News Release

State Announces $91 Million for Voluntary Emissions Reductions Across Texas

San Antonio, August 5, 2003 – The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced yesterday that the Texas Emission Reduction Program will provide $91 million in grant funding over the next year for voluntary air pollution reduction projects within the San Antonio, Houston-Galveston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Tyler-Long View, and Victoria regions.

 

According to the TCEQ website, the goal of the Texas Emission Reduction Program is to help the state’s non-attainment and near non-attainment areas reduce air pollution to meet federal, health-based standards by funding research and development in environmental technology.

 

Any individual, governmental agency, non-profit entity, or private company that owns and operates on-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles (10,000 pound gross vehicle weight rating) or non-road diesel equipment (50+ horsepower) within the named regions can apply.

 

Projects that will be considered for grant funding include new purchases and leases of cleaner non-road equipment, re-powers and retrofits of on-road heavy-duty vehicles and non-road equipment, purchases of qualifying cleaner fuels, and infrastructure for refueling or electrification.  The grant can pay the incremental costs of a project, up to a maximum cost-effectiveness of $13,000 per ton of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions that will be reduced.

 

“This funding for voluntary emission reduction programs is very important to our region’s Clean Air Plan,” said Peter Bella, Natural Resources Director for the Alamo Area Council of Governments.  “The types of projects funded by these grants not only reduce air pollution, they can also reduce long-term operating costs for business and industry in our area, thus making the region healthier both environmentally and economically.”

 

The Alamo Area Council of Governments is preparing to assist local entities wishing to apply for grant funds and will soon host workshops for interested parties.  Applications for this first round of local grant funding are due to the TCEQ by September 17.  For more information, contact Dorothy Birch at (210) 362-5213.