EPA funds targeted to clean emissions and reduce asthma
Special to The American
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $2 million to Grace Hill for the North St. Louis Impact on Diesel Emissions (SLIDE) program to reduce diesel emissions.
The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.
The SLIDE project will use a variety of diesel emission-reduction technologies and idle-reduction technologies to improve air quality in a low-income area with a high rate of asthma.
More than 575 vehicles will be targeted for retrofits, repowers and/or replacements as well as idle-reduction technologies. A majority of the activities will target fleets for public agencies, including the St. Louis Fire Department, St. Louis International Airport and area school buses.
“These Clean Diesel grants provide an excellent opportunity to upgrade diesel fleets while improving local air quality,” said William Rice, acting regional administrator for EPA Region 7.
“They also allow local businesses needed work, thus increasing regional economic stability.”
The Recovery Act allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation.
Under this funding competition, EPA Region 7 alone received 34 grant applications requesting almost $92.2 million.