Denver Adds Four Hybrid Trucks to Fleet

News Release

Release date: 06/17/2010

The Denver Fleet Management Division recently replaced older units in its fleet with four Freightliner Business Class M2 106 Hybrid trucks as part of the City and County of Denver’s efforts to decrease energy demands and improve air quality.

One approach to reducing harmful emissions and improving the environment has been the “greening” of Denver’s fleet. The Denver Fleet Management Division, which maintains more than 1,900 vehicles and pieces of equipment for the city, began building its hybrid fleet with the purchase of light-duty hybrids. The four new Freightliner Business Class M2 106 Hybrid aerial bucket trucks will be used for forestry, traffic signal, and traffic sign repair.

“The Freightliner trucks mark our entry into medium-duty hybrid use, and are a welcome addition to our fleet,” said Ernie Ivy, fleet director, City and County of Denver. “With the new trucks, we will improve the way we deliver services to the citizens.”

The Freightliner Business Class M2 106 Hybrid features the Eaton Hybrid Electric parallel Drivetrain System that enables the truck to operate using the diesel engine alone, or in combination with the hybrid electric motor. This provides additional power to launch the vehicle and improve fuel economy in stop-and-go operations, in addition to reducing emissions and operating noise, particularly when the hybrid system powers the auxiliary equipment in ePTO mode, according to the manufacturer.

“We operate in neighborhoods all around Denver, so our goal is to reduce pollution and noise in the places where we live and work,” said Ivy. “The trucks also further our efforts to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum use.” Denver is receiving grants for the hybrid purchases and should recoup its outlay for the hybrid technology in five to seven years through increased fuel economy and lowered maintenance expenses.

Adams 14 Advances Student and Environment Health

News Release

Adams 14 Retrofits Buses to Improve Student and Environmental Health

Release Date: 05/04/2010

Adams 14 has retrofitted 13 District buses with new crankcase filtration systems and engine pre-heaters to reduce idle times, emissions and fuel costs. The results will be healthier students and drivers as well as a cleaner environment while buses take students to and from school.

Thomas Tucker, the district’s lead mechanic, oversaw the improvements, which were made this month through a partnership with the Denver-Based Regional Air Quality Council’s Clean Air Fleets Program, a public-private initiative that helps diesel operators reduce vehicle emissions while saving money. The program receives funding support from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Highway Administration.

“Our newly outfitted buses will have a less detrimental impact on riders and the environment,” Tucker said. As a result of the retrofits, the District should save approximately 1,100 gallons of fuel annually and reduce 12 tons per year of greenhouse gases from the environment including one ton per year of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide.

Steve McCannon, program manager for the Regional Air Quality Council believes public schools are an important partner. “District leadership and participation has been critical to the success of the program,” he said. “We have been amazed at school districts’ dedication to protecting the health of children.”

Adams 14 is pursuing opportunities to retrofit additional District buses in the future.

2010 Engine Standards Workshop

Engine Workshop

On August 26, 2009, public and private diesel fleets throughout the Denver Metro Area came together to learn about and discuss EPA’s upcoming 2010 Diesel Emissions Standards. The workshop, put on by the Regional Air Quality Council and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, invited representatives from Cummins, Mack, and Navistar to discuss the heavy-duty diesel standards and explore SCR and EGR solutions. See vendor presentations below.

RAQC Receives EPA Award

News Release

EPA awards $2.8 million in Recovery Act funding in Colorado to reduce diesel emissions and create jobs

 Release date: 07/24/2009

Contact Information: Rebecca Russo, USEPA, 303-312-6757; Richard Mylott, USEPA, 303-312-6654 

(Denver, Colo. – July 24, 2009) In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for people of Colorado, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $2.8 million in grants to the Denver Regional Air Quality Council, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the City and County of Denver to install clean diesel technologies on hundreds of trucks, buses and vehicles throughout the state. These clean diesel projects will create jobs while protecting Colorado’s air quality.

“These Recovery Act projects significantly advance efforts to secure clean-diesel technologies for our nation’s school buses, construction and farm equipment, long-haul trucks and other diesel vehicles,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator, Carol Rushin. “In Colorado, our partners will use these funds to reduce toxic pollution from hundreds of vehicles and will help create and maintain jobs in communities across the state.”

The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 8 alone received more than 35 grant applications requesting more than $56 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects.

The awards announced today were chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions. In addition to helping create and retain jobs, these clean diesel projects will help to reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days and many other health impacts every year.

Grant award recipients in Colorado include:

Denver Regional Air Quality Council: $1,250,000
This project will partner with owners and operators of over-the-road truck fleets, the oil and gas industry and one school district to install 100 auxiliary power units, 20 diesel oxidation catalysts, 56 fuel-operated heaters for anti-idling and in-cab heaters, 44 thermal coolers, 10 full sets of SmartWay low-rolling resistance tires and 20 SmartWay trailer gap fairings on vehicles throughout the state. The primary goal of these efforts is to reduce exposure to toxic emissions from diesel exhaust and to conserve diesel fuel. Contact: Sarah Anderson, Steve McCannon 303-629-5450

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, $850,000
This project will provide emissions control solutions for over-the-road diesel trucks. The funding will be used to partially pay for 180 auxiliary power units or battery air conditioning systems for long-haul trucks, with individual truck owners providing the remaining cost shares. This project will provide air quality benefits throughout Colorado and will provide significant fuel savings. Contact: Lisa Silva, 303-692-3119

City and County of Denver: $700,000
This project will retrofit 48 refuse vehicles with fuel-operated hydraulic and cab heaters, retrofit 9 snow plows with fuel operated cab heaters, retrofit 53 heavy duty diesel vehicles with diesel oxidation catalysts and closed crankcase filtration devices and utilize biodiesel fuel. This funding will pay for the full cost of retrofits and the incremental cost of biodiesel fuel. The primary goal of the project is to reduce exposure to toxic emissions from diesel exhaust. Contact: Sabrina Williams, 720-865-5477

Colorado will also benefit from a grant of $850,000 awarded to Oregon-based Cascade Sierra Solutions. Cascade Sierra Solutions will use the funds to provide emissions control solutions for the over-the road diesel trucks based in Colorado, Montana, South Dakota and Utah.

The Recovery Act allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) a total of $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation. The Recovery Act also included $20 million for the National Clean Diesel Emerging Technology program grants and $30 million for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance program grants.

In addition, under the Act’s State Clean Diesel Grant program, a total of $88.2 million has been provided to States for clean diesel projects through a noncompetitive allocation process.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009 and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at Recovery.gov.

For information on EPA’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, visit: http://www.epa.gov/recovery

For information about EPA’s clean diesel initiatives, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel