The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $2.1 million in grants for New Jersey’s efforts to reduce emissions from diesel engines.
The grants for reducing diesel emissions complement the state’s existing program which includes a three-minute idling law and a mandatory retrofit initiative affecting 40,000 vehicles in the state. The $2.1 million dollar grant will fund four distinct initiatives:
- On-board Idle Reduction Devices for truckers. ($750,000) This will fund the purchase of alternative energy sources and equipment to reduce idling and help truckers save on fuel costs. NJDEP will work with the EPA and a New Jersey based trucking association that represents short haul motor carriers to fund the purchase of auxiliary power units or bunk heaters.
- NJ Turnpike Truck Stop Electrification Project. ($1,000,000) This expands the infrastructure for truck stop electrification in New Jersey by electrifying parking spaces at a truck stop along the NJ Turnpike.
- Analysis of In-Cabin School Bus Emissions. ($215,000) This study will determine how effective retrofits are in reducing fine particle pollution on the inside of school buses. The results of the analysis will provide scientific direction for an upcoming legislated statewide mandatory retrofit program for certain diesel vehicles, including school buses.
- Idling Minimization Outreach Project. ($135,000) This outreach campaign will discourage unnecessary idling of engines throughout New Jersey, particularly targeting the trucking industry. The outreach campaign will, for the first time, focus on idling transit buses and personal cars at the state’s tourist attractions. The campaign will also train police in New Jersey on how to effectively enforce the state’s three-minute limit for engine idling.
Why can’t they just require a full engine stop? It’s not like we’re still in the days of carbuerators where it required half a gallon to restart the damn things. What about throwing some Biodiesel use in the engines too. All the cool cities are doing it. There have been plenty of cities to test biodiesel in their buses. It doesn’t require that every city do a year of testing first when most of them use the same kind of engines. There is so many proven results of reduced emissions from biodiesel use that it should be a nobrainer. It seems like they are trying to ensure the health of the children this a simple step further.