WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) details the accomplishments of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program.

Since its inception in 2008, the program has provided grants for retrofitting or replacing older diesel engines across the country.

In its third report to Congress on the DERA program, the EPA says that the funding has helped clean up about 335,200 tons of nitrogen oxides and 14,700 tons of particulate matter, which are linked to respiratory ailments and premature death.

According to the EPA, the program has also saved 450 million gallons of fuel and prevented 4.8 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions from more than 900,000 cars.

“EPA is making a visible difference in communities that need it most through the funding of cleaner trucks, buses, trains, and other heavy equipment,” said Janet McCabe, the EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation. “The report on DERA’s impact offers striking evidence that this program is succeeding in providing Americans with cleaner air where they live and work while also cutting the pollution that fuels climate change.”

School buses have been a major component of the DERA program. In fact, the new EPA report lists school buses as DERA’s most frequently funded vehicle sector from fiscal years 2009 through 2013.

The report also shows that nearly 13,000 diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) or DOCs plus closed crankcase ventilation, as well as about 1,400 diesel particulate filters, have been installed on school buses with DERA funding.

In all, 73,000 vehicles or engines have been retrofitted or replaced through the program. The EPA has awarded 642 DERA grants, totaling $570 million in funding.

The third report to Congress presents the final results from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It covers fiscal years 2009 to 2011, and it estimates the impacts from grants in fiscal years 2011 to 2013.

To read the full report, go here.