EPA to Fund Air Quality Improvement Projects at Ports

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a Request for Proposals to allocate $4 million for air quality projects at ocean and inland ports under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). The RFP homepage and related information are attached here.

The EPA anticipates awarding funds to public port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality at ocean or inland ports. Although private entities are not eligible, they may partner with eligible port authorities on projects. EPA, according to the RFP will fund, at various percentage levels, the following types of projects:

- Exhaust Control Technologies
- Certified Engine Upgrades
- Engine Idle Reduction Technologies
- Certified Engine Repower
- Vehicle Replacement (non-road diesel vehicles/drayage trucks)
- Clean Alternative Fuel Conversions

The potential funding does not apply to already mandated emission reductions for certain locomotive and marine engines. (see RFP at pg. 2). Proposals are due February 13, 2014.

Engineer Group's "Failure to Act" Report Addresses Airport, Inland Waterways, and Port Infrastructure

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) published its latest "Failure to Act" report addressing U.S. infrastructure. The lastest report is "The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Airports, Inland Waterways, and Marine Ports." Needless to say from the title of the paper, the ASCE advocates investment in infrastructure projects. Among the interesting contents of the report are various graphs and charts, including graphs of costs (by commodity) from the use of undersized vessels in shallow harbors, lost trade due to gaps in inland waterway and port investment, and the top 10 sectors to be affected by decline in waterborne trade in 2020. This latest report is ASCE's third in the "Failure to Act" series, having previously published reports on Surface Transportation and Water and Wastewater.