Project Green Fleet
Region
Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Washington, and WisconsinTimeline
2006 - PresentTopics
Overview
Environmental Initiative partners work with fleet owners and operators to reduce air pollution by upgrading older diesel vehicles and equipment through Project Green Fleet. We are currently prioritizing work in:
- Communities that have faced, or are facing environmental justice concerns or health disparities.
- Areas that are not in compliance with federal air quality standards.
- Goods movement areas including ports, rail yards, airports, or other distribution centers.
Our model is to connect fleet owners with grant opportunities to help off-set the costs of replacing or upgrading diesel vehicles or engines. We identify funding opportunities and recruit fleets to participate in grant applications. Environmental Initiative coordinates installation of equipment, quantifies emissions reduced, and administers large-scale grant funding for Project Green Fleet.
Our accomplishments
Project Green Fleet has installed pollution control equipment on 3,200 buses and retrofitted or replaced more than 1,500 heavy-duty diesel engines in trucks, transit buses, trains, boats, and other construction equipment. Together, this has reduced particulate matter emissions equivalent to removing more than 750,000 cars from the road annually.
1,500
Heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines upgraded.
3,200
School buses retrofitted with pollution control equipment.
750,000
Cars removed from the road annually.
What vehicle types are eligible?
Project Green Fleet is able to reduce emissions on a range of diesel fleets including:
- Class 4-8 heavy-duty trucks
- Off-road construction equipment including loaders, sweepers, backhoes, etc.
- Locomotives
- Marine engines and port facility fleets
Engines must be in current use and operate at least 500 hours per year. After the upgrade, fleets must also agree to operate the equipment for at least 5 years.
Cleaning up marine diesel engines
At first glance, it’s not easy to see how towboats and air quality relate. Big engines – like the ones on marine vessels – can operate for several decades, and many of these older engines lack the environmental controls that are now standard in newer models. Learn more about our work to repower marine engines in partnership with Upper River Services in Saint Paul, Minn.
Clean Air Blogs
Asthma, air quality, and athletes: The community coach’s role
An asthma attack can be a scary situation for coaches and athletes, but it doesn’t have to be! The Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and youth sport coaches collaborated to create a free 35-minute online training course to share information with youth coaches about what to do when a player has asthma symptoms or an asthma attack.
Be air aware with the Air Quality Index
Do you know how air quality can affect your health? You might not be able to see it, but the air you breathe could contain dangerous pollutants. The Air Quality Index can let you know what the quality of the air outside is before you open a window or step out for a walk.
Expanding Lottery funds for the environment, for all
Environmental Initiative is part of a coalition of mainstream environmental organizations advocating for the Minnesota State Legislature to get a question on the ballot in 2024 on whether to continue dedicating state lottery funds to the great outdoors. Our organization is focused on convening conversations for proposed changes that would make the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund more equitable.
Project Contacts
We collaborate with fleet owners and operators to connect them with grant opportunities to upgrade older diesel vehicles and equipment.
Alli Mueller
Senior Partnership Manager Email Alli Office: 612-334-3388 ext. 8125 Cell: 612-425-4938Our Partners
