The clean diesel projects are part of an ongoing EPA campaign to protect public health, bolster the economy and create jobs, said Bharat Mathur, acting regional administrator, adding: "These Recovery Act funds will move us one step closer to a clean energy future."
The funds are provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 5 alone received 81 grant applications requesting $211 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects.
Minnesota's funding will go toward emission reductions from at least 684 public and private diesel vehicles and equipment including school buses, construction equipment, locomotives and long-haul trucks throughout Minnesota.
Retrofits of cleaner technologies will be applied to 588 vehicles, while another 72 idle-reduction technologies, 22 repowers (engine replacements) and two vehicle replacements are being funded.
The Recovery Act allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign a total of $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation.
