Title
Grant Application - 2016 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Grant Application (LUESA)
Summary
ACTION:
A. Approve the submission of application by Mecklenburg County Air Quality to North Carolina Department of Transportation for $625,000 in grant funds. Submittal Deadline: April 27, 2012
B. Upon award of grant, recognize, receive and appropriate CMAQ FFY 2016 grant revenue.
C. Authorize the carry forward of unspent grant funds to subsequent years until completion of the project.
Staff Contact: Don R. Willard, LUESA - Air Quality
Presentation: Yes_____ No__X__
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program is a federal program that allocates funding to states for the purpose of supporting projects in non-attainment areas that will improve air quality and/or reduce congestion. Mecklenburg County Air Quality is applying to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for CMAQ funds to be used to reduce air pollution from nonroad construction equipment in the eight-county ozone nonattainment region through the County’s diesel engine replacement program known as Grants to Replace Aging Diesel Engines (GRADE).
Valuable, significant and permanent Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) reductions resulting from GRADE will assist Mecklenburg County in meeting the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standard. Current data demonstrates that Mecklenburg County monitors exceed this standard.
GRADE is modeled after other programs in Texas and California and has been administered with much success in Mecklenburg County. The program secures needed NOx reductions in one of the following ways:
• Replacing old, high-emitting equipment with newer equipment
• Re-powering existing equipment with a cleaner engine
• Retrofitting existing equipment with emission control devices that reduce NOx.
CMAQ requires a 20% match ($125,000). GRADE requires this 20% match to come from sub-award recipients. No matching funds are required ...
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