EPA Administrator McCarthy heads to Oregon to award DERA grant

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy will award the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) a Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant in Portland on Wednesday.

McCarthy will tour the Northwest Container Services facility, which features new diesel trucks like the ones that the grant will use to replace the current heavy-duty varieties in operation throughout the region. The grant will also contribute to retrofitting North Portland’s cargo handling equipment. McCarthy will be accompanied by DEQ Administrator Dick Pedersen, Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Bailey and North Portland Diesel Emissions Solutions Project Manager Jeri Williams.

While in Portland, McCarthy will also be speaking about the importance of clean water to small businesses at the Craft Brewers Association Annual Conference, as part of her continued efforts to publicise the EPA’s Clean Water Rule. Created in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers, the rule aims to protect the streams and wetlands that a third of Americans rely on for drinking water.

As those waters are susceptible to pollution and destruction, the EPA believes that protecting them is a vital step toward ensuring a wide range of industries, from farming to tourism. After her remarks, McCarthy will answer media questions with representatives from local breweries.