Funding Assistance

State Obligations under the Clean Air Act
As part of a discussion of funding, it is important to broadly understand states’ obligations under the Clean Air Act. Developing diesel emissions retrofit programs can be used by state and local governments to help them meet their targets set by the Clean Air Act.

Cummins anticipated the need for reduced emissions back in the 1990’s and designed engines with the capability to meet today’s stringent standards.  Cummins was the first engine manufacturer to meet emission requirements in 2002.  Also, in 2002 Cummins created Cummins Emission Solutions.  Founded to focus on aftertreatment for upcoming emissions regulations worldwide, Cummins Emission Solutions has also been a leader in retrofitting the existing diesel engine population to help provide a cleaner environment around the world.

The Clean Air Act.
In 1990, Congress amended the Clean Air Act (CAA) to help efforts to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).  The amendments required further reductions in the amount of permissible tailpipe emissions, initiated more stringent control measures in non-attainment areas, and provided a more direct linkage between transportation and air quality planning.  In 1991, Congress adopted the Inter-modal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA).  This law authorized the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program that provided $6.0 billion in funding for transportation and surface projects to help air quality improvements.  All three of these programs (CAA, ISTEA and CMAQ) were intended to realign the focus of transportation planning toward a more environmentally-sensitive approach.

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ)
The CMAQ program is jointly administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  The CMAQ program provides over $8.1 billion dollars in funds to State DOT’s, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and transit agencies to invest in projects that reduce air pollutants from transportation-related sources.

National Clean Diesel Campaign
Building on the successes of EPA’s regulatory and voluntary efforts to reduce emissions from diesel engines, EPA created the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC).

The NCDC is:

• Committed to the successful implementation of the Clean Air Highway Diesel Rule and the Clean Air Non-road Diesel Rule.
• Developing new emissions standards for locomotive and marine diesel engines.
• Committed to promoting the reduction of emission for existing diesel engines through cost effective and innovative strategies, including use of cleaner fuels, retrofitting and repairing existing fleets, and idling reduction programs - among others.

Diesel Emissions Reduction Act
The Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) establishes a voluntary national and state-level grant and loan program to reduce emissions from existing diesel engines through clean diesel retrofits.  The DERA coalition is comprised of members of the diesel industry (Cummins is a member), environmental groups, public health organization, as well as state and local governments.  The coalition has been working to ensure that DERA receives congressional funding.

The following are helpful funding links:

EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign Website
Federal Highways Administration CMAQ Website
Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program Funding Sources
Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Grants and Funding
Clean School Bus USA Grants and Funding