Ohio EPA Awards Diesel Emission Reduction Grants
4/19/16
PUBLIC INTEREST CENTER, (614) 644-2160
MEDIA CONTACT: Lindey Amer
CITIZEN CONTACT: Mary McCarron
Ohio EPA Awards Diesel Emission Reduction Grants
The Ohio Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant (DERG) Program has awarded 26 Ohio grants totaling more than $15 million for 2015/2016 refurbishing or replacing aging diesel engines with newer, cleaner diesel technology or alternative fuel technology.
Ohio EPA estimates that these projects will result in an annual reduction of more than 745 tons of air pollutants in Ohio counties. These benefits will continue to accrue each year that the new vehicles, vessels and locomotives remain in service.
The Ohio projects that were funded include:
Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. received $254,250 to replace five 2003-2007 diesel trucks with five 2016 compressed natural gas (CNG) powered trucks. The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority is serving as the public sponsor.
AK Steel Corporation in Butler County received $1 million to repower two 1970s-era diesel locomotives. The Ohio Rail Development Commission is serving as the public sponsor for this project.
Bellaire Harbor Service, LLC in Belmont County received $373,994 to repower two 1990 diesel propulsion engines and two 1994 auxiliary diesel engines on the tug boat George Harrison. The Belmont County Port Authority is serving as the public sponsor.
Brunswick City School District in Medina County received $531,811 to replace seven 2002-2005 diesel school buses with seven 2016 diesel buses, and purchase 61 direct-fired heaters to be installed onto existing fleet buses to reduce idling.
Central Ohio Transit Authority in Franklin County received $984,880 to replace ten 2003 diesel transit buses with 2016 CNG powered buses.
Champion Township in Trumbull County received $58,540 to replace a 2000 diesel dump truck with a 2016 diesel truck.
Convoy Solutions, LLC (Idle Aire) in Clark, Hamilton, and Montgomery counties received $336,000 to install truck stop electrification infrastructure at two locations along IR 70 and IR 75 in southwest Ohio. The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority is serving as the public sponsor for this project.
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority in Cuyahoga County received $796,000 to replace two 2002 diesel transit bus with 2016 CNG powered buses.
Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority in Montgomery County received $999,075 to replace three 2001-2003 diesel transit buses with 2016 diesel buses.
LakeTran in Lake County received $996,576 to replace two 1998 diesel transit buses with 2016 diesel buses.
Licking County Commissioners in Licking County received $81,097 to replace one 1983 diesel semi-tractor truck with a 2016 diesel truck.
McGinnis, Inc. in Lawrence County received $323,576 to repower two 1980s-era diesel propulsion engines in the M/V John Greer tow boat. The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority is serving as public sponsor.
Mightyfruit Trucking, LLC in Richland County received $87,893 to replace 1984-1988 diesel trucks with 2016 diesel trucks. The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority is the public sponsor.
Mondelez Global, LLC in Lucas County received $156,480 to replace a diesel switcher locomotive with a new diesel locomotive. The Ohio Rail Development Commission is serving as the public sponsor for this project.
Portage Area RTA in Portage County received $830,000 to replace two 2006 diesel transit buses with 2016 CNG powered buses.
R&L Transfer, Inc. in 29 counties statewide received $996,402 to replace 40 1993-2005 diesel trucks with 2017 diesel trucks. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is serving as public sponsor.
Railserve, Inc. in Montgomery County received $568,443 to repower a 1973 switcher locomotive. The Ohio Rail Development Commission is serving as the public sponsor for this project.
Republic Services, Inc. in Stark County received $936,255 to replace 2009 diesel refuse trucks with 2016 CNG powered refuse trucks, and to construct a CNG refueling facility at Republic Services’ facility at 964 Hazel St., Akron. The city of Akron is serving as the public sponsor for this project.
Rocky River City School District in Cuyahoga County received $111,084 to replace two 2002 diesel school buses with 2016 diesel school buses and to purchase 19 direct-fired heaters to reduce vehicle idling for existing buses.
Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority in Hamilton County received $729,504 to replace two 2001 diesel transit buses with 2016 diesel buses.
Stark Area Regional Transit Authority in Stark County received $1 million to purchase a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell transit bus to replace a 2002 diesel bus, and to partially finance the purchase of three smaller 2016 diesel transit buses to replace three 2010 diesel buses.
Superior Marine Ways, Inc. in Lawrence County received $728,535 to repower four 1980s-era diesel propulsion engines and four auxiliary engines in two tow boats, the Stephen T and R.H. Beymer. The Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission is serving as the public sponsor.
Sysco Corporation in 19 counties statewide received $501,270 to replace 25 1997-2000 diesel trucks with 25 2017 diesel trucks. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is serving as the public sponsor.
Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority in Lucas County received $796,000 to replace two 2000 diesel transit buses with 2016 diesel buses.
United Dairy Farmers, Inc. in nine counties in central and southwest Ohio received $338,745 to replace 11 1993-2005 diesel trucks with 2016 diesel trucks. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is serving as the public sponsor.
Western Reserve Transit Agency in Mahoning County received $678,541 to replace two 2001 diesel transit buses with 2016 diesel buses.
Funding for the grants comes from the Federal Highway Administrations’ Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program. There will be another DERG application cycle later in 2016, with approximately $10 million available in grant awards. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact derg@epa.ohio.gov to receive email updates when the “Request for Proposals” is released. Applications may be submitted for projects in 35 eligible Ohio counties, and portions of three other counties.
For more information, visit: http://epa.ohio.gov/oee/EnvironmentalEducation.aspx#131364252-diesel-emission-reduction-grants.
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The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.
Ohio EPA Awards Diesel Emission Reduction Grants
Source: Ohio Environmental News