According to an announcement from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Laurie Stevenson, $13 million in grants will be awarded to 41 entities to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel vehicles and equipment.
“These funds will help local communities replace school buses and trucks powered by aging diesel engines in areas that do not meet federal air quality standards for ozone,” said Gov. DeWine. “By replacing these old vehicles with new, clean models, we will reduce pollution to help create a healthier environment for everyone.”
“These funds allow Ohio EPA to address large emission sources like locomotives, tugboats and diesel cargo handling equipment,” Stevenson said.
Ohio EPA estimates this year’s grants will remove 49.8 tons of nitrogen oxide and 23.3 tons of other air pollutants annually.
Award recipients include:
- Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority: $960,000 for 24 percent of the cost to replace eight model year 2009 diesel-powered transit buses with eight model year 2020 new clean diesel-powered buses;
- Laketran: $1.575 million for 31 percent of the cost to replace six model year 2009 diesel-powered transit buses with six model year 2021 all-electric transit buses;
- METRO Regional Transit Authority: $590,500 for 31 percent of the cost to replace two model year 2009 diesel-powered transit buses with two model year 2021 all-electric transit buses;
- Ottawa County Transit Board: $83,877 for 65 percent of the cost to replace one model year 2009 diesel-powered transit bus with one model year 2019 propane-powered bus; and
- Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority: $361,807 for 75 percent of the cost to replace two model year 2008 and 2009 diesel-powered transit buses with two model year 2019 electric-powered buses.
The grants are funded from dollars allocated to Ohio from the settlement of an enforcement action taken against Volkswagen and its affiliated companies by the U.S. EPA and the state of California for violations under the Clean Air Act. The grant program is investing $75 million over 10 years to reduce nitrogen oxide pollution in Ohio. This is the second year for the program. Selection considerations were given for specifically targeted reduction categories (e.g. school and transit buses, heavy duty trucks, airport ground-support equipment) and to vehicle replacement projects that would produce the largest reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions for the grant dollars invested.
The organizations and businesses receiving grants were selected by a committee of Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Transportation representatives.
The next opportunity to submit grant applications online is June 1-Aug. 7, 2020. Ohio EPA has posted a copy the state’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan for spending these funds on the agency’s VW program webpage.
