Indianapolis, In. — The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is holding public meetings about what to do with an estimated $41 million VW settlement. The funds are designated to support activities and technologies that reduce carbon emissions.
Indiana has already demonstrated proficiency in the use of clean diesel technology:
- Indiana boasts the highest number of clean diesel heavy-duty trucks in the United States – 51 percent of the state’s fleet has adopted the newest generation of clean diesel trucks, more than the national average.
- Indiana ranks second out of the 50 states for the number of clean diesel engines manufactured – nearly 160,000 in 2016.
- Clean diesel technology also powers 27 percent of the state’s transit buses and 35 percent of the state’s school buses.
- And, nearly 9,300 Hoosiers work in diesel-related jobs.
Other options include clean diesel upgrades and replacing heavy-duty diesel engines:
- Clean diesel upgrades and replacements will provide more clean air benefits for the dollar and provide those faster than other approaches.
- The U.S. Department of Transportation, using the latest emissions model generated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, found that 1 ton of NOx emissions may be eliminated by investing, on average, $20,000 in clean diesel technology versus, on average, $1 million in electric infrastructure.
- The Clean Air Task Force concluded that greater NOx reduction can occur by replacing older transit buses with new clean diesel models as opposed to investments in natural gas equipment.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that investments in clean diesel technology are a more cost-effective strategy to immediately reduce NOx emissions from older port trucks than emerging alternatives such as battery electric commercial trucks.
- Engines that power heavy duty vehicles and equipment are the largest source of NOx emissions in Indiana, according to the latest NOx emissions inventory.
- The most important opportunity for NOx mitigation in Indiana is replacing heavy-duty engines or the vehicles and equipment they power with new technology. While Indiana does have the highest rate of adoption of the latest clean diesel trucks, just under half of Indiana’s trucks do not use these technologies and are eligible for funding.
- A new heavy-duty truck powered by a clean diesel engine certified to the model year 2010 EPA emissions standard on the road for one year can reduce emissions of NOx by 2.3 tons relative to a truck manufactured to meet the previous emissions standard.
- It takes more than 50 model year 2017 clean diesel trucks to generate the same level of NOx emissions as a single truck manufactured in 1988.
- Port-related engine replacements can generate significant emission reductions, according to the U.S. EPA.
- Replacing older-generation diesel-powered equipment in operation at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor could reap major benefits for the state.
- Just one tugboat engine replacement could reduce NOx emissions by more than 96,000 lbs.
- Recent research confirms that replacing the older, larger engines in marine workboats offers one of the most cost-effective strategies for reducing NOx emissions in ports.
Here is a list of statewide meetings:
February 13, 2018
- Time: 6:00 PM CST
- Location: CK Newsome Community Center, 100 Walnut Street #1, Evansville, IN 47713
February 21, 2018
- Time: 6:30 PM EST
- Location: Allen County Public Library Aboite Branch, 5630 Coventry Lane, Fort Wayne, IN 46804
February 26, 2018
- Time: 6:00 PM EST
- Location: Jackson County Public Library Seymour Branch, 303 West Second Street, Seymour, IN 47274
