EPA stimulus targets freight transport emissions

EPA stimulus targets freight transport emissions    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this summer has doled out $294 million in economic stimulus funds for its clean diesel conversion program.
   Attention has focused on grants for ports to replace or retrofit older diesel technology for yard equipment, but stimulus funds have also gone to the EPA's Smartway program, states and technology promotion.
   The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $156 million for competitive grants to support diesel emission reduction programs. The agency said clean diesel technology would cut emissions by up to 90 percent by reducing fine particulates and other pollutants.
   The EPA's Smartway Transport Partnership program received $30 million from Congress to support its clean diesel financing program. Under the SmartWay program, the EPA joins with members of the freight industry to reduce fuel consumption and limit emissions in fleet operations through the use of fuel-efficient equipment and the observation of operating rules designed to reduce emissions. The finance program provides low-interest loans to purchasers of eligible clean-diesel vehicles or equipment.
   The Recovery Act also provided $20 million in competitive grants to help commercialize emerging technologies and $88 million for the EPA's State Clean Diesel Program.
   The EPA received $300 million from the Recovery Act for the diesel emission-reduction programs, $6 million of which is for administrative costs.
   The Port of Baltimore, for example, received $3.5 million to install clean-diesel technology in 142 pieces of diesel-powered equipment: two tugboats, seven locomotives, 50 short haul trucks, and 83 units of cargo handling equipment. The technologies include nine engine repowers, 43 vehicle and equipment replacements, 83 exhaust controls, and seven idling devices.
   Other organizations that received freight-related grants include:
   ' Port of Los Angeles, $2 million to retrofit 27 harbor vessels, trucks, loaders, cranes and forklifts.
   ' Port of Long Beach, $4 million to replace, repower or retrofit 118 pieces of cargo handling equipment.
   ' California Air Resources Board, $8.9 million to repower eight older switch yard locomotives with new electrical generator sets to operate in the Los Angeles area. The state agency will work with private railroads to distribute the money.
   ' Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, $850,000 to retrofit 180 long-haul trucks with auxiliary power units that use a tiny diesel generator to power onboard equipment rather than idling the engine when at rest.
   ' Georgia Department of Natural Resources, $748,000 to install a truck stop electrification station with 85 spaces to power parked trucks so they don't have to idle to run air conditioning, heat, electronics and other systems.
   ' American Lung Association, $3.72 million to install 200 low rolling resistance tires, 55 AC batteries and perform seven engine repowers or retrofits.
   ' Cascade Sierra Solutions, $1.4 million to retrofit 789 truck trailers with aerodynamic technology.
   ' Port of Houston, $3.57 million to replace or repower 121 marine engines.
   The entire list of awardees for clean diesel funding is available here. ' Eric Kulisch