EPA offers grants to reduce diesel emissions at ports

Agency will give $5 million to retrofit, replace or re-power diesel engines operating at ports in areas with poor air quality.    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday made available another $5 million in grant funding to retrofit, replace or re-power diesel engines operating at ports in areas with poor air quality.
   The combination of diesel-powered vessels, trucks, cargo-handling equipment and locomotives concentrates a great deal of pollution around ports and contributes to the failure of some large metropolitan areas in attaining minimum EPA air quality standards, the agency said. Older diesel engines emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are linked to asthma, lung and heart disease, and other respiratory ailments. Health officials say they are concerned about the effects of concentrated diesel pollution because ports are often located adjacent to heavily populated communities.
   The EPA said it intends to select between two and five applicants to split the money. Port authorities, state and local governments with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality are eligible to submit applications for clean diesel projects. Community groups, terminal operators, shipping lines and other maritime interests are encouraged to participate through partnerships with eligible applicants. Applicants may request up to $2 million in funding toward projects. Applications must be received by Dec. 11.
   This is the second grant competition to focus on reducing emissions at ports under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act. In the spring, six port authorities split $4.2 million in DERA grants. Several grants provided assistance for clean truck programs that offer subsidies to port shuttle drivers willing to upgrade to modern equipment. Truck engines produced after 2007, and especially after 2010, are significantly less polluting than older models.    
   The diesel-reduction grants for ports are part of a new EPA strategy targeting ports and related freight hubs for air quality improvements. Officials say they want to bring about health improvements with the help of industry stakeholders in order not to diminish the economic output of the freight facilities.
   The environmental condition of ports is important to cargo owners because mitigation efforts undertaken by port authorities to meet regulatory and political demands can raise operating costs for transportation providers, which often are passed on in the form of rate increases. Port expansion efforts can also be blocked until pollution countermeasures are implemented, leading to delays when terminals become congested.
  “By working with fleet owners to replace or update older equipment with cleaner technologies, we can find collaborative solutions that foster both economic growth and improve public health,” Janet McCabe, acting assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, said in a statement.
   The broader DERA program provides grants to states for clean diesel programs across a wide variety of sectors, including bus fleets. Read more about how the EPA is accelerating efforts to clean air around ports in the June feature story “Winds of change.” The feature also includes sidebars about the effectiveness of some clean truck programs and how liner carrier Maersk is trying to operate in a more sustainable fashion.