The goal of the Collaborative is to leverage federal funds to strategically reduce emissions from the most polluting diesel sources in impacted communities. The Collaborative seeks to improve air quality and public health by targeting the highest polluting engines with the most cost effective control strategies. DERA 2021: Puget Sound Clean Air Agency - Electrification of BNSF's South Seattle Diesel Yard Truck Fleet Under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency a $1,000,000 grant with Fiscal Year 2021 funding. This grant will fund the replacement of 9 diesel-fueled yard trucks, supporting reduced emissions and improved air quality in Tukwila, Washington. The project will be implemented with a cost share of $1,513,600 and $258,400 in additional leveraged funds for a total project cost of $2,772,000. What is the Project? The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency will work with BNSF to replace 9 diesel-fueled, tier 3 yard trucks with 9 all-electric yard trucks at BNSF's South Seattle Intermodal Yard. Additionally, Seattle City Light will assist with establishing charging infrastructure, and the City of Tukwila will assist in community education and outreach. The transition to electric yard trucks will significantly reduce diesel emissions in highly impacted communities, thus improving air quality in the greater Seattle area. Why is this Project Important? This project is in King County, which is on the EPA 2021 Priority Area List based on its 2014 National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA). In the 2014 NATA, the Puget Sound region ranked in the top 5 percent of the nation for potential cancer risk from air toxics. The Agency estimates that 70 percent of the potential cancer risk in the Puget Sound region from air toxics stems from diesel fine particles. Additionally, Tukwila's residential neighborhood of Allentown, located adjacent to the project site, faces numerous environmental justice concerns and health disparities. This project will address the issues in Allentown and improve the air quality by reducing significant, localized diesel emissions. What are the Estimated Environmental Benefits? The replacement of these diesel yard trucks with all-electric equipment is projected to directly eliminate the use of -30,000 gallons of diesel fuel and prevent the emissions of 2.7 tons of particulate matter (PM2.5), 7.3 tons of nitrogen oxides (NO.,), and 334 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the first year. Over the lifetime of the vehicles, this will result in estimated cumulative emission reductions of 22.7 tons of NOx, 5.6 tons of PM2.5, 3.0 tons of HC, 15.3 tons of CO, and 2,248 tons of CO2. How is this Project Funded? The West Coast Collaborative is a partnership between leaders from federal, tribal, state, and local government, the private sector, and environmental groups committed to reducing diesel emissions along the West Coast and is part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign: www.epa.gov/cleandiesel Where can I find more information? For more information on the West Coast Collaborative, please visit our website at: www.westcoastcollaborative.org. For more information about this project, please contact Sarah Frederick at Frederick.Sarah@epa.gov ------- |