Rep. Calvert Applauds Passage of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Reauthorization

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) voted along with a bipartisan majority (295 to 114) of the House of Representatives to pass the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), H.R. 1768. Rep. Calvert is a cosponsor of H.R. 1768, which reauthorizes EPA's Clean Diesel Program to support projects that protect human health and improve air quality by reducing harmful emissions from diesel engines.

"By passing the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act reauthorization, the House continues Congress' commitment to clean air," said Rep. Calvert. "I have been a longtime advocate for the life-saving benefits provided by the EPA's Clean Diesel Program. Getting older diesel engines off our roads results in tangible health impacts throughout our communities, especially for the elderly and our children. These are important federal investments that are leveraged with non-federal funds to make a real difference."

According to the EPA, nearly 10 million older diesel engines are operating throughout our transportation infrastructure with no modern emissions controls. While some of these will be retired over time, many are currently scheduled to remain in use, polluting America's air for the next 20 years. The DERA program provides rebates and grant funding to replace these vehicles and engines with equipment that meets or exceeds current emissions standards.

DERA has led to cleaner air across the U.S. by reducing emissions:

• 472,700 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides.
• 15,490 tons of particulate matter (PM).
• 17,700 tons of hydrocarbon.
• 5,089,170 tons of carbon dioxide.

Since 2008, DERA has awarded $629 million in funding to replace or retrofit 67,300 legacy diesel engines. EPA estimates that reducing these harmful pollutants will lead to $19 billion in health benefits and 2,300 fewer premature deaths. EPA estimates that for every federal dollar spent, DERA projects generate between $11 and $30 in public health benefits and over $2 in fuel savings.

As former Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment, Rep. Calvert was a champion of the DERA program, regularly providing funding above the levels requested in the President's budget and the previous enacted levels.