Nevada receives nearly $500,000 to reduce pollution from diesel vehicles
New clean-diesel school buses deliver cleaner, healthier rides for Clark County schoolchildren.
Eco-friendly utility trucks improve air quality in Reno.
The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) is excited to announce that 10 clean-diesel school buses will be delivering “greener” rides for hundreds of Clark County schoolchildren, and five low-emission utility trucks will reduce harmful pollution from older diesel-vehicles across Reno’s roadways. NDEP is helping Clark County and the City of Reno purchase these clean vehicles through $478,000 in funding awarded to the State of Nevada from the U.S. EPA’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program, and additional funding leveraged through Nevada’s Volkswagen Settlement Fund. These clean-diesel vehicles will reduce harmful diesel pollution in each vehicle by over 80%, providing healthier air quality in communities where hundreds of Nevada’s kids live, play, and attend school.
In Nevada, DERA grants are leveraged by public agencies to replace outdated, high-polluting diesels with cleaner engines, which improves air quality and contributes to reduction of climate-harming emissions. Since 2008, NDEP’s Clean Diesel Program has successfully reduced harmful air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter, and other diesel exhaust emissions from older vehicles that predate today’s more stringent emission standards. To date, NDEP’s Clean Diesel Program has distributed more than $6 million for clean air projects, supporting eco-friendly retrofits on more than 500 school buses and replacing 60 school buses statewide. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, every dollar invested in diesel retrofits and replacements yields at least $13 in environmental and public health benefits, including removing the old diesel vehicles from our roadways permanently.
“Reducing pollution from diesel vehicles in Nevada is a critical component of protecting the public health of all Nevadans, and especially of the elderly and children, who are the most sensitive to pollution from diesel emissions,” said Greg Lovato, Administrator of NDEP. “We are excited to utilize the latest round of DERA funds to help replace older school buses in Clark County with new clean-diesel buses to better protect the health of Nevada’s children. These projects underscore Nevada’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas pollution, improving air quality, promoting clean energy, and fostering a vibrant and sustainable future for all Nevadans.”
"The City of Reno is thankful and appreciates the grant funds for this important Diesel Emission Reduction program," said Zac Haffner, Maintenance and Operations Manager for City of Reno Fleet Management. "These funds help expedite the replacement of outdated machinery, and allow us to get these outdated pieces of equipment off the road sooner and lower overall emissions."
The last 10 years have been a “decade of cleaner diesels,” given that modern diesel engines are more eco-friendly than ever before. However, because diesel engines can operate for 30 years or more, millions of previous-generation engines are still on the road today. Accelerating the replacement of older school buses and utility vehicles is especially important for public health and the natural environment.
To learn more about how DERA projects are improving Nevada’s air quality, visit ndep.nv.gov/air/air-pollutants/clean-diesel-program
This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement DS-99T94101-0 to the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Division of Environmental Protection. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.