Sen. Carper Praises EPA Report on Clean Diesel Projects

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, praised the contents of a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that outlines the environmental, health and economic benefits of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) from 2008 to 2010. Sen. Carper most recently led the bipartisan effort in 2010 to renew DERA alongside former Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio).

“Almost ten years ago, my friend George Voinovich came to me with a great idea to clean up our oldest, dirtiest diesel engines. That idea became the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, and this week’s EPA report to Congress on DERA reaffirms that this is a program that works. Through DERA, the EPA is still able to leverage federal dollars efficiently to combat dirty air and reduce energy consumption. For every $1 we put into DERA to clean up diesel emissions, we get an average of $13 in return in health and economic benefits. In addition to the impact on clean air, the EPA reports that DERA has saved more than 205 million gallons of diesel fuel – an impact equivalent to taking 400,000 cars off the road for an entire year. Since implementation, DERA has become one of the most cost-effective federal programs to clean up our air. DERA improves the quality of the air we breathe, saves lives by reducing the risk of asthma and other respiratory disease, and helps create jobs by using innovative American technologies. It is a true win-win-win, which is why I will continue to work with my colleagues and the Obama Administration to ensure that this life-saving program continues to receive the federal resources it needs to be successful.”

Enacted through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, DERA provides funding to finance the installation of retrofits on existing heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines, reducing harmful emissions by as much as 90 percent. DERA has enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support since its enactment eight years ago. In 2005, DERA passed the Senate by a vote of 92 to 1. In 2010, DERA was reauthorized unanimously by Congress through the year 2016.

Read the full EPA report on the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act here.