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News Releases

News Releases from Region 04

EPA Awards $2,629,500 to Clean Diesel Projects in Florida

EPA awards up to $73 million nationally for clean diesel projects

10/02/2020
Contact Information: 
Dawn Harris-Young (region4press@epa.gov)
(404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main)

MIAMI – (October 2, 2020) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an award of $777,000 to the city of Ocala to replace six older diesel refuse haulers with new compressed natural gas refuse haulers and $1,852,500 to the Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management to replace twenty-three automated garbage side loaders and two tractor truck models.

At a press conference in Minnesota on Tuesday, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced over $73 million in grants and funding expected to be awarded to support numerous clean diesel programs and projects across the country at the state and local level. Over $50 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) National Grants Program funding is expected to be awarded to implement projects aimed at reducing diesel emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of old, dirty engines and vehicles. Additionally, EPA anticipates providing approximately $23.5 million under DERA’s 2020 State Grants program to 48 states and four territories to implement their own diesel emissions reduction programs.

“EPA is proud to support our partners as they deliver cleaner air benefits to local communities across the country,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “New diesel engines operate cleaner than older engines, and for each dollar invested in clean diesel projects, communities get $13 in cumulative health benefits.”

“EPA is proud to recognize the efforts to improve air quality and protect public health,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “Supporting clean diesel projects is one important way EPA helps make a visible difference in Florida communities.”

Under President Trump, the combined emission of criteria pollutants and their precursors dropped 7%. In the past three years, we saw the following drops in emissions of criteria and precursor pollutants: 

  • Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) ↓ 10 % 
  • Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) ↓ 1 %
  • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) ↓ 16%
  • Carbon monoxide (CO) ↓ 6%
  • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) ↓ 3%

Over the last three years during the Trump Administration, EPA will have awarded about $300 million in grants and rebates to modernize the diesel fleet and speed the turnover to cleaner on- and off-road heavy-duty trucks and equipment. Much of this assistance has been provided to help better protect areas of poor air quality and areas of highly concentrated diesel pollution, such as ports and distribution centers.

To support the Administrator’s clean air goals, the agency anticipates awarding these grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. So far in 2020, EPA has finalized awards for 41 clean diesel projects and programs. The agency anticipates completing additional awards throughout the rest of the year. The following grants have been finalized as of Monday, September 28:

Recipient

Project

Award Amount

AZ

City of Phoenix

Refuse Hauler Replacement

$1,096,362.00

CA

San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District

Agricultural Tractor Replacement Program

$3,250,000.00

CA

San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District

Zero Emission Electric Yard Truck Program

$3,615,564.00

CA

San Diego County Air Pollution Control District

Tugboat Electrification Project

$2,017,660.00

CA

South Coast Air Quality Management District

Electrification of Transport Refrigeration in Grocery Fleet

$2,240,721.00

CO

The Regents of the University of Colorado

Electric Transit Bus Project

$791,871.00

CO

Leonardo Academy Inc.

Construction Crane Replacement Project

$123,820.00

CT

The Connecticut Maritime Foundation

Tugboat Engine Replacement

$733,743.00

FL

City of Ocala

Refuse Truck Replacement Project

$777,000.00

FL

Miami-Dade County Department of Solid Waste Management

Refuse Truck Replacement Project

$1,852,500.00

GA

Fulton County Schools

Propane School Bus Replacement Project

$1,144,492.00

GA

Georgia Ports Authority

Dray Truck Rebate Replacement Program

$1,100,000.00

IA

National Biodiesel Foundation

DOT Utility Truck Replacement and Biodiesel Use

$123,252.00

IA

The City of Davenport, Iowa

Dump Truck Replacement Project

$116,250.00

IL/IN/OH

American Lung Association

Low NOx Refuse Truck and Locomotive Idle Reduction Project

$1,605,142

IL

American Lung Association

Electric Transit Bus Replacement Project

$1,517,300.00

IL

Chicago Department of Transportation

Low NOx CNG Refuse Hauler and Street Sweeper Replacement Project

$591,360.00

IL

Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority

Metra Nonroad Work Equipment Replacement Project

$594,765.00

Region 5

National School Transportation Association

NSTA School Bus Rebate Program

$632,500.00

KS

American Lung Association

Short Haul and Nonroad Replacement and Locomotive Idle Reduction Project

$1,381,957.00

MA

American Lung Association

Short Haul Truck Replacement Project

$631,962

MA

Massachusetts Port Authority

Boston Harbor Pilot Boat Engine Replacements

$402,266.00

MI/WI

Coalition for Sustainable Initiatives

School Bus and Nonroad Equipment Replacement Program

$631,360.00

MN/IL

Leonardo Academy Inc.

Construction Crane Replacement Project

$314,365.00

MO

Leonardo Academy Inc.

Propane School Bus Replacement Project

$218,944.00

MO

Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission

Madison and Perry County Municipal Vehicle Replacement Project

$64,725.00

MO

Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission

Ste. Genevieve County Municipal Vehicle Replacement Project

$47,453.00

MO

Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission

Cape Girardeau County Municipal Vehicle Replacement Project

$43,964.00

NC

Mecklenburg County Air Quality

GRADE - Grants to Replace Aging Diesel Engines

$500,000.00

NE

Minden Public Schools

Minden Public Schools Bus Replacement

$20,000.00

NY

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Red Hook Terminal Tractor Replacement

$420,000.00

PA

Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association, Inc.

Workboat Engine Replacement and Drayage Truck Replacement Program

$1,658,252.00

SC

Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments

Electric Transit Bus Replacement Project

$805,500.00

UT

Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality

Refuse Hauler, Short Haul, and School Bus Replacement Project

$2,600,000.00

VA

Virginia Port Authority

Hybrid Shuttle Carrier Replacement Project

$2,375,000.00

WA

The Northwest Seaport Alliance

Electric Terminal Tractor Replacement Project

$782,482.00

WI

Leonardo Academy

Marine Ferry Engine Replacement Project

$80,678

As these new grants are finalized and awarded, details on recipients, funding amounts, and project types will be listed on the DERA program webpages. For more information, please visit https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/dera.

Background

DERA funded projects typically include retrofitting or replacing legacy school buses, transit buses, heavy-duty diesel trucks, marine engines, locomotives, and other heavy-duty equipment with new, cleaner technologies.