Oklahoma Clean Diesel Grant
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According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reducing emissions from diesel engines is one of the most important air quality challenges facing the country. Even with the EPA's more stringent heavy-duty highway and non-road engine standards that began to take effect in 2007 and will continue over the next decade, millions of diesel engines already in use will continue to emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and air toxics, which can contribute to serious public health problems. School age children are even more susceptible to the impacts of pollutants as they breathe more air per pound of body weight when compared to adults.
Fortunately, emissions from the legacy diesel fleet can be reduced through the use of aftermarket retrofit devices. Retrofits are a type of control device that can be installed on diesel engines to reduce exhaust emissions such as particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO). Retrofit devices include diesel particulate filters (DPF), diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC), crankcase ventilation systems (CCVs), exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), selective catalytic reduction (SCR) devices, and lean NOx catalysts (LNCs).
To address the emissions from the legacy fleet of diesel engines, EPA established the National Clean Diesel Campaign to help voluntarily reduce harmful emissions from heavy duty diesel engines and in 2008 funding assistance became available to States interested in establishing diesel emissions reduction programs. With this funding, Oklahoma has established the Oklahoma Clean Diesel Grant Program.
For 2008, the Oklahoma Clean Diesel Grant Program has approximately $408,193 available for the emission retrofits of pre-2007 diesel school buses and refuse trucks. These funds will be made available to school districts and refuse truck owners on a competitive basis beginning in November 2008 for the purchase and installation of EPA verified or CARB certified diesel oxidation catalysts, diesel particulate filters and closed crank ventilation systems.
There are various things to consider when implementing a diesel retrofit program and the DEQ held a Clean Diesel Workshop on October 23, 2008 to provide information on the health effects of diesel exhaust, an overview of diesel emission retrofits being funded through this program, and specific details of the program and funding. Representatives from the retrofit manufacturers attended to provide specific product information and to answer questions. For more information from this workshop click here.
For more information on retrofits and the funding available, contact the DEQ Clean Diesel Staff at 405-702-4100.
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