ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½

Industry Would Voluntarily Contribute Additional $20M to Support Retrofit Effort In an unprecedented nationwide effort to reduce emissions from construction equipment, 15 ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Chapters have asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for more than $31 million in grant funding to clean up approximately 1,000 diesel machines that are currently in use on ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½-members' jobsites.  These ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Chapters - representing 9 out of 10 EPA Regions - have leveraged an additional $20 million plus in matching funds and "in-kind" contributions by pulling together an impressive array of project partners.  The current grant competition is being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.  If ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½'s collective effort is fully funded, it would create and/or preserve more than 1,000 jobs. Latest reports indicate that this will be an extremely fierce competition and grant requests far exceed the funding that is currently available.  Specifically, EPA will award approximately $156 million in ARRA funding via its National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program (a competitive grant program) to "eligible entities" like ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Chapters to help construction companies and other diesel users reduce emissions from their fleets, as well as to promote economic recovery and preserve/create jobs.  ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ recently signed on to a letter urging the President and U.S. Congress to fully fund the 2010 national diesel grant competition at $200 million. Diesel grant applications were due to EPA on April 28.  EPA is currently reviewing project proposals and will announce "winners" over the next 30 days.  Private construction companies cannot apply (on their own) for an EPA diesel retrofit grant.  Interested ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ members are encouraged to contact their local ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Chapters to discuss future opportunities to apply for federal funding.  National ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and its Chapters are grateful for the assistance that the equipment dealers and engine/equipment manufacturers like Caterpillar, John Deere and Cummins provided for this effort - and particularly the assistance that Caterpillar Emissions Solutions provided in making an outside consultant available to review ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Chapter applications.