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 2020: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality - School Bus Retrofit and Replacement Program Under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality a $507,425 grant with Fiscal Year 2020 funding. The grant will fund a school bus retrofit and replacement project to support reduced emissions and improved air quality in Oregon communities. The project will be implemented with a cost share of $1,998,500 from the participating school districts and $349,025 in funds from the State of Oregon for a total project cost of $2,854,950. What is the Project? The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will work with qualifying Oregon school districts to upgrade or replace 15 diesel-powered school buses with newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles. This program's efforts to retrofit and replace the old high-emitting diesel-powered school buses of these partner school districts will support reduced diesel emissions and improved air quality in Oregon communities. Why is this Project Important? Diesel particulate matter represents an ongoing challenge for healthy air quality within Oregon. According to the EPA's 2014 National Air Toxics Assessment, the statewide concentration for diesel particulate matter is 0.31 ug/m3, which exceeds the Oregon benchmark (0.1 ug/m3) for increased risk for cancer from exposure to diesel particulate matter. Though school buses are not a primary contributor of diesel particulate matter, they constitute a priority focus based on exposure to children. In addition to contributing to pollution reduction, this project will assist school districts in providing safer and healthier transportation options for their students. What are the Estimated Environmental Benefits? The retrofit and replacement of these school buses in Oregon communities is projected to reduce annual diesel emissions of particulate matter (PM) by 0.17 tons, nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 2.01 tons, hydrocarbons (HC) by 0.22 tons, and carbon monoxide (CO) by 0.93 tons. This will result in estimated cumulative emission reductions of 0.513 tons of PM, 6.14 tons of NOx, 0.6 tons of HC, and 2.73 tons of CO over the lifetime of these vehicles. 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 ------- |