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Kaptur: Nearly $2 million to reduce pollution in Cuyahoga, Lucas and Geauga Counties

February 15, 2018

Clean air award will go to Cleveland-Cuyahoga Port Authority and Nolan Logistics

CLEVELAND – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Dean of Ohio's delegation in Congress and a senior Member of the Appropriations Committee which oversees government spending, today applauded the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s award for diesel pollution reduction projects in Cuyahoga, Lucas and Geauga Counties. EPA gave three Ohio organizations a total of $1,967,000 in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grants, which have been combined with $3.2 million in matching funds from project partners to reduce diesel emissions from paratransit buses, refuse haulers, terminal tractors, and tug/tow boats.

"The funding awarded through the EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grants will help clean our air and reduce the amount of harmful pollutants that Ohioans breathe," said Kaptur. "For the large number of people who live in Ohio with chronic lung diseases, like asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, this effort will help to improve their lives. Not only will the pollution reduction improve lives, it can save lives - the World Health Organization reported that railroad workers and truck drivers exposed to diesel emissions show that these workers have been found to tend to have a 20 to 40 percent higher incidence of lung cancer. Diesel pollution can compromise public health and these awards will allow for cleaner air and will also promote strong economic activity with upgraded equipment for our Ohio businesses."

EPA awarded the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority a $750,000 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act to replace older marine engines with new, cleaner engines as part of a two-for-one vessel replacement project. The Great Lakes Towing Company is providing matching funds of $1.1 million and will replace four 1940's-era single engine tugboats with two new dual-engine tugboats. These new tugboats meet the current EPA standards for a significant reduction in diesel emissions.

In addition, the EPA awarded the American Lung Association a $1 million grant to replace three diesel-powered terminal tractors owned by Nolan Logistics with zero-emissions electric vehicles for use at a distribution center in Lucas County and also replacement trucks owned by Waste Management in Geauga County. Both Nolan Logistics and Waste Management are providing $1.8 million to the projects.

More information on the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative can be found here, and additional information about EPA's Clean Diesel program can be found here.