Texas Clean Air Matters

Selected tag(s): Houston-Galveston Area Council

New Funds Bring New Hope for Cleaner Houston Air

By / Bio / Published: July 7, 2011

Photo by Dan Kamminga. Some tugboats slated to receive new engines are more than 30 years old.

We are pleased to hear the news about possible new funds coming to Houston to help improve air quality.

Under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program, Region 6 of the Environmental Protection Agency recently recommended two Houston-based grant proposals for full funding:

  1. With a grant proposal titled “Clean Vessels for Texas Waters Part 1: Mostly Main Engines,” the Houston-Galveston Area Council asked for replacement of six main engines and one generator engine for local tug/tow boats.
  2. The Port of Houston proposal requested funds for fuel switching, which involves oceangoing vessels switching to cleaner, low sulfur fuels.

While the proposals have yet to be finalized, the EPA recommendations for full funding represent an important step toward an actual offer.

How Reducing Diesel Engine Emissions Helps
Public health is the number one reason we continually seek ways to reduce diesel engine emissions. According to the EPA, air pollution is linked to a number of health problems including: Read More »

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Houston Truck Fair Highlights Win for Truckers, Clean Air

By / Bio / Published: April 21, 2011

This guest post was written by EDF Houston Clean Air Associate Alesha Herrera.

At last Saturday’s Port of Houston Drayage Truck Fair, drivers learned about new vehicle funding opportunities while I learned that they really do appreciate the win-win aspects of getting newer trucks making them more marketable to employers, while also helping the environment.

Representatives from the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the Port of Houston offered information and answered questions about regional and statewide Clean Truck Programs aimed at giving Port of Houston truck drivers grants and low-interest loans to help in the purchase of newer, cleaner vehicles. These programs are among many efforts by EDF, HGAC and the Port Authority to tackle one of the largest sources of air pollution in the port area: short-haul trucks.

The Drayage Truck Fair featured new trucks on display, truck dealers offering special discounts, meet-and-greets with program representatives, and family fun with background music from a local radio station and food being cooked up around the field. Thanks to media and blog interest from The Journal of Commerce, The Baytown Sun, Overdrive.online, and RoadProServices.com, more than 150 truckers and their families attended the event. Read More »

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