The US Environmental Protection Agency announced a $650,000 fund for the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, in a bid to reduce harmful diesel emissions from engines on up to eight vessels operating in the Puget Sound region.
In particular, the PSCAA project is expected to provide vessel owners with incentives to scrap and replace 12-19 old “Tier 0” engines with newer, more-efficient, and lower-emission “Tier 3” engines, on six to eight harbor vessels operating in Puget Sound, Lake Union, and Lake Washington.
“Clean diesel technologies not only improve air quality, but advance innovation and support jobs,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “These projects will significantly reduce harmful emissions and directly benefit the health of residents.”
The PSCAA’s Puget Sound Harbor Vessel Engine Replacement Program aims to provide long-lasting emission reductions to a region whose air quality is significantly impacted by the large heavy diesel vessel fleet. The project will reduce lifetime emissions of:
- NOx by 54 tons;
- PM2.5 by 3.3 tons;
- Hydrocarbons by 1.7 tons; and
- Carbon Monoxide by 7.5 tons
Combined with the mandatory match of $891,000, the total project cost is $1,541,000.
Part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign, the West Coast Collaborative is a partnership among federal, state, and local governments, the private sector, and environmental groups committed to reducing diesel emissions along the West Coast. Partners come from all over Western North America, including California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.