Author: Joe Minott

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new rules to clean up non-highway diesel engines provide an exciting opportunity to expand PDD’s reach. In May of this year, the agency finalized its nonroad diesel engine regulations. These regulations will require nonroad diesel engines to be 90% cleaner no later than 2014. Nonroad diesel engines include those used in construction, agricultural, industrial and airport equipment. The new regulations also reduce the sulfur content of nonroad diesel to 15 ppm (similar to the 2006 ULSD rule for highway diesel). Nonroad sulfur rules take effect in 2010 and expand to cover diesel used by locomotives and marine vessels by 2012. Locomotive and marine vessel engines were the subject of new emission standards proposed by U.S. EPA this summer. The public hearing process has concluded and PDD is awaiting final issuance of the new rules.

Beyond The Fumes... Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2004
Fumes . . .

Volume 1, Issue 1– Fall, 2004

Fall 2004

“Beyond The Fumes…” is produced quarterly for use by PDD Working Group Members and interested members of the public to learn the latest regional news relating to clean diesel technologies and projects

Philadelphia Diesel Difference (PDD)
Quarterly Newsletter

Amtrak To Try Control Devices In Its Diesel Truck Fleet

Amtrak, showing a strong commitment to reducing diesel emissions, is retrofitting 14 maintenance vehicles using its own funds! Under the guidance of Fleet Maintenance Technician Kirt Flowers, Amtrak is installing DOCs supplied by Lubrizol’s Engine Control Systems. As Flowers explains, “Amtrak wanted to test out these control devices. We were able to use some of our own environmental project money to get the project underway.” The vehicles being considered remain in the Philadelphia area and are used for track and construction repair or signal repair. After an initial setback due to a missing part, the installation is on track and Flowers expects the project to be completed by early 2005. Flowers sees this project as only the first step in what Amtrak can do to reduce diesel truck emissions. The company is also very interested in reducing emissions from its locomotives if financial assistance becomes available. During a trial period in 2004, Amtrak tested the “Green Goat,” a diesel/battery hybrid locomotive in Washington DC. It reduced emissions by 70-80 percent.

Inside This Issue:

Wealth of Information On PDD Website	2
FLEET FOCUS: Wissahickon S.D.	2
New Coalition Advocates For Clean School Buses	3
Membership Drive ‘05	4

Diesel Rules Expanded

“Forging Partnerships To Reduce Diesel Emissions”
www.cleanair.org/dieseldifference

Dec. 13, 2004: PDD Mtg., U.S. DOE Mid-Atlantic Regional Offices, Wanamaker Bldg. (10 am - Noon)
Dec. 13, 2004: Southeastern PA Clean School Bus Coalition Mtg., U.S. DOE Mid-Atlantic Regional Offices, Wanamaker Bldg. (Noon - 1:30 pm)
Jan. 10, 2005: PDD Mtg., DVRPC, Bourse Bldg. (10 am - Noon)
Feb. 14, 2005: PDD Mtg., DVRPC, Bourse Bldg. (10 am - Noon)

PDD Calendar:

PDD Website Is Region’s One-Stop Information Clearinghouse For Clean Diesel Strategies

Already comprised of more than 40 separate WebPages, the PDD website is quickly becoming a leading source of information on clean diesel strategies. Since going public in February of 2004, program staff has been working diligently to add content to serve the needs of both PDD members and the general public searching the web for more information on clean diesel technologies and projects. Almost every organizational document that PDD has created is available online. Members can find minutes from prior PDD working group meetings, the PDD Organizational Rules, the PDD Charter and its signatories, and the PDD Vision Statement conveniently located on the web. PDD staff is working to have all PowerPoint presentations that have been presented at PDD’s initial May, 2003 conference, PDD working group meetings or by PDD staff during outreach presentations, available for easy access. Outreach materials, such as the PDD brochures and success stories are also available. Other useful resources include a “Common Acronyms” page, a listing of diesel engine and anti-idling regulations and diesel emissions health information. There is also a comprehensive funding page that lists not only grants that are currently open for applications, but a history of previously available grants and those PDD projects that received funding from them. More features are in the works, including a technical fact page for fleet managers to refer to when considering diesel retrofit projects.

FLEET FOCUS: Wissahickon School District

Wissahickon is the fleet that started it all. Blazing its own trail, Wissahickon School District became the first school district in Pennsylvania to retrofit its bus fleet. "The Wissahickon School District is proud of its leadership role in the diesel retrofit/clean air initiative,” says Assistant Business Administrator Perry Baer. “In addition to aggressively reducing air pollutants in our community and sharing the gained know-how with counterparts at other school districts, the initiative provided a real-life environmental learning experience for our students." Since its initiative began in 2002, Wissahickon’s fleet has consumed about 160,000 gallons of ULSD fuel and has logged in excess of one million miles traveled. The fleet was officially recognized as a Platinum level success story by PDD at its first press event, held May 24, 2004. Wissahickon is presently looking for additional funding to help pay for the fleet’s continued use of ULSD, which has turned out to be more expensive than originally expected. More information about Wissahickon and other success stories can be found on the PDD website: www.cleanair.org/dieseldifference/recognition/success.htm.

