On Thursday, October 27th, the Ohio EPA officially announced the Ohio Diesel Emission Reduction Grant (DERG) program. The program will allow for fleets in Ohio, both public and private, to apply for funding to assist with the repower, retrofit, replacement, or rebuild of diesel engines. Fleets that operate within non-attainment areas are eligible for this funding. A map indicating attainment areas can be found on the Ohio EPA website for the program, listed below.
Diesel engines play a huge role in Ohio's economy by transporting people and goods in an affordable manner. Ohio is strategically located within 600 miles of 60% of US and Canadian populations which makes Ohio a national leader in transportation and shipping logistics. Along with the economic benefits of Ohio's transportation industry, comes the emissions pollution that can has a negative impact on air quality, Ohioan's health, and climate change.
The main component of diesel emissions is particulate matter 2.5. These small soot particles are made up of metals, toxins, sulfate and nitrate, and organic compounds. The small size, approximately 1/30th of the width of a human hair, makes PM 2.5 easy to inhale and make a home inside the human lungs. When inhaled, the emissions from a diesel engine can cause negative reactions in small children, seniors, and people suffering from lung disease and asthma.
Because of these emissions, businesses and public fleets across Ohio are working to incorporate technologies that would reduce the harmful emissions that engines are producing. These technologies include adding emissions cleaning equipment such as diesel particulate filters and diesel oxidation catalyst, converting vehicles to operate on alternative fuel sources such as compressed natural gas, propane and electricity, and improving fuel efficiency with anti-idling technologies.
The DERG program will allow fleets to complete a competitive application to seek funding for these types of projects. If selected, the grant covers 80% of the emissions reduction cost. Details about project eligibility and application requirements are expected to be released in early November.
Clean Fuels Ohio will be compiling a joint application that will put together a large group of projects in one application. This creates an application with project, geographic and fleet diversity. Clean Fuels Ohio will also provide guidance on project competitiveness and emission reductions that will occur with the implemented technology.
For additional information about the DERG program or for assistance with project and application development, please contact Andrew Conley or Beth Lamb at the Clean Fuels Ohio office at 614-884-7336 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Additional Information:
Ohio EPA DERG Website: http://www.epa.ohio.gov/oeef/derg.aspx
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