EPA to Award More than $350,000 for Clean Diesel Projects in Michigan

October 1, 2020

MICHIGAN (October 1, 2020) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $359,238 specifically for clean diesel projects in Michigan and an additional $1.2 million for clean diesel projects in the Midwest that will include work in Michigan. 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 has announced a $359,238 DERA State Award to the Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE) to reduce diesel emissions throughout the state. EPA’s award will help EGLE to implement projects that involve engine and equipment replacements of buses, heavy-duty highway vehicles, marine engines, locomotives and non-road engines, equipment or vehicles used in construction, handling of cargo, agriculture, mining and energy production.

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

$632,500 to National Schools Transportation 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.

$631,360 to Coalition for Sustainable Initiatives (CFSI) for projects include the replacement of 15 model year 2009 school buses that provide services in environmental justice areas of Milwaukee with clean diesel and propane options.  In addition, CFSI will oversee the replacement of one heavy duty crane and seven Class 8 heavy duty cement mixers in the state of Michigan.  Much of the work performed with this equipment is in high population density urban areas.

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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