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EPA and New York Slate One Million for Clean Diesel Projects

Release Date: 10/06/2008
Contact Information: Elias Rodriguez (212) 637-3664, [email protected]

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) have slated more than $1 million to clean up old dirty diesel engines across the state. New York received more than $600,000 from EPA and has leveraged an additional $413,448 in state funding. Under this grant, the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) – a key partner in EPA's Clean School Bus USA program - will receive $857,705 to retrofit school buses with a combination of innovative clean technologies. Additionally, $175,915 will be awarded to NYSDEC to help purchase hybrid diesel electric marine engines for their new patrol boat used to safeguard the Hudson River.

“Diesel engines can be very dirty and they contribute significantly to air pollution,” said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA Regional Administrator. “But they don’t have to be dirty - we can put controls on old engines and use cleaner engines in our new equipment to drastically cut pollution from these sources.”

NYSDEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said, "As technologies to improve air quality continue to be developed, it is important to find ways to make these methods available to our communities. DEC is pleased to receive these funds to help improve our patrol boat fleet through the use of hybrid technology and we also applaud the support being provided to protect school children around the state from harmful emissions."

School districts can request funding and help from NYSERDA, which has helped nearly 90 school districts put pollution controls on more than 3,000 school buses. Using the grant money, NYSERDA will help organizations reduce their diesel emissions by installing diesel oxidation catalysts, closed crankcase filtration systems, diesel particulate filters and by applying idle reduction measures. The NYSDEC will use its grant money to pay for two new hybrid 3.2 liter (250 horsepower) diesel marine engines with electric drives for their new 36-foot enforcement patrol boat. The clean engines reduce diesel emissions and save 8,000 gallons of fuel per year.

Today’s announcement is only a portion of funding for clean diesel projects under the $50 million National Clean Diesel Campaign. The funding, newly available this year, will support grants to help save fuel and lower greenhouse gas and diesel exhaust emissions from the existing fleet of 11 million diesel engines.

The EPA’s new heavy-duty highway and non-road diesel engine standards will take effect over the next decade, and will significantly reduce emissions from new engines. However, the standards apply only to engines manufactured in the year 2007 and beyond. The 11 million diesel engines in use today will continue to pollute unless emissions are controlled with innovative technology and/or cleaner fuels. The EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign assists fleets with controlling these diesel emissions from the 11 million legacy diesel engines with financial and technical assistance. Today’s funding for New York is part of $14.8 million that has been awarded across the nation this year under the State Clean Diesel program.

EPA is working collaboratively with New Jersey to reduce emissions of harmful diesel exhaust. In 2005, regions 1 and 2 of the U.S. EPA, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management and the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont established the Northeast Diesel Collaborative (NEDC). NEDC is a partnership of public and private organizations working to improve air quality by taking action to reduce diesel pollution. Puerto Rico joined in 2007 and the U.S. Virgin Islands joined in 2008. Today, the collaborative combines the expertise of public and private partners in a coordinated regional initiative to reduce diesel emissions and improve public health in the eight northeastern states as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

To learn more about EPA’s clean diesel efforts and the Northeast Diesel Collaborative visit:http://epa.gov/cleandiesel/index.htm#voluntary or http://northeastdiesel.org.

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