Gov. Tom Wolf, D-Pa., has announced that 34 transportation projects will receive $8,489,844 in Driving PA Forward incentives. Funded by Pennsylvania’s share of the Volkswagen Dieselgate settlement, the grants and rebates from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will go toward a range of cleaner transportation projects on roads, at schools, and at marine ports and airports.
Driving PA Forward launched in 2018, with a goal of reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in Pennsylvania by 27,700 tons by supporting clean transportation projects with funding from the commonwealth’s $118.5 million settlement with Volkswagen. Six projects received $580,000 in the first set of awards, announced last year. In this second set of awards, the following recipients will receive grants and rebates:
Statewide
• SYSCO Leasing LLC: A $432,320 grant to replace 24 diesel Class 8 trucks with newer diesel trucks used in food and food-related products distribution.
Multi-county
• Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission: A $2,093,042 grant for a joint project with the City of Philadelphia to replace five diesel trash trucks with five CNG trash trucks and Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to replace five older diesel service vehicles with new ones.
• Advanced Disposal Services: A $778,035 grant to replace 13 older diesel trash trucks with one new CNG truck and 12 new diesel trucks.
• First Student: A $363,537 grant to replace 18 older diesel school buses with 18 new diesel school buses.
Allegheny County
• Port Authority of Allegheny County: A $1,104,000 grant to replace two diesel transit buses with two new battery electric buses and install two charging stations.
• City of Pittsburgh: A $245,650 grant to install two direct current (DC) fast chargers and four Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in a parking lot.
• Giant Eagle Inc.: A $240,000 grant to purchase and install two DC fast chargers at a Giant Eagle in Monroeville and a $240,000 grant to purchase and install two DC fast chargers at a Giant Eagle in Pittsburgh.
• Executive Office Associates: An $8,000 rebate to purchase and install two Level 2 EV chargers.
Beaver County
• Valley Waste Service Inc.: A $217,340 grant to replace four older diesel trash trucks with four new CNG trash trucks at its facility in Beaver Falls.
Bedford County
• Garry L. Pepple (Pepple Busing): A $91,955 rebate to replace two diesel school buses with two new propane autogas school buses for use in Everett Area School District.
Bucks County
• Chargepoint Inc.: A $254,191 grant to purchase, install and maintain two DC fast chargers at a Burger King in Bristol.
Butler County
• Seneca Landfill Inc.: A $694,283 grant to replace two older diesel trash compactor vehicles and one older diesel bulldozer with two new diesel trash compactor vehicles and a new diesel bulldozer.
• Vogel Disposal Service: A $217,340 grant to replace four older diesel trash trucks with four new CNG trash trucks at its facility in Mars.
Cambria County
• McIlwain Charters Inc.: A $32,500 rebate to replace an older diesel commercial shuttle bus with a new diesel commercial shuttle bus.
Centre County
• College Township: A $3,739 rebate to purchase and install two Level 2 EV chargers.
Cumberland County
• Kauffman Bus Service Inc.: An $80,000 rebate to replace two older diesel school buses with two new diesel school buses for use in Cumberland Valley School District and Northern York County School District.
• Autobahn Indoor Speedway Harrisburg LLC: A $4,309 rebate to purchase and install two Level 2 EV chargers.
Dauphin County
• City of Harrisburg: A $352,500 grant to purchase two new diesel bulk collection trucks to replace two older similar diesel trucks.
• Camp Hebron Inc.: A $16,400 rebate to purchase and install two Level 2 EV chargers.
Lackawanna and Fulton counties
• Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: A $20,000 rebate to purchase and install two Level 2 EV chargers at Lackawanna State Park and two Level 2 EV chargers at Cowans Gap State Park.
Lancaster County
• Sam’s Auto: A $9,967 rebate to purchase and install two Level 2 EV chargers.
Lehigh County
• Allentown Parking Authority: An $89,754 rebate to purchase and install 10 Level 2 EV chargers at parking garages (two at each of the five locations) in Allentown.
Luzerne County
• Charles Esposito (Yatesville Bus Co.): A $40,000 rebate to replace an older diesel school bus with a new diesel school bus for use in Pittston Area School District.
Luzerne and Lycoming counties
• STA of Pennsylvania: A $185,832 grant to replace 10 older diesel school buses with 10 new diesel school buses for use in Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport.
Mercer County
• Tri-County Industries Inc.: A $213,582 grant to replace six older diesel trash trucks with six new CNG trash trucks at its facility in Grove City.
Mifflin County
• Happy Holiday LLC: A $6,744 rebate to purchase and install four Level 2 EV chargers at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Reedsville.
Montgomery County
• Whitemarsh Township: A $28,000 rebate to purchase and install two Level 2 EV chargers at the municipal building, two Level 2 EV chargers at Miles Park, and two Level 2 EV chargers at the Department of Public Works building (six total).
• Penn Mutual Life Insurance: An $8,000 rebate to purchase and install two Level 2 EV chargers.
Perry County
• Shutt Buses LLC: An $80,000 rebate to replace two older diesel school buses with two new diesel school buses for use in the Newport School District.
Philadelphia County
• ChargePoint Inc.: A $264,475 grant to purchase, install and maintain two DC fast chargers and two Level 2 EV chargers at a retail center in Philadelphia.
• Murano Condominium Association: A $16,000 rebate to purchase and install four Level 2 EV chargers.
• 10 Rittenhouse Square Condominium Association: A $16,000 rebate to purchase and install two Level 2 EV chargers.
Wayne County
• Joseph Ewain (Joe Ewain Busing): A $40,000 rebate to replace one older diesel school bus with a new diesel school bus for use in Forest City Regional School District.
By replacing older, polluting engines with new technologies, the projects, over their lifetimes, are expected to prevent emissions of 503 tons of NOx, 130 tons of carbon monoxide, 238 tons of carbon dioxide, 59 tons of hydrocarbons, 30 tons of fine particulate matter, and a half-ton of coarse particulate matter.
“The funding awarded from the VW emission cheating scandal is helping Pennsylvania reduce transportation pollution statewide and will help continue our efforts to improve air quality throughout the commonwealth,” says Wolf.
“This comprehensive approach to reducing emissions will help improve Pennsylvanians’ health and advance Governor Wolf’s goal of protecting the state from further climate change impacts,” adds Patrick McDonnell, DEP secretary.
