Idaho Department of Environmental Quality : January 18, 2017 DEQ receives more than $1 million in grants to reduce diesel emissions in Idaho

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

BOISE - The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has been awarded more than $1 million in grants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to retrofit and replace old, polluting diesel vehicles and equipment in Idaho.

The funds will be used to retrofit or install diesel particulate filters or oxidation catalysts on construction, city, county, and agricultural vehicles. They will also be used to replace four diesel school buses.

Through EPA's Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program, DEQ received two grants in the amounts of $800,000 and $246,807. More information about the DERA award may be found by visiting this EPA DERA Grant Announcement.

The funding is part of EPA's DERA fiscal year 2016 allocation, which includes engine replacements, idle reduction, and retrofit technologies to clean up a variety of older diesel engines. Since 2008, the DERA program has awarded more than 700 grants across the country in 600 communities. These projects have reduced emissions from more than 60,000 engines.

Reducing particulate matter emissions has important public health and air quality benefits. Diesel exhaust contains fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Breathing PM2.5 is most harmful to children, adults who are active outdoors, and people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

For more information about EPA's National Clean Diesel campaign and DERA projects across the country, visit www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.