Pittsburgh Diesel Trash Trucks Upgraded for Cleaner Air

On Friday, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association received a $127,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will be used for a pilot project to cut emissions from the city's heavy-duty diesel waste trucks.

The City of Pittsburgh and two nonprofit partners - Clean Water Action and the Group Against Smog and Pollution - are implementing the project with the city.

"Heavy duty trucks are some of the workhorses of cities' infrastructure and public works services," said Donald Welsh, EPA Mid-Atlantic regional administrator. "This grant will help improve air quality and reduce air pollution from diesel trucks hauling waste in Pittsburgh."

Diesel trash truck in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Photo credit unknown)

Welsh said the grant will provide staff resources and expertise to retrofit eight to12 diesel trash trucks in Pittsburgh with filters that will reduce air emissions of diesel particles. The grant also may be used to purchase equipment to clean and maintain the filters.

"It is great opportunity to work with our partners on this project in Pittsburgh. This will show how our regional collaborative can help reduce fine particle pollution," said Susan Wierman, executive director of Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association .

The association coordinates the Mid-Atlantic Diesel Collaborative, a partnership of public and private entities in the five Mid-Atlantic States and the District of Columbia who are working together to reduce emissions from diesel engines.

Diesel emissions contain large amounts of nitrogen oxides and fine particles, often called soot. Fine particles in the air are a serious health problem and can aggravate respiratory and heart diseases.

Diesel engines in the region emit more than 15 thousand tons of fine particles every year and create 40 percent of the fine particle emissions from human activity.

The grant is part of EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign that promotes options for modernizing and upgrading existing diesel fuel and equipment by refueling, retrofitting, repairing and replacing older equipment with new engines or vehicles and anti-idling programs.

For the first time in fiscal year 2008, Congress appropriated funds to help reduce harmful emissions from heavy duty diesel engines. The funding was authorized under the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Through the National Clean Diesel Campaign, the EPA will award grants to assist its eligible partners in building diesel emission reduction programs across the county that improve air quality and protect public health.

Currently, EPA's Mid-Atlantic region is soliciting proposals for additional projects to reduce diesel emissions in the region. An estimated $3.1 million is available for the deployment of EPA-verified and certified technologies. The deadline for proposals is June 13, 2008.

For more on the diesel collaborative, click here.

Information about EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign is found here.

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