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March 17, 2004 The
Philadelphia Diesel Difference - Working Group Meeting IN ATTENDANCE: Alvaro
Alvarado, US EPA. INTRODUCTIONS: Mr. Morris Fine, Director of Air Management Services, Department of Public Health, City of Philadelphia, welcomed all in attendance. He thanked the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission for the use of their facility as a meeting venue. Mr. Fine once again reminded the Working Group that the Diesel Difference Charter has been distributed electronically and to please have the highest-ranking representative of your organization as possible endorse the document. Please send your endorsements, including the name, title, and organization of the signatory, via e-mail to Ms. April Birnbaum at April.Birnbaum@phila.gov. Mr. Fine alerted the Diesel Difference to a number of important programmatical and funding updates. First, he noted that a national retrofit convention will occur in early June in Washington, D.C., which will be similar to the Philadelphia Diesel Difference's Kick-Off Event, held in May 2003. This convention will bring together fleet operators/managers, regulatory officials from local, state, and federal levels of government, and clean diesel technology vendors. Here, the EPA plans to present grant awards to the next round of selected applicants under the "Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program Assistance Agreements." Specifically, the EPA is interested in funding off-road diesel retrofit installation projects. For more information, please refer to the EPA's "Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program News and Events" website, located at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/retrofit/latestnews.htm. Second, Mr. Fine announced that the EPA has advised STAPPA and ALAPCO that it will not solicit new applications for grants under the FY 2004 Clean School Bus USA program. Instead, the agency will select recipients of the $5 million in FY 2004 Clean School Bus USA funds from among the grant requests submitted, but not selected, under the FY 2003 program. EPA's decision was based on the fact that the response to last year's request for proposals included so many worthy programs, and selecting from among those already in hand would allow the agency to award the grants more quickly and in time for the projects to be put in place for the 2004-2005 school year. The EPA Regional Offices are currently reviewing last year's submittals to verify their continued eligibility, in preparation for a meeting next week of the national selection panel. The agency anticipates announcing its FY 2004 selections around May 1, 2004. Third, Mr. Fine noted that the Diesel Difference is interested in compiling a registry of fleets that are interested in pursuing future clean diesel technology installation projects, once adequate funding is made available. As funding becomes available to the Diesel Difference from grants, corporate sponsorship donations, and enforcement settlements, our Executive Committee will select projects from this registry BEFORE requesting additional proposals. Please take this opportunity to think about what types of clean diesel retrofit and/or anti-idling technologies may be appropriate for your fleet, both now and in the coming years. A fleet can add its name and potential project(s) to the registry by e-mailing Ms. April Birnbaum at April.Birnbaum@phila.gov and/or by submitting an application to the EPA's $20,000 Air Toxics Risk Mitigation Request for Proposal grant cycle. Lastly, Mr. Fine alerted the Working Group as to the status of ultra low sulfur diesel procurement for the City of Philadelphia's Office of Fleet Management and the School District of Philadelphia under the VEPCO settlement. The requirements contract is almost complete and will be released for a competitive bidding process in the near future. TECHNICAL SUB-COMMITTEE: As a result of the Diesel Difference Organizational Structure accepted by the Working Group in January 2004, a proposal to establish a sub-committee dedicated to providing technical support associated with the implementation and promotion of clean diesel technologies was offered, in order to assume adequate representation of all groups participating in the Diesel Difference. At this month's Working Group meeting, Mr. Morris Fine solicited participants for this sub-committee. Mr. Bill Coughlin, Mr. Kevin Snape, and Mr. Chris Thomas agreed to volunteer their time and effort. One of the primary tasks of this committee is to provide fleet assessments for the potential installation of clean diesel technologies onto diesel powered vehicles in our region. If you are interested in participating in the Technical Sub-Committee, please e-mail Ms. April Birnbaum at April.Birnbaum@phila.gov. REPORT FROM THE CRITERIA SUB-COMMITTEE: Ms. April Birnbaum presented a report from the Criteria Sub-Committee in Mr. John Hadalski's absentia. The Region III Office of the US EPA has recently granted $20,000 to the Philadelphia Diesel Difference for air toxics risk mitigation in our area. Ms. Birnbaum announced that the Diesel Difference will now be accepting applications for this funding through a Request for Proposals (RFP) submitted on behalf of our Criteria Sub-committee. To clarify, all funding requests must be directly applied to the purchase of EPA and/or CARB verified clean diesel retrofit technologies, idling reduction technologies, and/or a fuel cost differential associated with the use of ultra low (< 30 ppm) sulfur diesel fuel. Attached please find a copy of the Request for Proposals. This