News from the Office of Mayor Sam Adams and the
Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

    
July 20, 2009                                    
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Roy Kaufmann
503-823-4799
Roy.Kaufmann@ci.portland.or.us

Portland Awarded Over $1.6 million in Recovery Funding from U.S. EPA
Money will create jobs, go toward reducing diesel emissions

Portland, Ore –  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded over $1.6 million to the City of Portland to reduce emissions from municipal fleet vehicles and construction contractor equipment.  The clean diesel project will create jobs, boost the local economy, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment. The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.

“The timing of this funding is perfect” said Portland Mayor Sam Adams “Stimulating job growth in the green sector while taking steps to better protect public health is a win-win for Portland and for Oregon.”

Portland will use the funding to purchase and install diesel particulate exhaust filters on the City of Portland, City of Salem and Multnomah County’s municipal diesel fleets.  Portland will also install fuel operated heaters (an idle reduction technology) on Portland and Multnomah County’s diesel fleet diesel fleets as a strategy for reducing diesel emissions while also decreasing fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions.  In addition, Portland will use some of the funding to pilot clean diesel contracting requirements on a number of upcoming publicly funded construction projects, using funding to install emission reduction technologies on contractor owned, leased or rented off-road construction equipment used in pilot projects.

“Cost-effective clean diesel projects such as this will help spur economic recovery” said Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Director Susan Anderson "This funding will bolster the economy and create new, green jobs that will improve air quality, reduce fuel consumption and save money.”

This clean diesel project will reduce diesel particulate emissions, one of the most significant air quality challenges facing this country.  According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), 37% of diesel air toxics in the Portland-area are emitted from construction equipment, severely impacting the health of Multnomah County residents.  Portland’s project will reduce diesel particulate emissions by over four tons per year, and the DEQ estimates that each ton of diesel particulate matter results in $398,425 in environmental damage and public health costs.

Portland’s project will create or sustain an estimated 34 manufacturing and local installation jobs and will help Oregon municipalities and their contractors decrease operating costs by achieving substantial fuel savings.  

The project will invest in idle reduction and diesel emission retrofitting activities that provide long-term economic benefits by protecting the environment and improving public health.  Portland’s efforts will help reduce serious problems like asthma, lung cancer and various cardiac and respiratory diseases, which currently result in thousands of premature deaths and millions of lost work-days each year.

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