The 20 million diesel engines operating nationwide today provide more power and fuel efficiency than those that burn gasoline or natural gas. However, these engines emit more than 300,000 tons of particulate matter (PM) and more than 6 million tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the air annually. These pollutants contribute to public health problems such as asthma, lung cancer, and many more serious cardiac and respiratory diseases.
Diesel engines manufactured today are cleaner than ever before, thanks to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Since diesel engines can operate for more than 30 years, millions of older higher polluting engines are still in use today. Thus the Diesel Emissions Reduction Program or “DERA” was created under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The act gave the EPA the ability to promote diesel emission reductions by giving states the ability to provide grant monies. These grants are used to provide funding for local fleets to replace, repower, or retrofit older higher emitting diesel engines with newer diesels or newer vehicles that use alternative fuels.
State Clean Diesel Grant Awards
Awards for Federal Fiscal Year 2018
Turbine Alloys, LLC DERA Award Amount: $49,580
Turbine Alloy’s LLC is a small locally owned metal recycling company. They specialize in aircraft aluminum. They are using their FY18 DERA grant to replace two short haul class 6-7 diesel trucks with two cleaner burning 2019 Class 6 Hino diesel trucks. The new diesel trucks will reduce pollutants by approximately 90 percent and reduce fuel use and carbon dioxide by ten percent. In their lifetime, these new vehicles will reduce pollutants by about 3,223 short tons. In addition to recycling, the staff at Turbine Alloys LLC, are also doing their part to clean up our air.
The old vehicle being scrapped and replaced is on the left. The new vehicle is to the right.
Yuma Union High School District #70 DERA Award Amount: $279,229 Project Details: To replace three 1995 and four 1997 diesel school buses with seven new buses powered by cleaner burning propane. This is one of our first subrecipients to use alternative fuel replacement vehicles which tend to emit less pollution causing particulates.
Photo credit: Eric Patten, YUHSD Communications Director
Yuma Elementary School District #1 DERA Award Amount: $119,670 Project Details: To replace two 1997 and one 2002 older model diesel school buses with three new buses powered by cleaner burning propane. This is one of our first subrecipients to use alternative fuel replacement vehicles which tend to emit less pollution causing particulates.
Photo credit: Luciano Muñoz, Executive Director of Human Resources
Deer Valley Unified School District #97 DERA Award Amount: $149,636 Project Details: To replace four 2001 older model diesel school buses with new vehicles powered by model year 2019 cleaner burning diesel engines that emit less pollution.
Awards for Federal Fiscal Year 2017
Deer Valley Unified School District #97 DERA Award Amount: $288,421 Project Details: To replace one 1997, three 1999 and three 2000 older model diesel school buses with new vehicles powered by model year 2019 cleaner burning diesel engines that emit less pollution.
Agua Fria Union High School District #216 DERA Award Amount: $156,800 Project Details: To replace one 2003 and three 2005 older diesel school buses with new vehicles powered by model year 2018 cleaner burning diesel engines that emit less pollution.
Cartwright School District #83 DERA Award Amount: $75,000 Project Details: To replace two model year 2002 older diesel school buses with new vehicles powered by model year 2018 cleaner burning diesel engines that emit less pollution.
Awards for Federal Fiscal Year 2016
Deer Valley Unified School District #97 DERA Award Amount: $120,000 Project Details: To replace one model year 1998, one 1999 and one 2000 diesel school buses with new vehicles powered by model year 2017 cleaner burning diesel engines that emit less pollution.
Maricopa County Equipment Services Department
DERA Award Amount: $48,595
Project Details: To retrofit 19 diesel powered vehicles with modern clean diesel technology upgrades that reduces the amount of pollution from each vehicle.