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A Publication of Guidry News Service |
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A Publication of Guidry News Service |
United States Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene today announced a $150,000 grant to the Port of Houston Authority to reduce air emissions from diesel equipment. The PHA will retrofit rubber tired gantry cranes and terminal tractors with diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel emulsion to reduce harmful components in their exhaust. The project is one of 18 funded as part of EPA’s new Clean Diesel Campaign, which seeks to retrofit diesel vehicles with advanced technologies and cleaner fuels to reduce emissions of particulate matter (soot) and other air toxics. Each demonstration project is intended to reduce the impact of pollution on a population that is especially susceptible to the effects of diesel exhaust, including children, the elderly, and the chronically ill. “I applaud our region’s winner, the Port of Houston Authority, for its leadership in helping to make the black puff of smoke from diesel exhaust a thing of the past,” Greene said. “EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality are committed to expanding clean diesel’s use as part of our strategy to improve air quality and reduce air toxics. I look forward to sharing the port’s successes with other communities in the nation with similar air quality challenges.” PHA Chair Jim Edmonds said that the air emissions reduction plan is a "stellar example" of the Port of Houston Authority’s commitment to good environmental stewardship. "We are thankful for the EPA’s support of our initiatives for cleaner air and look forward to the beneficial continuation of this partnership,” Edmonds said, noting that the PHA participated in an EPA pilot program a few years ago aimed at developing an environmental management system that focuses on air emission reduction as well as water quality improvement and solid waste reduction and recycling. As a result of the EMS implementation, the PHA’s Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility became the first U.S. port facility to achieve ISO 14001 certification. “We continue to review our policies and procedures as new environmental techniques and technologies evolve,” Edmonds said. “We are setting new standards in the maritime industry for balancing environmental stewardship with economic development and community friendliness.” Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Commissioner R.B. "Ralph" Marquez agreed. "The EPA's diesel campaign, working in concert with the state's successful Texas Emission Reduction Plan, which also focuses on the replacement of older, inefficient diesel-powered equipment, will have a significant impact on air quality in Texas," Marquez said. Hyperlinks will work if this document is read Online
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