EPA's $9M clean diesel campaign could pay back $117M in health benefits
 

Filed under: Diesel, Legislation and Policy, USA

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Diesel fumes are bad for people. But diesel power is good for a lot of heavy-duty work. So, for now, one answer to threading the needle of that little conundrum is to make diesel engines as clean as possible. To that end, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $9 million worth of grant funds from the DERA National Funding Assistance Program. If the EPA's numbers are correct, that money could be worth something like $117 million in public health benefits.

The money is meant to be spent in two general categories (which could overlap): projects that are cost-effective and ones that aim to improve the mess we've made in "areas designated as poor air quality areas." Even though, "diesel engines are extremely efficient," the EPA says, their drawback is air pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). Therefore, the $9 million could go to help "school buses, transit buses, heavy-duty diesel trucks, marine engines, locomotives, and other diesel engines" add things like, "verified exhaust control and idle reduction devices, and vehicle and engine replacement." No matter how clean the diesel is, it'll never be as tailpipe-emissions clean as an all-electric school bus, but that's another matter.

Groups interested in submitting a proposal have until June 17th to do so, and award announcements should happen in September. Details here.Continue reading EPA's $9M clean diesel campaign could pay back $117M in health benefits

EPA's $9M clean diesel campaign could pay back $117M in health benefits originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 05 May 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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