$25 million in Recovery Act Funding to California Communities to Reduce Diesel Emissions and Create Jobs

 The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region alone received over 100 grant applications requesting $500 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects. The awards announced today were chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions.

Recovery Act funds will go towards the following projects:

Caltrans “Retrofit Construction Equipment”

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) was selected for $951,431 in funding to install diesel particulate filters on 46 Caltrans-owned construction equipment, including crawler tractors, excavators, forklifts, graders, rollers, rubber tire loaders, surfacing equipment, sweepers, scrubbers, tractors, loaders, and backhoes. A large proportion of this equipment will be located in the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties, as well as the Bay Area.

CARB “South Coast New Switch Locomotives”

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) was selected for $8,888,888 in funding to repower eight switch yard locomotives that operate with new Tier 3 engines. The affected locomotives are owned by Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway and operate in the Southern California region.

Port of Los Angeles “Equipment and Vessels”

The City of Los Angeles Harbor Department, also known as Port of Los Angeles, was selected for $1,991,750 in funding to replace, repower, and/or retrofit a total of 27 pieces of equipment, including harbor craft, currently in operation at the port. The emission reductions achieved from this project will improve air quality and health in the surrounding areas.

Port of Long Beach “Cargo Handling Equipment”

The Port of Long Beach Diesel Emissions Reduction Project was selected for $4,008,250 in funding to implement a large-scale diesel emission reduction project involving equipment replacements, engine repowers, and/or engine retrofits for 112 pieces of cargo handling equipment including rubber-tired gantry cranes, and two harbor craft currently in operation at the port.

San Diego APCD “Lower-Emission School Buses”

The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) was selected for $1,563,652 in funding to retrofit, replace, and repower 125 high-polluting school buses with newer, cleaner engines and filters. This project will reduce major diesel emissions from school buses in San Diego County, in turn improving the health of children who ride these buses.

San Joaquin Valley Unified APCD “School Bus Engine Retrofits”

The San Joaquin Valley Unified APCD was selected for $4 million in funding to install 190 diesel particulate filters on 2001 model year and newer diesel school buses. Through diesel emission reductions, the project is expected to protect the health of children who ride these buses daily. The SJVUAPCD plans to leverage funds with Proposition 1B Lower Emission School Bus Program funds.

San Joaquin Valley Unified APCD “Agricultural Equipment Engines”

The San Joaquin Valley Unified APCD was selected for $2 million in funding to repower 30 agricultural off-road equipment vehicles with new engines that meet or exceed EPA’s Tier 3 emission standards for non-road diesel engines.

Bay Area AQMD “Trucks at Port of Oakland”

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (AQMD) was selected for $2 million in funding to retrofit 81 trucks with Diesel Particulate Filters and replace 22 dirty, old trucks with cleaner, newer ones that operate at and around the Port of Oakland.In addition to helping create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects would help to reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year.

The Recovery Act allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) a total of $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation. The Recovery Act also included $20 million for the National Clean Diesel Emerging Technology Program grants and $30 million for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program grants.

In addition, under the Act’s State Clean Diesel Grant program, a total of $88.2 million has been provided to States for clean diesel projects through a noncompetitive allocation process,

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009 and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at Recovery.gov.

For information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in California, visit: http://www.epa.gov/region09/eparecovery/cleandiesel.html

For information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel

For information about the funding recipients, visit: California Department of Transportation, http://www.dot.ca.gov/; California Air Resources Board, http://www.arb.ca.gov/homepage.htm; Port of Los Angeles, visit: http://www.portoflosangeles.org/; Port of Long Beach, visit: http://www.polb.com; San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, visit: http://www.sdapcd.org; San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, http://www.valleyair.org/; Bay Area Air Quality Management District, http://www.baaqmd.gov/.

Port of Long Beach, Ventura County honored by U.S. EPA’s Clean Air Excellence Awards Program

Clean Air Excellence Awards Program

City of Tulare, LEHR, Inc. also honored for commitment to clean air

LOS ANGELES – A Southern California port that rewards air pollution reduction, a regional air quality agency that produced an inspiring film stressing the importance of air, a fuel cell using community, and an innovative garden products manufacturer are among the recipients of this year’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Excellence Awards Program.

The EPA is honoring the Port of Long Beach, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, City of Tulare Public Works Department and Los Angeles-based LEHR Inc. at the Ninth Annual Clean Air Excellence Awards being held today in Washington, DC.

“Congratulations to these Clean Air Excellence Awards winners – their innovative policies, cutting-edge projects and future-thinking products further launch our nation’s commitment to cleaner, healthier air,” said Deborah Jordan, the EPA’s Air Division director for the Pacific Southwest.

The EPA’s Clean Air Excellence Awards program honors innovative efforts in achieving cleaner air. The awards are divided into five categories; clean air technology, community action, education/outreach, regulatory/policy innovations and transportation efficiency innovations — with additional special awards for visionary programs and individual achievement.

The Port of Long Beach’s Green Flag Incentive Program

This $2.2 million per year program provides incentives for ships to voluntarily slow down within 20 nautical miles of the harbor, decreasing fuel consumption and reducing air pollution in communities surrounding Long Beach. Vessel operators who achieve 90 percent compliance in a calendar year are eligible for a 15 percent reduction in their dockage rates.

In 2008 compliance reached 93 percent, so this year the Port of Long Beach expanded the program to offer additional incentives for ships that slow down within 40 nautical miles of the harbor to further reduce air pollution.

LEHR Inc.

LEHR Incorporated has developed the LEHR Eco Trimmer, the first hand-held garden tool fueled by propane. LEHR’s new technology addresses the need for the clean air benefits of propane in the handheld and portable power tool market.

Compared to gasoline combustion, propane combustion produces 97 percent less particulates, 96 percent less carcinogens and less CO, hydrocarbons, and NOx. In addition, it has zero ozone depleting potential. According to the EPA, the Eco Trimmer surpasses the 2011 exhaust emissions standards for hydrocarbons by over 65 percent and carbon monoxide by nearly 75 percent. For more information, please visit http://www.youtube.com/lehrinc

City of Tulare Public Works Department

Located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, the City of Tulare’s Renewable Biogas Fuel Cell Project uses digester gas from the city’s wastewater treatment plant for cogeneration of electricity, while maintaining a nearly zero emission standard. This project is important to San Joaquin Valley, which is an extreme non-attainment air basin where there is an excessive number of hospitalizations due to air pollution related diseases.

Each of the three fuel cells in the plant generates approximately 300 kilowatts (kW), which together equate to approximately $2,500 worth of electricity per day. In addition to generating electricity with little to no emissions, the fuel cells give use to digester gas that was previously burned in a flare.

Ventura County Air Pollution Control District

“Air – The Search for One Clean Breath,” is a high definition film created by the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District with support from the EPA, the National Geographic Society and others. Narrated by Tony Award winning actor Joe Mantegna, the film showcases air as a vital resource to be protected. Viewers take a guided tour of the story of air, from its ancient beginnings to today’s clean air technologies. In addition, a teacher’s guide to the film will be available in summer 2009 that will contain lessons in social science, science, and history and can be located on the film’s Web site at http://www.airthefilm.org/.

The EPA’s Clean Air Excellence Awards Program was established in 2000 at the recommendation of the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee, a senior-level policy committee that advises EPA on implementing the Clean Air Act.

For more information, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/air/caaac/clean_award.html