document outlines the requirements, components, selection criterion, and deadlines associated with the RFP. Please note that all completed applications must be returned to Ms. April Birnbaum no later than 5 PM EST on Monday, April 19, 2004. REPORT FROM THE CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP SUB-COMMITTEE: Mr. Bill Coughlin presented a report from the Corporate Sponsorship Sub-Committee. The Corporate Sponsorship Sub-committee is in the process of finalizing a Power Point presentation, which will be used in the solicitation of potential donors. This presentation will include a cost-benefit analysis of the health effects associated with diesel particulate matter and a case study of an actual diesel retrofit project in our region, accompanied by the emission reductions resulting from the project, the cost of retrofitting the fleet, and the associated health benefits resulting from the retrofit. Such information will aid in the donor's understanding of their investment and the outcome that their contribution would make. Mr. Coughlin expects to have a more complete version of the presentation available for the purpose of discussion at the April Diesel Difference Working Group meeting. The Corporate Sponsorship Sub-Committee is also investigating ways in which the Corporate Sponsorship Program can better target and serve the needs of potential donors. A primary tactic focuses upon the "custom marketing" of incentives stemming from our non-monetary recognition program, such as specific types of advertising and public relations opportunities that corporations may desire. Another mechanism involves the heightened employment of networking and fundraising opportunities provided through the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. The Corporate Sponsorship Sub-Committee plans to pursue both of these strategies, in order to obtain the maximum amount of funding for the Diesel Difference. REPORT FROM THE MOBILE SOURCE EMISSIONS REDUCTION CREDIT SUB-COMMITTEE: Ms. April Birnbaum, Chair of the Sub-Committee on Mobile Source Emissions Reduction Credits, presented a report for the Sub-Committee on Mobile Source Emissions Reduction Credits. Ms. Birnbaum discussed the development of a sample proposal for mobile source particulate matter trading in our region, which will be drafted by Mr. Kevin Snape. Mr. Snape will largely draw upon existing mobile-stationary source offset trading programs in Texas and California to compose the document. In the proposal, he will address the issues of enforceability, permanence, quantification, and the insurability of being surplus, as well as the pending non-attainment status of counties in our region for the 8-hour ozone standard and for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). REPORT FROM DR. ALVARO ALVARADO, EPA REGION III Dr. Alvaro Alvarado of EPA Region III briefed the Working Group on the progress of the particulate matter cost-benefit analysis data that is currently being assembled by the EPA for our area. Through the use of BenMAP, an Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program created by the EPA that focuses on the dose-response of pollutants on public health, the Greater Philadelphia five county area will become the first region in the nation to obtain this type of locale specific data. The EPA expects to produce a draft cost-benefit analysis by early April 2004. CLEAN AIR COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mr. Eric Cheung of the Clean Air Council/Clean Cities Program updated the Working Group as to the status of the Clean Air Council Non-Monetary Recognition Program. Mr. Cheung announced that the Diesel Difference has created a brochure on both our non-monetary recognition program, as well as on a general overview of the Diesel Difference program. These brochures remain in draft form and will be circulated throughout the Working Group once they are finalized. The Clean Air Council is also in the process of planning a special event for the Diesel Difference, scheduled for late May. This event will consist of a press conference recognizing at least one platinum level diesel retrofit project and a signing ceremony for high-level charter endorsements. Mr. Cheung and Mr. Aaron Firestone continue to construct the Diesel Difference website, which is located at http://www.cleanair.org/dieseldifference/. CLEAN DIESEL TECHNOLOGY OF THE MONTH: For our March presentation, Mr. Jack LeBeau discussed fuel catalyst technology. Mr. LeBeau noted that the catalyst pre-treats fuel prior to combustion, which achieves a better burn. Benefits claimed from this technology may include increased fuel efficiency, emission reductions, and increased horsepower. Please contact Jack LeBeau at jack.lebeau@rentar.com for more information on the fuel catalyst technology. TRUCK STOP ELECTRIFICATION VIDEO: The Diesel Difference Working Group viewed a short video on Idle Aire's Advanced Travel Center Electrification (ATCE), which provides a solution to the challenge of extended diesel engine idling. Regional construction of Idle Aire ATCE service is proposed for the Bensalem Travel Plaza and the Walt Whitman Truck Stop. For more information on the Idle Aire technology system, please refer to http://www.idleair.com. NEXT MEETING AND LOCATION: The next Diesel Difference Workgroup Meeting will be held from 10 AM until 12 PM on April 19, 2004 at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's Pennsylvania/New Jersey Room, The Bourse Building, 111 S. Independence Mall East, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
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