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Beyond The Fumes... Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2004
Fumes . . .

FUNDING ACTIVITIES UPDATE:

The Community/Labor Refinery Tracking Committee (as managed by Clean Water Action) has $200,000 available to fund air quality improvement proposals from a fund created pursuant to a settlement between Sunoco, Clean Water Action and the City of Philadelphia. U.S. EPA is looking to fund a demonstration project involving the use of proven diesel retrofit devices on stationary diesel engines. More information about these grant opportunities can be found on PDD’s funding webpage: http://www.cleanair.org/dieseldifference/funding/index.html.
In November, approximately 14 local school district fleets applied for Clean Buses for Kids Program funding with the assistance of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Clean School Bus Coalition. This funding was made available through an enforcement settlement with Toyota. Recent recipients of federal and/or state funding for diesel retrofit projects include Upper Darby School District, Krapf Bus Company and West Chester School District, Temple University, North Penn School District, Philadelphia School District, the City of Philadelphia, and Waste Management, Inc. Also, U.S. EPA awarded the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania money for an advanced electrified truck stop demonstration project in Carlisle that should be completed by the Fall of 2005.

Clean School Bus Coalition Forms

Earlier this year, Philadelphia Diesel Difference, Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities and Penn Future joined forces to launch the Southeastern Pennsylvania Clean School Bus Coalition. The organizations felt that in order to avoid duplication of efforts in pursuit of similar goals, it would be better for the region to have a single campaign that promotes all the different strategies available to reduce diesel emissions from school buses. The Coalition will reach out to school district fleets and will determine which diesel emission mitigation technology best meets each fleet’s needs. The Coalition includes the Coordinators of PDD and Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities, along with interested stakeholders from both organizations. The Coalition is available to handle technical issues on clean diesel school bus projects and to meet with school district officials.

New Laws To Help Spread The Use Of Alternative Fuels

Recently, President Bush signed into law a bill that includes tax incentives for biodiesel fuel suppliers. Industry experts predict these tax credits will result in lower retail prices. Taking effect Jan. 1, 2005 and lasting two years, the credits are expected to be worth up to $.20 per gallon of biodiesel. This would all but match the incremental cost of biodiesel over petroleum diesel. Biodiesel is a nontoxic fuel alternative to petroleum diesel made from natural fats and oils, including soybean and recycled grease. Pennsylvania has just passed an amendment to its Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) program, which expands AFIG’s scope to include tax credits for biofuels and allows for the possibility of increased grant awards for fleets or individuals who purchase alternative fuel vehicles and alternative fueling stations.

“Tax credits are expected to be worth up to $.20 per gallon of biodiesel, which would all but match the incremental cost of biodiesel over petroleum diesel.”

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Beyond The Fumes... Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2004
Fumes . . .

Philadelphia Diesel Difference (PDD)
Quarterly Newsletter

c/o Clean Air Council Suite 300 135 South 19th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: 215-567-4004 x 237
Fax: 215-567-5791
E-mail:
echeung@cleanair.org

The “Beyond The Fumes…” quarterly newsletter was made possible with funding from the City of Philadelphia’s Air Management Services and the United States Environmental Protection Agency

The Philadelphia Diesel
Difference Vision

The Philadelphia Diesel Difference (PDD) Working Group has been formed to help build a coalition of diverse partners with a mutual interest in reducing air pollution from diesel engines in the greater Philadelphia area through voluntary programs and the use of innovative strategies including market-based approaches.
PDD is coordinated by the City of Philadelphia’s Air Management Services (AMS) and Clean Air Council. Its operational costs are paid through a contract between AMS and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Keep PDD Thriving: Membership Drive 2005

After much discussion among the PDD Working Group about the best way to approach members for donations, PDD staff has sent out the organization’s first membership contribution request letters. The goal of the membership drive is to provide financial support for the continued operations of the organization. Currently, the Clean Air Council handles administrative responsibilities for PDD through a grant from the U.S. EPA. Money collected from membership contributions will be used to either supplement this grant - should PDD want to expand its outreach efforts - or to ensure program administration can continue even after the U.S. EPA grant runs out. Because PDD is not incorporated, donations should be made out to and sent to Clean Air Council. The Council’s 501(c)3 status means that such payments are potentially tax deductible. “Just keeping Philadelphia Diesel Difference up and running requires funding,” explains PDD Coordinator Eric Cheung. “With the financial support of our members, we can ensure the continuation of the important work we are doing.” Financial contributions are not a requirement for membership to PDD’s Working Group.

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Beyond The Fumes... Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 2004
Fumes . . .

Volume 1, Issue 1