DEQ awards seven 'clean diesel' grants

Agency: Environmental Quality

March 12, 2012                                                                                                       12-0312

For More Information                                     Brad Wurfel, 517-373-7917, wurfelb@michigan.gov

                                                                      Donna Davis, 517-335-2784, davisd8@michigan.gov 

The DEQ today announced more than $500,000 in state and federal grants were awarded to seven applicants around the state to reduce diesel emissions. 

The funding from the department's State Clean Diesel Program helps owners and operators of diesel engine vehicles and equipment to find ways to upgrade their engines so that inefficient diesel engines are replaced by cleaner-burning diesel engines and technologies. 

The seven clean diesel grant awards include:

• City of Clare ($54,253) for a diesel engine heavy duty vehicle replacement.
• Greater Lansing Area Clean Cities of Grand Ledge ($118,153) for propane hybrid school bus replacements and diesel engine exhaust control equipment.
• Lenawee Intermediate School District of Adrian ($113,563) for diesel engine school bus replacements.
• City of Melvindale ($60,000) for a heavy duty diesel engine vehicle replacement.
• City of Morenci ($65,100) for a heavy duty diesel engine vehicle replacement.
• NextEnergy of Detroit ($112,020) for diesel engine exhaust control equipment.
• Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision of Detroit ($95,919) for cleaner marine engines and idle reduction equipment.

Since 2008, $3.9 million in state and federal funding has been awarded to Michigan diesel engine fleets through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Clean Diesel Campaign and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Program. Another $1.9 million has been leveraged by both public and private diesel engine fleet owners, operators and their partners and invested directly in these projects. These efforts will reduce the amount of soot released by more than 64 tons over the lifetime of the affected diesel engines. 

####