Press Releases
DATE: 27 July 2009
Agency receives $2 million to help decrease air pollution
Featured story on KSDK - Channel 5
By Barbara Kasten, 314-584-6904
Grace Hill Settlement House
Grace Hill Working For Better North St. Louis Air
St. Louis is the newly named asthma capital of the United States, and within St. Louis, the North Side has the highest rates of asthma cases among its citizens. Grace Hill Settlement House, a social service agency concerned about air quality affecting low-income families, has found itself as a broker between sources of pollution and the EPA resources that can help make a difference.
Grace Hill has recently been awarded a $2,000,000 EPA grant to reduce diesel emission pollution from the St. Louis Fire Department, Lambert Airport, City refuse trucks, First Student school buses, trucks from private North St. Louis companies, and even a 1968 tugboat. Improved engine efficiency and idling reduction of these 574 vehicles will reduce air-borne chemicals by 809 tons per year and save 87,888 gallons of fuel annually.
The grant funds stem from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As part of the grant provisions, job retention and job creation must be documented as a result of the use of these funds. Roderick Jones, Grace Hill President/CEO, has directed some of the funds be used to set up apprenticeship positions for qualified North City residents. The apprentices will learn skills through a year-long paid position within companies contracted to improve engine performance.
Grace Hill has gained the expertise to understand the nature of complex toxins causing health problems and the sources of these pollutants through a 2007-08 EPA Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) grant. Community member action has secured a resolution from the St. Louis Board of Education to create No Idling Zones at every public school. Grace Hill is currently working with the Washington University Environmental Clinic, the American Lung Association, RCGA, and the Mayor’s Office to establish No Idling Zones in downtown St. Louis.
U.S. EPA Region 7 Awards $2 Million in Recovery Funding to Grace Hill to Reduce Diesel Emissions and Create Jobs
ORIGINAL EPA RELEASE (Kansas City, Kan., July 15, 2009) - In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, reduce diesel emissions and protect human health and the environment for people of the State of Missouri, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $2 million to Grace Hill for the North St. Louis Impact on Diesel Emissions (SLIDE) program to reduce diesel emissions in the community. This clean diesel project will create jobs while protecting St. Louis’ air quality.
The funds are provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) of 2009 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. Under this funding competition, EPA Region 7 alone received 34 grant applications requesting almost $92.2 million to help fund clean diesel emissions projects. The award announced today was chosen to both maximize economic impact and emissions reductions.
"These Clean Diesel grants provide an excellent opportunity to upgrade diesel fleets while improving local air quality," said William Rice, Acting Regional Administrator. "They also allow local businesses needed work, thus increasing regional economic stability."
The SLIDE project will use a variety of diesel emission reduction technologies and idle reduction technologies to improve air quality in a low-income area with a high rate of asthma. More than 575 vehicles will be targeted for retrofits, repowers and/or replacements as well as idle reduction technologies. A majority of the activities will target public fleets including the St. Louis Fire Department, St. Louis International Airport and St. Louis area school buses. The project also targets small companies. Vehicle/engine types include barge, airport ground support equipment, delivery trucks, school buses, construction equipment and emergency response vehicles.
In addition to helping to create and retain jobs, the clean diesel projects would reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year.
The Recovery Act allotted the National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) a total of $300 million, of which the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program received $156 million to fund competitive grants across the nation. The Recovery Act also included $20 million for the National Clean Diesel Emerging Technology Program grants and $30 million for the SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program grants.
In addition, under the Recovery Act’s State Clean Diesel Grant program, a total of $88.2 million has been provided to states for clean diesel projects through a noncompetitive allocation process.
President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009 and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at http://www.recovery.gov.
Grace Hill Settlement House fosters social and economic growth for neighborhoods in the St. Louis area, building strong, healthy, helping communities where clients help themselves and others. Grace Hill enables healthy productive lives. www.gracehill.org
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