*Funding Is Now Closed*

Reducing emissions from diesel engines is one of the most important air quality challenges facing the country. 

• There are 20 million mobile source diesel engines in operation nationwide.
• These engines emit some 300,000 tons of particulate matter (PM) and 6.4 million ton of nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the air each year.
• These pollutants contribute to a range of public health problems, including asthma, lung cancer, and many serious cardiac and respiratory diseases.

What is clean diesel technology? 

Diesel engines are the work horses of our nation’s fleets, providing more power and fuel efficiency than engines that burn gasoline and natural gas.  “Clean diesel” refers to a number of advancing technologies that aim to reduce harmful emissions of PM, NOx, and toxic air pollutants from diesel exhaust.  Diesel particulate filters, auxiliary power units, and engine repowers are some of the technologies now available to help “clean and green” older vehicles.  It all adds up to cleaner air and healthier communities.

Clean Diesel Grants 

Announcing the 2012 Kentucky Clean Diesel Grant Program

Application Period:  Oct. 3 – Nov. 14, 2012

The Kentucky Division for Air Quality (DAQ) announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals for projects to implement diesel emissions reduction strategies in Kentucky. Approximately $135,000 is available through this competitive funding opportunity. 

Eligible Funding Range:  $50,000 to $134,809 per proposal

Eligible Entities:  any public or private entity located in the Commonwealth of Kentucky that owns and operates its own eligible diesel vehicles, engines, and/or equipment. This includes but is not limited to any city, county, or other local government agency; private organizations or businesses; universities; school districts; and nonprofits.

Eligible Vehicles, Engines, and Equipment:  medium-duty or heavy-duty onroad vehicles; transit or school buses; marine engines; non-road engines, equipment, or vehicles such as those used in mining and construction.

Eligible Diesel Emission Reduction Solutions:  verified retrofit technologies, verified idle reduction technologies, certified engine repowers, and certified vehicle/equipment replacements.

 

Application Materials

2012 Request for Proposals (RFP)

Appendix 1: Eligible Technologies and Vehicles

Appendix 2: Quantifying Emissions Reductions, Cost Effectiveness, and Health Benefits

Appendix 3: Project Narrative Template

Appendix 4: Fleet Description Template

Applications must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 in order to be considered for funding. All materials should be submitted electronically to Laura Lund at laura.lund@ky.gov.

Upcoming Events

The division held a conference call on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 to address questions from parties interested in the Kentucky Clean Diesel Grant Program. This was the only formal opportunity potential applicants had to have their technical questions answered during the open application period. For those who were unable to join the call, the division has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that contains all questions and answers received during this time.

Resources

2012 KY Clean Diesel FAQ

National Clean Diesel Campaign: www.epa.gov/diesel/

EPA’s Verified Technology List: www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/verification/verif-list.htm

CARB's Verified Technology List: www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/verdev/verdev.htm

Diesel Technologies Contacts: www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/verification/contacts.htm

EPA’s Diesel Emissions Quantifier: www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/quantifier

Kentucky Nonattainment/Nonattainment Counties: www.epa.gov/airquality/greenbk/anayo_ky.html

EPA Priority County List: www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/documents/fy12-county-area-list.pdf

References

The following have served as project managers for past Kentucky Clean Diesel Grant Program projects and may be contacted by interested applicants seeking additional information about the grant program and retrofit technologies:

 

Michelle King, Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, 502-574-7252

Tracey Thurman, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, 859-258-3901

Mark Watson, Director of Transportation, Franklin County Public Schools, 502-695-6707

 

2010 – 2011 Funding Awards

 

In 2010, DAQ sought proposals from local government agencies for diesel emissions reduction projects in their municipal diesel fleets. Through this competitive funding process, the division selected the Louisville Metro Government (LMG) to receive $235,000 in clean diesel funding to retrofit 13 refuse haulers with Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) and Closed Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) systems. When an additional $190,880 in continuing Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) funds were made available to DAQ in 2011, the division worked with LMG to expand their project to include a total of 20 refuse hauler retrofits. This project was completed in September 2012.

2009 Funding Awards -- Kentucky Clean Diesel Grant Program

In the fall of 2009, DAQ expanded the DERA grant program beyond school buses to include diesel vehicles from all sectors across the state. Two projects were awarded a total of $235,000 through a competitive funding process. The first of these awarded projects was a truck replacement and idle reduction project with an independent owner-operator long-haul trucking operation. The second project was implemented by Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) and led to the retrofit of 13 refuse haulers in the LFUCG fleet. These two projects have resulted in a lifetime reduction of 10 tons PM, 215 tons NOx, 193 tons carbon dioxide (CO2), 81 tons carbon monoxide (CO), and 12 tons hydrocarbons (HC).

Kentucky Clean School Bus Grant Program  
In the spring of 2009, DAQ received an additional $1.73 million in DERA funding through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the division chose to utilize this funding to expand 2008’s Kentucky Clean School Bus Grant Program. In turn, 22 school districts had the opportunity to reduce diesel emissions in their districts through the installation of emission control devices in their bus fleets. The funded school districts included Ashland Independent, Corbin Independent, Daviess County, Elizabethtown Independent, Floyd County, Frankfort Independent, Franklin County, Gallatin County, Grayson County, Jefferson County, Lincoln County, Livingston County, Madison County, Marion County, Montgomery County, Owsley County, Pike County, Pulaski County, Somerset Independent, Spencer County, Taylor County and Warren County.

Upon completion of the grant program, 660 total school buses have been retrofitted, resulting in a reduction of 9.1 tons of particulate matter, 39.5 tons of hydrocarbons, and 124.7 tons of carbon monoxide.  While school buses are the safest way to get students to and from school, DAQ is proud to have worked to ensure that school buses are also the cleanest way to transport students.

In addition to the bus retrofits performed, each school district also implemented an idle reduction policy in their school bus fleet. The division encouraged this action as a component of participation in the Clean School Bus Grant Program, and DAQ staff provided educational materials, templates, and support for the adoption and implementation of these policies. By eliminating unnecessary idling in their fleets, schools are able to save money while reducing student and driver exposure to harmful diesel

emissions.

 

 

 

 

During the inaugural year of the Kentucky Clean School Bus Grant Program, DAQ awarded $196,000 in DERA funds to six school districts in Kentucky to help reduce emissions in their districts through the installation of pollution control devices on their school buses. The funded districts were Bell County, Boone County, Fayette County, Franklin County, Jefferson County and Paducah Independent. Upon completion of the grant program, 95 buses were retrofitted with a combination of Diesel Oxidation Catalysts (DOCs) and Closed Crankcase Ventilation systems (CCVs), resulting in a reduction of 0.5 tons of particulate matter, 5.2 tons of hydrocarbons, and 9.2 tons of carbon monoxide.

For more information on the Kentucky Clean Diesel Program contact Shea Hogan at the number below or by e-mail. 

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