Port of Houston, Eight Users Receive EPA Grant

The Environmental Protection Agency will award the Port of Houston Authority and eight industrial port users more than $3.47 million to replace or repower diesel-powered heavy-duty trucks, cargo-handling equipment and a marine engine system with cleaner, more modern equipment and engines.

The money is from the federal stimulus package and will be funneled through the Diesel Emission Reduction Act into these public/private partnership projects, which were proposed by the Port Authority. The port will receive $611,466, while $2,856,666 will go to the eight port users, according to a statement from the port.

The Port will add part of the funding to a Texas Emissions Reduction Plan grant of $110,500 for replacing the decades-old engines and generator on the tour boat Sam Houston, which gives twice-daily public tours of the Houston Ship Channel. Houston will use the rest of its share to replace cargo-handling equipment. The statement said that the port expects more DERA money to become available for further emissions reduction projects.

Contact Janet Nodar at jcnodar@bellsouth.net.