DEQ Announces Funding Opportunities to Curb Nitrogen Oxide Emissions

• Moira Davin
• September 29 2021

HELENA—The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is celebrating National Drive Electric Week with new funding opportunities to help curb nitrogen oxide ​(NOx) emissions with clean transportation. The grants are available for both public and private entities and match funds to help make clean transportation affordable.

Two separate funding opportunities are available. The first funding opportunity matches funds to replace older diesel trucks, buses or airport ground support vehicles with battery electric, alternate fuel or diesel vehicles. Examples of types of vehicles for this funding opportunity can include garbage trucks​, street sweepers, bucket trucks, buses​, or vehicles that service aircrafts between flights. Applications for this opportunity are due Jan. 14​, 2022.

Nationally, the transportation sector is the main source of NOx emissions, which are the result of burning fuel. NOx is a poisonous gas that reacts with other pollutants in the atmosphere to contribute to smog and poor air quality. Reducing NOx emissions from transportation results in cleaner air and better health for all Montanans.

“DEQ expanded our clean transportation opportunities to include airport ground support vehicles for the first time this year in airports throughout Montana,” said Sonja Nowakowski, division administrator for air, energy and mining at DEQ. “This funding helps make clean transportation affordable while championing health​y air quality in Montana.”

The second funding opportunity is the Clean School Bus Program that applies to school districts statewide and matches funds to replace older diesel school buses with newer diesel, gasoline, propane​, low ​NOx certified or battery electric buses. This opportunity has funded 23 diesel buses and 8 propane buses at school districts across the state since January of 2020. Applications for this opportunity are due Nov. 15, 2021 with project completion by August of 2022.

The grants are funded through EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act and the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Agreement.

The grant announcements celebrate National Drive Electric Week that raises awareness of the benefits of driving ​all-electric or ​plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

DEQ is hosting a webinar on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. for those interested in learning more about the funding opportunities​, to register visit: Webinar Registration - Zoom . For more information and to view the ​request for applications visit: Deq.mt.gov/energy/programs/fuels.