Ohio EPA invites owners of heavy duty diesel vehicle fleets in eligible Ohio counties (which includes Clermont County) to apply for Diesel Emission Reduction Grants to help reduce emissions.
Projects funded by the grants will help improve air quality through vehicle replacement, repowering engines, retrofitting emission controls or installing anti-idle equipment.
Ohio has up to $12 million to distribute this cycle, with $4 million of that allocated to public transit projects, in keeping with statewide needs identified by the Ohio Department of Transportation, and $4 million to school bus projects, in keeping with Ohio EPA’s concern with protecting children, who are among those most vulnerable to the pollutants in diesel exhaust. Grants of between $50,000 and $1 million will be awarded. Funding comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program in Ohio. Applications must be submitted no later than Oct. 7, 2016, and must demonstrate fleet eligibility, how the proposed project conforms to federal guidelines, and how the applicant will meet the required match of at least 20 percent of the project cost. Private sector diesel fleets may apply through a public sector sponsor (forming a Public Private Partnership).
An information session for interested applicants will be held at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, at the Ohio Department of Transportation headquarters, 1980 W. Broad St., Columbus.
In addition, two conference calls are being offered on Wednesday, Sept. 14 and Tuesday, Sept. 20 to answer applicants’ questions.
Frequently asked questions and answers from these sessions will be posted on the program website. To receive email updates about the DERG program, send contact information to DERG@epa.ohio.gov.
Beginning this cycle, all applications must be submitted online. Applicants with more than one type of project should submit separate applications. No applicant will be awarded more than $1 million.