EPA announces West Coast Collaborative diesel grants

30 August 2005

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1.4 million in diesel grants which will help leverage over $5.8 million in matching funds to reduce diesel pollution as part of the West Coast Collaborative. Together these grants will fund 16 new Collaborative projects in California, Oregon and Washington.

The first of these grants, $211,000, was presented to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) for a construction equipment retrofit demonstration project.

Another $774,000 in matching funds is being provided from public and industry Collaborative partners, SMAQMD, and Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls. This joint funding will be used to reduce diesel air pollution from 5 pieces of heavy duty equipment such as loaders, backhoes and excavators. The engines will have their old mufflers replaced with lean NOx and particulate filter technology by Cleaire. The retrofit equipment is expected to reduce PM emissions by more than 85%, NOx by up to 25%, and CO/HC emissions by up to 90%.

The West Coast Collaborative, part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign, is a partnership between leaders from federal, state and local government, private sector and environmental groups in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Alaska, Idaho, Canada and Mexico.

Source: US EPA (press release)