OKLAHOMA CITY – Nearly $3.5 million is available for a reimbursement program to replace or repower eligible on-road vehicles. The goal of the program is to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by replacing or repowering older vehicles with newer diesel or alternative fueled vehicles.
The funds came from the Volkswagen Settlement Trust On-Road Program.
This is a competitive funding opportunity available to government and non-government applicants seeking to improve their heavy truck, medium truck, or bus fleets. A cost-share is required for funding under this program. School buses are not eligible for the funding.
Eligible vehicle classes:
• Class 8 local freight trucks and port drayage trucks (large trucks)
• Class 4-8 shuttle bus or transit bus
• Class 4-7 local freight trucks (medium-sized trucks) Applications will be accepted through Sept. 30. For an application or more information, visit https://www.deq. ok.gov/air-quality-division/ volkswagen-settlement/ on-road-program/ or email questions to: VWSettlement@ deq.ok.gov.
It was the second grant program funded by the VW settlement announced by the state Department of Environmental Quality in two weeks. The other program is intended to increase the number of light-duty electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Oklahoma.
The ChargeOK Grant Program has approximately $1.1 million available for reimbursement grants on a competitive basis for the purchase, installation, and operation of publicly accessible EV charging stations throughout Oklahoma. Through this program, the State of Oklahoma seeks to add to the strategic network of charging stations to increase the use of EVs in place of gas-powered cars to mitigate harmful air emissions.
The ChargeOK Grant Program, with consideration for existing and planned investments of charging stations throughout Oklahoma, is offering incentives for additional projects based on 15 site locations chosen to fill in the EV charging network in Oklahoma. Only projects located within 10 miles of those 15 locations will be considered for the grant.
Those towns include Altus, Duncan, Hobart and Clinton.
Applications for that program will be accepted through Sept. 8, DEQ officials said.
In 2016 the United States settled claims against Volkswagen, et al., concerning the use of a “defeat device” installed on 2.0 and 3.0 liter diesel vehicles which resulted in air pollution emissions from these vehicles exceeding federal guidelines. States are allocated a portion of the settlement based on their number of affected vehicles.
The State of Oklahoma was allocated approximately $21 million from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Agreement to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from the transportation sector.