EPA to Award More than $500,000 for Clean Diesel Projects in Ohio

October 1, 2020

OHIO (October 1, 2020) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $547,440 specifically for clean diesel projects in Ohio and an additional $2.2 million for clean diesel projects in the Midwest that will include work in Ohio. 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.”

“Reducing diesel emissions helps everyone breathe easier,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Kurt Thiede. “The cleaner air made possible through these grants will especially benefit children and other vulnerable populations.”

EPA awarded grants for the following projects in Ohio:

A $547,440 DERA State Award to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) to reduce diesel emissions throughout the state. EPA’s award will help OEPA implement projects such as replacing a diesel transit bus with an all-electric zero emission transit bus, 3 heavy duty trucks with clean diesel trucks, and 16 diesel school buses with propane buses.

EPA awarded grants for the following projects in multiple states, including Ohio:

$632,500 to National School Transportation Association for projects in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin to replace 25 diesel school buses with engine model years 2009 or older with 25 EPA and/or CARB certified 2018 model year or newer school buses.  The primary area of focus for the project is nonattainment and air toxics assessment areas identified in the 2020 DERA Priority Area List.

$1,605,142 to American Lung Association for projects including the installation of 35 auxiliary power units for line-haul locomotives, replacement of 18 refuse haulers with model year 2020 or newer optional low-NOx CNG haulers, and replacement of eight regional-haul freight trucks with model year 2020 or newer clean diesel trucks.  The three fleets operate in 54 counties throughout Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

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:

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://www.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.

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