City of Columbus CNG refuse trucks
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) has initiated a new funding program that will assist owners of diesel- or gasoline-powered class 7 and 8 vehicles (weighing at least 26,000 pounds) to convert or replace engines to natural gas. The cleaner fuel and technology will help improve air quality by reducing diesel emissions such as nitrogen oxide and fine particulates.
Successful applicants will be able to repower their vehicles with compressed natural gas (CNG), liquified natural gas (LNG), or liquid petroleum gas (LPG). Grants also may be used for bi-fueled or dual-fueled vehicles that can run on both an alternative fuel and gasoline or diesel fuel.
The program is supported with $5 million allocated by the Ohio General Assembly from the Alternative Fuel Transportation Fund of the Ohio Developmental Services Agency.
Eligible alternative fuel vehicles must be registered in Ohio for operation on public highways and be used in business. In addition, over half the miles driven must be within Ohio. The limit on the total grant award to applicants seeking to replace or convert multiple vehicles is $400,000.
Ohio EPA has posted the grant application for alternative fuel vehicle conversion grants and guidelines on the Ohio EPA Office of Environmental Education web page. Applications may be emailed to derg@epa.ohio.gov beginning no earlier than 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 6. Eligible applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis and the application opportunity will remain open until all available funds have been allocated.
Conference Calls for information are scheduled for Feb. 8 and Feb. 27. Dial in information for the conference calls is included in the grant application guidelines.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.
Source: Ohio EPA
