EPA Acts To Lower Toxic Old Diesel Engines in NY & NJ

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has provided a total of $2.7 million to help two organizations reduce air pollution in the New York metropolitan area by replacing old, dirty diesel engines on a tug boat and two trains with less polluting models. The projects will cut emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides by 70 tons per year and particulate matter by three tons per year. These pollutants are linked to health problems, including asthma, lung and heart disease and even premature death.

Diesel engines are durable and often remain in use a long time. Older diesels that predate current and stricter air pollution standards emit large amounts of air pollutants. EPA grants such as those announced today are helping to reduce air pollution from some of the more than 11 million older diesel engines that continue to emit higher levels of pollution.

“EPA grants to replace dirty diesel engines with cleaner models protect people’s health, create jobs and cut fuel costs,” said EPA Regional Administrator, Judith A. Enck. “Older diesel engines generate significant amounts of air pollution that can make people sick. Replacing old polluting diesel engines reduces asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days and many other health impacts every year.”

Conservation Law Foundation Ventures, a not-for-profit organization, will use a $1.3 million EPA grant to replace an old engine on the Coral Coast, a 120-foot marine tug boat that operates out of New York harbor, with a new and cleaner EPA-certified engine. The new engine is estimated to emit 70% less nitrogen oxides and 83% less particulate matter than the current engine. The project is expected to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by 57.7 tons per year and particulate matter by 2.7 tons per year in addition to conserving 42,558 gallons of fuel annually.

The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management will use a $1.4 million EPA grant to replace two old engines on locomotives operating in northern New Jersey with new and cleaner engines. The trains will also be equipped with either an automatic engine stop/start system or an auxiliary power unit, which will reduce idling. The new engines are estimated to reduce nitrogen oxides by as much as 12.8 tons per year and particulate matter by as much as 0.3 tons in addition to conserving 14,000 gallons of fuel per year.

The EPA grants to groups in New York and New Jersey announced today are part of nearly $30 million in grant funds awarded by the agency nationwide in 2012 for clean diesel projects.

For information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel and the Northeast Diesel Collaborative http://www.northeastdiesel.org.

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