Title:
Grant Application - 2019 Diesel Emission Reduction Act
Summary
ACTION:
A. Approve the submission of a grant application by Mecklenburg County Air Quality to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for $500,000 in grant funds; and
B. Upon award of grant, recognize, receive and appropriate the grant amount awarded.
Staff Contact: Leslie Rhodes, Director, LUESA-Air Quality
Presentation: No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
Mecklenburg County Air Quality (MCAQ) is applying for $500,000 in Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The DERA funding will be used to provide sub-grants to replace heavy-duty diesel vehicles and equipment in the Charlotte region as part of the County’s Grants to Replace Aging Diesel Engines (GRADE) program. GRADE will be administered by current MCAQ staff and all matching funds will be provided by equipment owners who participate in GRADE (no County funds will be required).
While local air quality has improved, the Charlotte region only narrowly meets that health-based standard for ground-level ozone. Ground-level ozone is formed through the photochemical reaction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds. Reducing NOx emissions is the best strategy to reduce ground-level ozone concentrations in Southeastern states, like North Carolina.
Continuation of the GRADE program helps the Charlotte region maintain compliance with federal health-based standards for ground-level ozone and aligns with the Land Use and Environmental Services Agency (LUESA) Strategic Business Plan. LUESA’s Strategic Business Plan identifies competing for grant opportunities as an action that supports the strategy of reducing air pollution from cars, trucks, and off-road equipment (Goal 3, Objective 1, Strategy A).
MCAQ has successfully administered the GRADE program since 2007 and has brought over $7 Million in grant funding to the Charlotte region for equipment repower an...
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