§16092 Diesel truck retrofit and fleet modernization program

Summary

The EPA Administrator, working with the Secretary, must set up a competitive grant program that gives money to public agencies to modernize diesel truck fleets and install retrofit pollution controls. Only State or local governments (or their agencies, including joint agencies) can get these grants. Grants should be spread across the country when possible and give preference to ports and big hauling operations. Priority goes to projects that cut the most pollution per project or per truck, or that use EPA- or California Air Resources Board–verified retrofit technology on trucks that will run only on ultra-low sulfur diesel after September 2006. Grants must follow rules that require replaced trucks used for demos to run on ultra-low sulfur diesel where available, be model year 1998 or older, and be used for cargo and major hauling (especially in ports). Grant money can buy retrofit tech (including taxes and fees). Recipients must pay at least 50 percent of retrofit costs from other sources. Within 90 days after August 8, 2005, the EPA must publish grant procedures, how to verify fuel is no more than 15 parts per million sulfur after September 2006, and how grants will be checked. Funding authorized: $20,000,000 for FY2006, $35,000,000 for FY2007, $45,000,000 for FY2008, and such sums as needed for FY2009 and FY2010.