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Newsroom - EPA National Diesel News

There is a lot going on nationally that impacts the work of the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative. The following Press Releases and National Newsrooms have additional information of interest to the partners in Region 5 that are focused on diesel emission reductions.

National Newsrooms and Updates :

Updates from Around the Country:

Oregon: Oregon State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) Used to Fund SmartWay Upgrade Kits

At a June 22, 2006 EPA SmartWay press event held in Portland, OR, Governor Ted Kulongoski announced funding and support for a new initiative that will reduce diesel emissions along the I-5 corridor on the West Coast.  In partnership with the U.S. DOT, the U.S. EPA, the West Coast Diesel Collaborative, the trucking industry, and Cascade Sierra Solutions, Oregon’s Departments of Transportation and Energy have committed a total of $5 M ($3M from the SIB and $2M from the State Department of Energy).  The State Department of Energy is also offering a 35% tax credit for the Upgrade Kits.

SIBs are revolving funds established by states, using Federal-aid dollars.  They are used to provide loans, lines of credit, and other forms of credit assistance to any Title 23 eligible transportation project.  The State receives repayments on the loan over time that can be directed towards other transportation projects. The application of SIB funds is truly unique, as SIB funds are typically expended on traditional surface transportation projects such as highway and bridge construction. 
Cascade Sierra Solutions – a recently established non-profit organization – will be responsible for deploying the SmartWay Upgrade Kits, which include:

SmartWay Upgrade Kits can reduce fuel consumption, carbon dioxide, and
nitrogen oxide emissions by as much as 20 percent.  When the kit includes
an exhaust after-treatment device, particulate matter emissions are reduced
by 25 percent to 90 percent, depending upon the type of technology.

Because of the fuel savings, upfront capital costs of SmartWay kits are
generally paid back within one to three years. In addition to the short
payback period, if a loan is needed to purchase an upgrade kit, the monthly
fuel savings exceed the monthly loan payments, thus increasing profits from
the first day companies use the kits.

This marks the first deployment of SmartWay Upgrade Kits and innovative financing along a major transportation corridor.  The U.S. DOT, EPA, and DOE intend to work together with State and local governments, non-profits, state trucking associations in an effort to replicate this deployment strategy around the country.

Source:  Diane Turchetta, U.S. DOT-FHWA

More information can be found at: 

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