EPA announces 2014 Clean Diesel Grant awardees

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Friday that Puerto Rico will benefit from its Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program in 2014, receiving $8 million for projects that replace, retrofit and upgrade diesel engines.

Created in 2008, the DERA program has allowed the EPA to lessen the effects of pollutants like nitrogen oxides in 600 communities across the country. According to their estimates, every $1 spent on these grants saves up to $13 in health care costs.

“Cleaner trucks, buses, boats and heavy equipment keep local economies working and thriving while better protecting the health of the neighborhoods near ports and along delivery routes,” acting Assistant Administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation Janet McCabe said.

The projects that the EPA selected for grants this year were chosen based on their cost-effectiveness and the needs of the surrounding areas. Many of the communities that have received past grants are economically disadvantaged and suffer from pollutant-related health risks, like asthma, heart disease and lung disease.

Some of this year’s programs will include replacing school bus engines and generators and installing exhaust control and diesel particle filters onto long haul trucks.