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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1131-E1132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DIESEL EMISSIONS REDUCTION ACT OF 2019
______
speech of
HON. FRED UPTON
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Monday, September 9, 2019
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the
DERA Coalition in support of H.R. 1768 on the Diesel Emission Reduction
Act.
Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Coalition
Please Support One of the Nation's Most Effective Clean Air Programs
When it comes to improving air quality for communities
across the country, one of the most effective strategies is
to replace older heavy-duty vehicles and equipment with new
and much cleaner options. That is the goal of the Diesel
Emission Reduction Act (DERA) program managed by U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We urge you to support
continuation of the program as provided under Matsui-Long
reauthorization bill (H.R. 1768) which would deliver vital
air quality improvements to your constituents.
Four out of every ten Americans reside in a region with
unhealthy air, according to EPA. The American Lung
Association estimates that air quality for many regions
around the country is not improving. DERA helps communities
clean up their air by replacing older trucks, buses, and
equipment with newer, cleaner technologies. Replacing just
one Class 8 truck with a new model can eliminate tons of
emissions. DERA also enjoys broad bipartisan support, along
with support from a long list of business interests and
environmental and health advocates, including those
signatories below.
According the EPA's latest report to Congress on the
program issued in July of this year, since DERA's funding was
first appropriated in 2008, more than 67,000 vehicles and
engines have been upgraded or replaced, delivering $19
billion in direct health benefits. Those benefits include
eliminating 15,490 tons of fine particles and 427,700 tons of
nitrogen oxides, a smog forming compound. That works out to
just about the same emission reductions as taking more than
236 million cars off the road for a year.
The program provides just enough funding to encourage
owners to make a smart investment in their purchase of
cleaner and often more fuel-efficient vehicles and equipment.
As a result, every $1 in public funds appropriated through
the DERA program is leveraged with an additional $3 in
nonfederal funds, generating between $11 and $30 in public
health benefits and an additional $2 in fuel savings.
While DERA has been around since 2008, there still is much
to be done. Heavy-duty trucks and off-road equipment are
built to last, meaning a large fleet of older and higher
emitting trucks remain in service. Only four in ten trucks on
the road today is equipped with technologies to achieve the
latest near-zero tailpipe emissions standard set by EPA.
Research shows that off-road equipment, including
locomotives, are of an even older generation technology and
will be in the field for decades to come. DERA provides the
funding needed to incentivize the replacement of those older
and higher emitting vehicles and equipment. The program is
voluntary, competitive, and technology neutral, allowing
funding to be used for projects, advanced locally, that
provide the highest benefits for the amount of funding
requested.
The Diesel Emission Reduction Act has proved to be one of
the most effective tools to generate short-term air quality
and health benefits for local communities across the country,
but those benefits cannot be sustained without proper
funding. We encourage you to support extending the
authorization of this cost-effective and environmentally
impactful program for an additional five years as provided
for under the bill.
Sincerely,
Alabama State Port Authority, American Association of Port
Authorities, American Highway Users Alliance, American Lung
Association, American Trucking Associations, Associated
General Contractors of America BorgWarner Inc., Clean Air
Task Force, Cook--Illinois Corporation, Corning Incorporated.
Cummins Inc., DENSO International America, Inc., Diesel
Technology Forum, Emissions Control Technology Association,
Engine Manufacturers Association, Environmental Defense Fund,
Faurecia Clean Mobility, The Lion Electric Co., Manufacturers
of Emission Controls Association, Massachusetts Port
Authority.
[[Page E1132]]
NAFA Fleet Management Association, National Association of
State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, National
Resources Defense Council, National School Transportation
Association, NGK Automotive Ceramics USA, INC., Scania USA,
Seafood Harvesters of America, The Port of Corpus Christi,
The Port of Los Angeles.
The Port of New Orleans, The Port of San Diego, The Port of
Virginia, Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association, Tula
Technology, Inc., Umicore Autocat USA Inc., Unifrax I LLC,
United Motorcoach Association, Volvo Group North America.
____________________