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Project Title:
 Grant Information
| 2A - 96695401-2 |
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| EPA R6 | R6 - Region 6 |
| Multimedia Planning and Permitting Division (6PD) | |
| 66.039 | Air |
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| C HOUSTO - City of Houston |
| Municipal |
| TX | 02, 07, 09, 18, 22, 29 |
| 158939277 |
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| 08/31/2010 | $2,365,710 |
| 07/15/2009 | 03/31/2011 |
Project Title & Description
Targeting an opportunity to improve air quality by reducing diesel emissions while simultaneously stimulating economic activity in the nation's manufacturing sector, the City of Houston proposes to access the EPA's Clean Diesel Funding Assistance program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate replacement of 116 pre-2000 vehicles and equipment in the City's parks, fire, solid waste and public works departments. This project will expedite modernization of the City's fleet, removing some of the oldest - and highest-emitting - vehicles from the fleets of the departments noted above and replacing them with the newest, cleanest technology available, While the vehicles proposed for replacement date back to the 1990s, with the exception of fire department vehicles they remain in near-daily service on the front lines of key operating departments and are not likely to be replaced in the near term without federal assistance. The proposal's benefits include creation and/or preservation of an estimated 88 jobs, as well as a projected 52.6 percent reduction in NOx emissions from the targeted fleet and simultaneous reductions in emissions of particulate matter (40.2 percent), hydrocarbons (48.8 percent), and carbon monoxide (46.5 percent); the result will be an estimated combined reduction of 30.95 tons of emissions annually. Where possible, the City plans to acquire heavy equipment that uses hybrid technology, including on Parks Department dump trucks and heavy equipment, along with concrete mixers and sewer cleanout trucks for Public Works. Meanwhile, at least five of the refuse trucks proposed for scrappage would be replaced with new side-loading vehicles utilizing hydraulic launch assist technology. These strategies will further reduce emissions beyond what would be expected with a simple diesel-for-diesel placement. And for fire vehicles, the City anticipates that eliminating its oldest vehicles will allow for a two-phase emissions reductions; this will occur as older reserve vehicles are scrapped, allowing existing day-to-day vehicles (much of which dates to the early part of this decade) to be shifted into reserve roles while the vehicles purchased under this proposal assume the bulk of the daily workload. By ensuring that most of the miles traveled or hours operated are carried out with the newest, cleanest vehicles possible, the City will reduce diesel emissions while also creating a cleaner fleet of reserve units. And the purchase of 116 new medium and heavy-duty vehicles and pieces of equipment will create and preserve manufacturing jobs, helping to create a healthier economy along with cleaner air.
Contact Information
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| Project Officer | Barbara Davis | |
| Grant Specialist | Jeraldine Englerth | |
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