The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) plans to submit a proposal for funding to reduce its carbon footprint. The group is conducting a call for partners to identify specific activities and seek projects to be part of the NCTCOG grant proposal.
The goal of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) is to reduce pollution caused by diesel engines, according to the Department of Energy. This act includes regulations for clean diesel engines and programs for existing diesel fleets. DERA also includes grant and funding opportunities, up to an estimated $115 million in total, for businesses to begin reducing their emissions as quickly as possible.
See also: California, engine manufacturers enter Clean Truck Partnership to meet emissions goals
The proposal will aid in projects that reduce emissions for fleets currently using diesel vehicles or equipment in airports, terminals, distribution centers, or rail yards, which the EPA identified as focus areas, and the projects must address activities associated with goods movement.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, activities for grant funding include “the replacement or retrofit of existing diesel engines, vehicles, and equipment with EPA and California Air Resources Board-certified configurations and verified retrofit and idle reduction technologies.”
Sources eligible for grant funding include:
- Class 5-Class 8 highway vehicles
- Non-road engines, vehicles, or equipment used in construction, mining, agriculture, handling of cargo (such as ports or airports), or energy production
- School buses
- SmartWay-verified idle reduction technology for highway vehicles
- Locomotive engines
See also: EPA proposes even stronger pollution standards for all trucks and cars
Companies interested in partnering with NCTCOG in the proposal must operate diesel vehicles, equipment, or engines in the 10-county NCTCOG nonattainment region (Rockwell, Ellis, Denton, Kaufman, Tarrant, Parker, Johnson, Wise, Collin, and Dallas counties) and/or within the counties identified as areas of air toxics concern, which, according to the EPA, are air pollutants that cause or may cause cancer or other serious health defects.
To be included in the proposal, partners must submit a letter of commitment for grant-required matching funds that range from 0 to 75% of total project cost, depending on individual projects submitted. Additional requirements and information can be found on NCTCOG's website.
