EPA funds grant to reduce diesel emissions at Port of Baltimore

The Maryland Environmental Services recently won a Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant of more than $975,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce diesel emissions from the equipment used to move cargo at the city’s port.
 
“This funding builds upon the Port of Baltimore’s ongoing efforts to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency and promote sustainability,” EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn Garvin said. “By installing clean diesel technology, the Port of Baltimore is doing more than just saving money; they're creating cleaner, healthier air for their employees and communities nearby.”
 
The grant will allow for 26 pieces of equipment to be overhauled, either upgrading exhaust systems or replacing diesel engines. It will also install automatic stop-start anti-idling devices on five locomotives at a nearby rail yard.

The EPA estimates that over the project’s lifetime, it will reduce particulate matter emissions by 14.9 tons, carbon monoxide by 88.4 tons and carbon dioxide by 23,030 tons.
 
“We thank the EPA for this grant to allow us to continue cleaning the air around the Port of Baltimore,” Maryland Transportation Assistant Secretary Charles Glass said. “Through initiatives like our Clean Diesel and Dray Truck Replacement programs, we have been able to remove nearly 9,000 tons of air pollutants around the port. When people think about the Port of Baltimore, we want them to think of our business successes and our environmental stewardship.”