WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making $2 million in grant funding available to tribal applicants to establish clean diesel projects.

Each applicant may request up to $800,000 as part of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program.

“This funding will promote clean diesel projects and enable tribes to improve air quality and public health,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “EPA will continue to target funds to tribal areas facing significant air quality issues.”

The EPA anticipates awarding up to eight tribal assistance agreements. Projects may include replacing, upgrading, or retrofitting school buses, transit buses, heavy-duty diesel trucks, energy production generators, or other diesel engines. Proposals must be received by Sept. 6.

The Tribal Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program gives priority to projects that achieve significant reduction in diesel emissions and exposure in areas designated as having poor air quality, and in areas with a disproportionate quantity of air pollution from diesel fleets.

Since 2008, DERA grants have funded projects that have reportedly improved air quality by reducing hundreds of thousands of tons of air pollution, while saving millions of gallons of fuel.

This is the fifth tribes-specific competition for clean diesel funding. Funding for the first four tribes-specific competitions, held from 2014 to 2017, ranged from $925,000 to $1.5 million per year, according to the EPA. Projects included replacement of vehicles, marine engines, and generators used for prime power production, as well as the addition of electrified parking spaces to reduce truck idling.

For more information on the grant competition, go here.

As previously reported, the EPA recently announced a separate round of national DERA grants totaling about $40 million.