WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the initial steps in the development of programs that will invest $4 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act in our nation’s port infrastructure while reducing air pollution and advancing President Biden’s commitment to environmental justice. The actions are part of the Biden Administration’s broader efforts to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, a key pillar of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
EPA is now seeking public input to inform the development of two new programs. The Clean Ports Program will invest $3 billion in technologies to reduce harmful air and climate pollutants at U.S. ports and create a zero-emission shipping future. The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program will invest an additional $1 billion to reduce vehicle emissions and better protect the health of the people living and working near ports, schools, and other truck routes.
“Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, we are transforming our nation’s infrastructure for the better, all while protecting the health of underserved communities that are too often overburdened by pollution,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Reagan. “With $4 billion in funding for clean ports and clean transportation from the Inflation Reduction Act, we can deliver cleaner air and healthier communities, support good-paying jobs, and strengthen local economies.”
Administrator Regan announced the funding and request for information with U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (GA) while touring the Port of Savannah in Georgia, where EPA has previously awarded the Georgia Ports Authority over $9 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) funds to reduce diesel emissions and improve air quality by upgrading and replacing older freight trucks, cargo handling equipment, and marine engines with cleaner models. EPA’s new Clean Ports and Heavy-Duty Vehicle programs will go a step further to reduce emissions and improve community air quality through electrification and other zero-emissions technologies while strengthening the clean energy supply chain. This investment is the latest in a string of transformative programs and projects made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration.
“I continue working to upgrade Georgia’s port infrastructure and establish Georgia as the national leader in advanced energy technology,” said Senator Ossoff (GA). “I thank President Biden and Administrator Regan for their attention to Georgia’s ports and their support for Georgia’s economic development and environmental quality.”
The Clean Ports Program builds on EPA’s existing Ports Initiative and will transform port infrastructure while boosting investments for zero-emission port equipment and technology that reduces climate and air pollutants and improves air quality at ports and surrounding communities. The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program provides funding to offset the costs of replacing heavy-duty commercial vehicles with zero-emission vehicles, deploy infrastructure needed to charge, fuel, and maintain these zero-emission vehicles, and develop and train the necessary workforce. Together, these programs will invest unprecedented resources in solutions that protect people and the planet while supporting the creation of good-paying jobs and economic prosperity in communities across the country. They also advance President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to direct 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities.
These programs are made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, create a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good-paying jobs, and build a clean-energy economy to combat climate change and make our communities more resilient. The Port of Savannah is the latest stop on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America tour to highlight how the President’s agenda is creating opportunities in communities across the country and growing the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out.
Through responses to this Request for Information (RFI) EPA is looking to improve the Agency’s understanding of zero-emission trucks and port equipment as well as their associated charging and fueling infrastructure requirements. EPA is especially interested in comments detailing the availability, market price, and performance of zero-emission trucks, zero-emission port equipment, electric charging and other fueling infrastructure needs for zero-emission technologies, and to what degree the content and components of these systems are manufactured in the United States. This information will enable EPA to effectively design programs to expeditiously fund currently available zero-emission technologies and consider appropriate ways to accommodate technologies available in the near term.
The deadline to submit input is June 5, 2023.
Additional Background:
Ports are critical for commerce, a keystone for economic growth, and play a significant role in the goods movement supply chain. EPA’s Ports Initiative provides tools and assistance to help accelerate adoption of cleaner technologies, clean air planning practices such as emissions inventories, and community engagement to address diesel emissions at ports across the country. The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Program funds grants that protect human health and improve air quality by reducing harmful emissions from diesel engines, including low- and zero-emission port projects such as cleaner freight trucks; crane and yard tractor upgrades; ferry and tugboat replacements; and shore power installations.
Building on the DERA and Ports Initiative programs, EPA is developing the new $1 billion Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program and $3 billion Clean Ports Program in the Inflation Reduction Act to further accelerate emissions reductions at ports and other transportation facilities.
from EPA News Releases https://ift.tt/4PqbJkA