The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Obama Feb. 17, includes $300 million to support clean diesel activities. Approximately $158 million of this funding will be offered for competitive funding by EPA Headquarters under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program in addition to EPA’s fiscal year 2009 National Diesel Emissions Reduction Program Appropriation funds.
Congress authorized grant funding to for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fund clean diesel projects aimed at reducing emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of diesel engines through the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In 2008 there were approximately 125 grants totaling $49.2 million awarded by the EPA. EPA funding is available now for clean diesel activities for fiscal year 2009. Recovery Act funds will have an expedited competition schedule and must comply with Recovery Act requirements.
ABC members are eligible to apply to the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program by partnering with ABC chapters and other agencies or organizations to create and implement clean diesel programs funded through the National Clean Diesel Campaign. If a company is contracted on a state, city or local government project, they can purchase necessary equipment through competitive acquisitions.
Eligible entities include U.S. regional, state, local, tribal or port agencies with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality and nonprofit organizations or institutions that represent or provide pollution reduction or educational services that operate diesel fleets. Types of fleets that qualify for this funding include buses; medium or heavy duty trucks; marine engines; locomotives; non-road engines; or vehicles used in construction, handling of cargo, agriculture, mining or energy production. No money awarded under this program can be used to fund the costs of emissions reductions that are mandated under federal, state or local law.
ABC members will have 40 days to complete and submit the request for funding once it is posted online. However, there are steps that can be taken now to make the process easier including coordinate with appropriate and eligible partners; assess and document the proposed fleet; fill out the forms posted on the website; and review archived information from the 2008 competition including the sample application. Applicants that are unable to participate in the Recovery Act funding for the National Clean Diesel Program can apply for another program offered later this year.
For more information, visit
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/eparecovery/index.htm.