Conn Recives Recovery Funding to Reduce Diesel Emissions, Create Jobs

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection will receive $1.73 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support clean diesel projects and loan programs to address the nation's existing fleet of over 11 million diesel engines. This is part of the Environmental Protection Agency's innovative effort to address the more than 11 million diesel engines in operation today do not meet EPA's new clean diesel standards, even though these engines can continue to operate for 20 to 30 years. In addition to helping to create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects would reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year.

The Recovery funds will go to a construction vehicle retrofit program to expand implementation of the Connecticut Clean Air Construction Initiative, to the establishment of an electrified truck stop to reduce the impact of drayage truck idling in and around the Port of New Haven and to a locomotive engine conversion project for a locomotive used as a switch engine at the rail yard in New Haven.

The EPA established innovative programs to accelerate emission reductions from older diesel engines to provide more immediate air quality benefits. The goal of these innovative programs is to address in-use diesel engines by promoting a variety of cost-effective emission reduction strategies, including: switching to cleaner fuels; retrofitting, repairing, repowering, and replacing equipment; and reducing idling. EPA has made significant progress toward this goal by engaging in partnerships, fostering innovative technologies, and providing funding assistance to accelerate the introduction of clean diesel technologies.

Under ARRA's State clean diesel funding program, $88.2 million is divided equally through a noncompetitive allocation process, meaning that all 50 states and the District of Columbia will receive $1.73 million.

States, local governments, non-profits and tribal agencies can also compete for a portion of $206 million under ARRA's National clean diesel funding program.