This may not be news to everyone, but apparently there is money for the taking in Texas. Specifically, funding is set aside by the Lone Star State’s Texas
This may not be news to everyone, but apparently there is money for the taking in Texas. Specifically, funding is set aside by the Lone Star State’s Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP) in the form of grants and rebates as an incentive to companies, local governments, and other organizations whose diesel vehicles do not meet federal emissions standards.
In the most recent funding cycle, which ended April 11, the Texas Legislature authorized $110 million for the program, which has two such cycles Û one in the spring and one in the fall, each having available monies in roughly the same amount. Money for the first-come-first-served rebates tends to go fast and is divided among applicants using strict criteria; the specific dollar amount of the rebate is determined primarily on NOx reduction. The Emissions Reduction Incentive Grants (ERIG) are competitive among several eligible nonattainment areas in Texas that fail to meet prescribed emissions limits.
In mid-March, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) awarded more than $388,000 in rebates to Fort Worth-based design-build general contractor Speed Fab-Crete Corp. to replace five aging vehicles Û four semi-tractor trucks and one front-end loader Û under the TERP guidelines. By upgrading to newer, less-polluting vehicles, the company will prevent 47.4 tons of NOx from polluting the North Texas skies.
We are very pleased with Speed Fab-Crete’s commitment to clean air. We need about 4,500 older diesel engines to be replaced using TERP, says EPA Region 6 Project Manager Leslie Rauscher. TERP speeds up vehicle replacement and makes good business sense.
The five older Speed Fab-Crete vehicles (ranging in ages from 20-36 years old) had to be made inoperable by draining all fluids and cutting the engine in half. Documented proof of the decommissioning had to be sent to the state, and the vehicles were sold for scrap. The four new trucks are 2008 Mack Pinnacle (CHU613) Class 8 models with 415-hp Mack engines. A John Deere front-end loader also was purchased. The trucks sport diesel particulate filters, which are key to the engines’ compliance with federal EPA Î07 emissions guidelines.
A Green Advantage LEED-certified Builder with the U.S. Green Building Council, Speed Fab-Crete unveiled the new vehicles at its recent anniversary celebration marking 10 years under the current ownership; the company itself has been operating for 57 years. The trucks will be used to deliver trailers with precast wall panels, while the loader will assist in mixing raw materials in the company’s batch plant for pouring the panels. The LEED status allows the company to offer environmentally responsible design and construction to meet and exceed green expectations.
The firm promotes a whole-building approach by offering environmentally friendly facilities in the areas of sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, durable building materials, and air quality control. Also, the company’s wall building system is considered a sustainable product because the components include recyclable materials.