of EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign the West Coast Collaborative has awarded over 100 grants to reduce diesel emissions from the medium- and heavy-duty engines used to power vehicles in goods movement, agricultural, construction, and public fleets sectors

The WCC boasts over 1000 partners from all over western North America, including: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Canada, and Mexico.

For more information about the West Coast Collaborative, please visit: www.westcoastcollaborative.org

Washington Grant Recipients

Makah Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation
The Makah Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation received $750,000 to repower nine uncertified commercial marine vessels to Tier 2 standards. The tribe is partnering with 12 tribal fleet owners that will repower nine commercial marine vessels. The Makah Tribe is contributing 25 percent of the project cost.
The engine repowers will vastly improve fuel efficiency by decreasing marine fuel consumption and diesel emissions. They will also cut down on fuel costs, allowing the fishing businesses that own these vessels to be more competitive in the market place.

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency received $650,000 to repower the tugboat Eagle with two new Tier 2 propulsion engines and two Tier 3 auxiliary engines replacing all four of the old, uncertified diesel engines. PSCAA is partnering with Harley Marine Services and the Washington State Department of Ecology.

This Puget Sound tugboat repower project provides short-term relief, long-lasting emission reductions and public health benefits in areas of high population density, poor air quality and heavy diesel fleet activity.

Tulalip Tribe of the Tulalip Reservation
The Tulalip Tribe of the Tulalip Reservation received $576,525 to repower 13 tribal marine vessels with new low-emission engines. These vessels are used for gillnet fisheries, dive fisheries, and for the enforcement and rescue patrol along the Tulalip Bay. The project will be implemented with over $192,808 in leveraged funding.

Repowered marine vessels are some of the most effective and cost-effective targets for air pollutant reduction.

Washington State Department of Ecology
The Washington State Department of Ecology received $400,000 to retrofit 153 privately owned non-road construction equipment and heavy-duty on-road construction trucks with diesel oxidation catalysts.

Construction equipment generates about 18 percent of the diesel particulate matter in Washington. Heavy-duty, on-road trucks such as dump trucks, concrete trucks, and semi-tractor trailers that move non-road construction equipment also contribute to the 29 percent of diesel particulate matter generated by heavy-duty, on-road trucks.
WADOE also received $288,740 to replace 11 pre-1994 heavy duty diesel school buses to meet or exceed the 2007 on-road emission standards.

Idaho Grant Recipient

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality received $189,271 to install fuel-operated heaters on at least 32 heavy-duty diesel school buses to reduce idling and start up emissions.

School bus fleets operate largely in residential areas where children live and school facilities are located. This program will reduce the risk from toxic pollutants by reducing the exposure of school-age children to diesel emissions from school buses. The program area includes areas of high and medium population density, as well as small towns in rural areas.

Oregon Grant Recipients

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality received $502,522 to repower two auxiliary engines on the dredge Oregon to Tier 2 standards and $286,046 to repower two propulsion engines on the Captain Bob towboat to Tier 2 standards. ODEQ is partnering with the Port of Portland, which is leveraging 80 percent of the project cost.

ODEQ is partnering with Tidewater Barge Lines to replace two uncertified propulsion engines on the Captain Bob towboat with engines meeting Tier 2 emission standards. Tidewater’s area of operation extends from the inland Port of Lewiston, Idaho to the Pacific Coast Port of Astoria, Oregon, a distance of 465 miles. ODEQ together with Tidewater has leveraged $1,765,206 in matching funding for the completion of the project.

Alaska Grant Recipients

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
$188,742 to partner with Alaska Energy Authority and Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc. for the completion of heat recovery projects in four Alaskan villages. Electricity in rural Alaska villages is generated by local power plants with diesel engines. One method to reduce emissions and improve efficiency of the engines and energy use in the villages is to use recovered exhaust heat to reduce the energy demand.

Tanana Chief Conference
$59,000 to replace a stationary gen-set engine with a new engine that meets Tier 3 emission standards. Fort Yukon is a rural community of approximately 587 people on the Yukon River about 145 air miles northeast of Fairbanks. The city power plant sits in the center of the village with diesel generators running 24 hours per day, with continuous exhaust emission in close proximity to this small community.