The project will involve installation of auxiliary power units (APU), educational training and outreach to fleet operators.
HARC, using the $496,627 grant, aims to reduce emissions and save fuel by retrofitting long-haul trucks with APUs. Outreach efforts will form a part of the program that is expected to increase awareness of the program and influence other truck drivers and trucking companies to make similar efforts.
Partners in the grant include both the American Lung Association of The Central States and Idle Green.
EPA considers APUs a verified pollution reduction technology, which is anticipated to eliminate 11 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from trucks each year. To assist with the expansion of these reduction technologies, the EPA, partnered with the Small Business Administration, will set up loan packages for trucking companies that implement SmartWay strategies.
SmartWay is a brand that represents environmentally cleaner, more fuel efficient transportation options.
