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EPA Reducing Air Pollution from Old Diesel Engines; Grant Provides $246,931 to Protect People from Harmful Air Pollution

Release Date: 05/27/2014
Contact Information: Elias Rodriguez, (212) 637-3664, [email protected]

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is supporting local efforts to reduce air pollution in Erie and Niagara counties in New York State by providing $246,931 to help one organization in these areas retrofit old, dirty diesel engines on 19 transit buses with less polluting models. The projects will cut emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides and particulate matter among other pollutants. These pollutants are linked to health problems, including asthma, lung and heart disease and premature death.

Diesel engines often remain in use a long time. Older diesel engines that predate current and stricter air pollution standards emit large amounts of air pollutants. EPA grants such as the one announced today is helping to reduce air pollution from some of the more than 11 million older diesel engines that continue to emit higher levels of pollution.

“Older diesel engines generate significant amounts of air pollution that can make people sick,” said EPA Regional Administrator, Judith A. Enck. “Replacing or retrofitting old polluting diesel engines reduces people’s exposure to pollutants that can lead to asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days and many other health impacts.”

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, a regional transportation organization, will use a $246,931 EPA grant to install filters that reduce diesel particulates on up to 19 transit buses. An engine with the new filter is estimated to emit 80% less particulate matter than the current engine. The project is expected to reduce emissions of particulate matter in Erie and Niagara counties by 8.08 tons over the life of the buses. On an average day, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority transportation system, which includes the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, carries 80,861 bus passengers and includes the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Recent EPA rules have resulted in emission reductions from vehicles, power plants and other industrial sources such as boilers.

The EPA has also announced a new $9 million funding opportunity through the 2014 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The submission deadline is June 17, 2014. To learn more, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/diesel/prgnational.htm

For information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives, visit: https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel and the Northeast Diesel Collaborative http://www.northeastdiesel.org.

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