Coalition seeks $1 billion in jobs bill cash to cut diesel emissions

The planned Senate jobs bill is emerging as a vehicle for several potential energy-related provisions, such as expanded tax credits for manufacturing “clean” energy components.

Here’s another one: a coalition of environmentalists, public health advocates and industry groups are seeking $1 billion for retrofitting and replacing diesel engines to reduce harmful emissions.

They are seeking the funding under a 2005 statute called the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, which authorizes EPA grants to clean up diesel engines in vehicles such as school buses and trucks. The program also received $300 million for grants in the 2009 stimulus law.

A letter from the advocates to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) cites an analysis by Robert Wescott, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Clinton, that $1 billion for the program could save or generate 19,000 jobs.

“The installation of clean diesel retrofits on the existing fleet can reduce particulate matter emissions by over 90% and achieve substantial health benefits cost effectively,” adds the Jan. 11 letter. The letter is from groups ranging from the American Lung Association to engine maker Cummins Inc.