Big, older diesel engines put out a lot of pollution — so much that, in terms of reducing air pollution, changing even one of them to a newer, cleaner-burning model can be the equivalent of taking thousands of cars off the road.
The MPCA is offering about $270,000 in federal grant funds to give diesel fleet owners an extra incentive to get rid of older engines that still work fine, but spew a lot of pollutants.Newer diesels not only burn much cleaner, but they are often much more fuel-efficient. Fleet owners can cut their fuel bills up to half and maintenance costs by thousands per year
Click here for the story on grants available to diesel operates to upgrade their equipment to save money and reduce emissions.
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Caption: Action Moving, in Burnsville, MN, used a grant from the MN Pollution Control Agency to buy a new moving truck with a more efficient, cleaner diesel engine that uses only half the fuel of the truck it replaced
To get in touch with an MPCA spokesperson on this issue contact Dan Olson.
MPCA offers $270,000 to clean up big, old diesel engines
St. Paul–The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) encourages owners of older diesel engines to apply for a total of $270,000 in federal grant funding to improve their fleets and reduce the impact of these engines on air quality.
“Bring us your old, fully operating garbage trucks, bulldozers or barges and let’s clean them up,” said Mark Sulzbach, MPCA’s Clean Diesel grants manager. “Since 2006, MPCA Clean Diesel grant efforts, along with our partners Environmental Initiative and Project Green Fleet, have reduced diesel emissions equivalent to taking 750,000 cars off the road. That’s about 45 tons of soot out of our air.”
MPCA’s projects have reduced pollution on everything from a rock crusher to a paddleboat. This past summer, MPCA grants helped to replace some garbage trucks and long-haul tanker trucks for milk and propane. A few years ago, grants were awarded for new engines on old construction cranes and for diesel-electric hybrid delivery trucks.
Large diesels manufactured prior to 2007 spew far more than their share of harmful pollution, so upgrading or replacing these engines is a good investment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that every dollar spent on reducing diesel pollution saves 13 dollars in health care costs. On the owner’s side, upgrades can reduce pollution exposure to drivers and reduce fuel and maintenance costs.
“The grants are incentives, not gifts,” Sulzbach said. “Owners must have some skin in the game.” New engines or “repowers” require owners to pay for 60 percent of the project. Replacing a truck or piece of construction equipment requires owners pay 75 percent. It’s still a strong incentive to upgrade a diesel fleet, considering that a new class 8 truck can cost $100,000.
The grants require that vehicles to be upgraded are fully operational, and if the engine is replaced, the old engine is permanently disabled so it can’t pollute again.
Visit www.pca.state.mn.us/
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The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is offering grants for owners of big, older diesel engines to replace or upgrade them with cleaner-burning models. The agency has more than a quarter-million dollars available in competitive grants. Applications are due January 7 by 2:30 PM. To apply, contact the MPCA and ask about Clean Diesel grants.
November 17th, 2015
The MPCA is in the process of updating the state rules to protect wild rice from the effects of sulfate. For the past several years, the MPCA, researchers, and many varied individuals and organizations have been studying how sulfate affects the growth of wild rice. As a result of these efforts, the MPCA has developed a draft proposal and has published a public notice asking for comments about it.
The MPCA’s draft proposal uses an equation to consider several factors that affect the growth of wild rice. That equation results in a site-specific sulfate standard that will apply to lakes, rivers and streams identified by the MPCA as wild rice waters. A draft proposal of this equation-based standard and a proposed list of wild rice waters can be viewed athttp://www.pca.state.mn.us/
The MPCA expects to complete this rulemaking by 2018. Although the MPCA will welcome comments and information throughout the rule development process, with this public notice the MPCA is making a special effort to:
– invite early-stage comments; and
-notify people interested in wild rice of the opportunity to register be kept informed about future developments and opportunities to comment. If you are interested, you are encouraged to register for GovDelivery notices at https://public.govdelivery.
The MPCA asks that comments be submitted by 4:30 on December 18, 2015. They should be submitted to [email protected]
The MPCA’s webpage on the sulfate standard and wild rice contains additional information about our research and the rule making process ahead. , including contacts Contact Carol Nankivel ([email protected] or 651-757-2597) if you have questions. about the research, the standard, or the rule making.
