Northeast Diesel Collaborative Honors Groups for
Reducing Air
Pollution
Contact:
Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov (NY, NJ
and Caribbean) or David Deegan, 617-918-1017, deegan.dave@epa.gov (New
England)
(New York,
N.Y. – April 12, 2012) The
Northeast Diesel Collaborative – a partnership between the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, state agencies, and private and nonprofit groups – today
recognized four organizations for their outstanding leadership and efforts in
reducing diesel emissions. The collaborative honored several agencies and
organizations from Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont as part of
its second annual Northeast Diesel Collaborative Breathe Easy Leadership Awards
Program.
The
Northeast Diesel Collaborative, comprising the six New England states, New York,
New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, works to reduce diesel
emissions, improve public health, and promote clean diesel technology. It brings
together the collective resources and expertise of EPA, several state
environmental agencies and private sector companies to address emissions from
existing diesel-powered vehicles and equipment.
“Pollution
from diesel engines is linked to asthma, respiratory problems, heart attacks and
even premature death, and is especially dangerous to children and the elderly,”
said Judith A. Enck, EPA Region 2 Administrator. “Reducing air pollution from
diesel engines has enormous health benefits and translates directly
into fewer hospitalizations, less missed days of work and school and a better
quality of life for everyone.”
“Diesel
emissions in the northeast continue to pose health risks to the residents of the
region. The demonstrated leadership and efforts put forth by the 2011 award
winners will help bring cleaner air and healthier communities to our region,”
said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England
office.
The
Northeast Diesel Collaborative Breathe Easy awards are
given for outstanding service in reducing air pollution to protect human health
and the environment. The winners achieve these goals by taking actions such as
retrofitting and replacing older diesel engines, reducing idling from diesel
engines, developing education and outreach campaigns to promote diesel emissions
reduction and promoting cleaner fuels.
The 2011
Northeast Diesel Collaborative Breathe Easy Leadership Awardees are:
Leadership
Award in New York
Port
Commerce Department, Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is being recognized for efforts under its 2009 “Clean Air Strategy for the Port of NY & NJ,” designed to reduce pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from all port-related sources. The Port Authority incorporated input from local and state agencies, tenants and customers, as well as environmental and community stakeholders into its strategy. Current initiatives underway include the Truck Replacement Program, the Truck Phase Out Plan, and the Ocean-Going Vessel Low-Sulfur Fuel Program. For more information on the PANYNJ Clean Air Strategy, please visit: http://www.panynj.gov/about/port-initiatives.html
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is being recognized for efforts under its 2009 “Clean Air Strategy for the Port of NY & NJ,” designed to reduce pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions from all port-related sources. The Port Authority incorporated input from local and state agencies, tenants and customers, as well as environmental and community stakeholders into its strategy. Current initiatives underway include the Truck Replacement Program, the Truck Phase Out Plan, and the Ocean-Going Vessel Low-Sulfur Fuel Program. For more information on the PANYNJ Clean Air Strategy, please visit: http://www.panynj.gov/about/port-initiatives.html
“The Port
Authority is committed to working with our private and public partners to
implement our Clean Air Strategy,” said Port Commerce Director Rick Larrabee.
“Reducing air pollution at our ports is an important environmental objective and
to achieve this goal, the Port Authority has instituted a multi-prong strategy
to reduce emissions across port operations.”
Leadership
Award in New Jersey (Honorable Mention):
Transportation
Clean Air Measures Program, North Jersey Transportation Planning
Authority
Protecting
the environment is a key goal in the North Jersey Transportation Planning
Authority’s mission statement and in its long-range Plan 2035. To further
reduce transportation-related air pollutants, the NJTPA has proactively advanced
an innovative Transportation Clean Air Measures program. This ongoing NJTPA
program was developed to identify clean air efforts not being generated through
existing programs. The NJTPA Board of Trustees and a multi-agency advisory
committee guide the effort. In addition to reducing emissions, such as
particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and greenhouse gases, secondary benefits
emerged; including reduced vehicle miles traveled, reduced congestion and fuel
consumption, a targeted response to environmental justice issues and increased
community awareness regarding noise and air quality. For more information on the
NJTPA Transportation Clean Air Measures, please see:
http://www.njtpa.org/Plan/Element/AQ/TCAM.aspx
“The
success of the NJTPA’s Transportation Clean Air Measures program is the result
of our board’s strong leadership on the critical issue of improving air
quality,” said Mary K. Murphy, NJTPA Executive Director. “We are continually
looking for new and innovative ways to reduce emissions and make our region
cleaner, healthier and more prosperous.”
In New
England, a Breathe Easy Leadership Award was given to Green Space and
Recreation Committee, Chelsea Collaborative, Inc., a
collaborative effort to reduce exposure to diesel pollution in Chelsea and
Everett, Massachusetts. Casella Waste Systems Inc. of
Chittenden County, Vermont received an Honorable Mention for replacing diesel
refuse trucks with trucks powered by natural gas.
12-049
# # #
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.