The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced $2.9 million in grant funding to replace old diesel trucks and school buses with zero- and low-emission vehicles. The funding comes from Pennsylvania's share of the national settlement with Volkswagen Group of America for cheating on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions tests. To date, the Wolf Administration has awarded more than $64 million statewide.
"With Driving PA Forward Truck and Bus Fleet Grants, DEP is helping school districts, municipalities, and businesses switch to cleaner transportation, so that Pennsylvania's kids, employees, and communities can breathe healthier air as they go about their day-to-day lives," said DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh. "This comprehensive approach to reducing vehicle emissions will help improve Pennsylvanians' health while also helping to slow climate change."
By replacing older polluting engines and equipment with new technologies, funded projects remove nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and hydrocarbon pollution from the air. These pollutants contribute to ground-level ozone, or smog, which EPA has shown has negative health impacts, including asthma attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Zero- and low-emission vehicles also lower carbon dioxide emissions, helping to lessen climate change.
The new Driving PA Forward Truck and Bus Fleet Grant-funded projects will take 42 old diesel trucks and buses off the road, replacing them with electric, propane, compressed natural gas, and new clean diesel vehicles. The projects are located in high-population areas with dense traffic and high air pollution levels.
Two school districts, one municipality, and one business received funding:
- City of Pittsburgh: $1,374,000 to replace eight old diesel garbage trucks with four electric recycling trucks and chargers and four compressed natural gas garbage trucks. Annually, the project will remove 1.38 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), 314 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), and other pollutants from the air.
- School District of Philadelphia: $936,000 to replace six old diesel school buses with six electric school buses and charging equipment. Annually the project will remove one-third ton of NOx, 51 tons of CO2, and other pollutants from the air.
- Sysco Leasing: $463,050 to replace 21 old diesel freight trucks with 21 new clean diesel freight trucks at two company sites, one in Philadelphia and one in Jackson Township, Butler County. Annually the project will remove 5.6 tons of NOx, 423 tons of CO2, and other pollutants from the air.
- North Penn School District, Montgomery County: $199,435 to replace seven old diesel school buses with seven new propane school buses at North Penn High School in Lansdale. Annually the project will remove 3.9 tons of NOx and other pollutants from the air.
Driving PA Forward launched eight grant programs in 2018 with the goal of permanently reducing nitrogen oxides in Pennsylvania by replacing a large number of older diesel vehicles and equipment and promoting cleaner transportation technologies with funding from the commonwealth's $118.5 million settlement with Volkswagen.
Categories: Pennsylvania, Energy