Nine projects have been awarded a total of nearly $1 million from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality to reduce air pollution from diesel-powered mobile sources.
The $937,854 in grants is to replace 11 vehicles across the state, two of which are on the coast, with cleaner alternatives, reducing estimated emissions of nitrogen oxides by 23.5 tons over their lifetimes, state officials said Thursday.
Sponsor Spotlight
Mobile sources are any type of vehicle that can pollute the air, including automobiles, trucks, buses, locomotives, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, construction equipment and lawnmowers.
On the Outer Banks in Currituck County, Caps Marine has been awarded a grant of $18,250 to replace a Tier 1 skid loader with a Tier 4 track loader with new, cleaner technology. This project is to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 0.15 tons.
In New Hanover County, Southeast Crescent Shipping has been awarded $92,710 to replace a diesel forklift with new, cleaner technology. This project is to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 7.6 tons.
Awards across the state
A grant was awarded to the town of Chapel Hill for $211,740. These funds will be used to replace one diesel refuse truck with a new electric refuse truck. This project is to eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions and 0.3 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions associated with an internal combustion engine.
Hirschbach Motor Lines in Bladen County was awarded $152,460 to replace two diesel yard spotters with two electric yard spotters. This project is to eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions and 0.9 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions associated with internal combustion engines.
Sponsor Spotlight
Estes Express in Mecklenburg County was awarded $130,500 to replace a diesel yard tractor with an electric yard tractor. This project is to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and 5.1 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions associated with an internal combustion engine.
Greensboro was awarded a grant for $125,000 to replace a diesel front-end loader with new, cleaner technology. This project reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 2.4 tons. The city also was awarded $122,240 to replace a diesel dozer with new, cleaner technology. This project is to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 2.2 tons.
Estes Express in Cleveland and Cumberland counties was awarded $50,740 to replace two diesel short-haul combination trucks with new, cleaner technology. This project is to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 4.3 tons.
Greenville Utilities Commission in Pitt County was awarded $34,150 to replace a wire wheel loader with new, cleaner technology. This project is to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 0.5 tons.
DEQ is awarding the grants through the Mobile Source Emissions Reduction program, which is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act program. The purpose of the program is to support projects designed to achieve significant diesel emissions reductions. These funds are supplemented with North Carolina Volkswagen Mitigation Trust funds.
For more information about the Mobile Sources Emissions Reduction grant program, please visit the state Division of Air Quality’s website at deq.nc.gov/DERA or email daq.mscb.ncdaqgrants@ncdenr.gov.
