The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is inviting public comment on a draft plan to invest $75 million over the next 10 years to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution from transportation. Funding will come from dollars allocated to Ohio from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund.
Sierra Club believes that Volkswagen must continue to be held to account for its egregious attempts to circumvent important federal air and climate protections; at the same time, we appreciate the opportunity that this settlement provides Ohio to invest in zero emissions technology and simultaneously improve our struggling statewide public transit system. Ohio should spend its disbursement from the settlement on infrastructure for electric vehicles, along with actual EVs such as electric buses for our transit fleets. Ohio can't afford to threaten the environment and invest in limited technology by supporting so-called "clean diesel" or compressed natural gas (CNG).
In 2016, the United States and California sued Volkswagen and associated companies, alleging that VW installed defeat devices on certain vehicles (model years 2009-2016). The devices activated during emissions testing made vehicles appear compliant with the law, when in fact, during on-road operation, the vehicles emitted nine to 40 times the allowable amount of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a harmful air pollutant. A settlement filed with the federal court allocated funds to states based on the number of vehicles with the defeat devices that were registered in each state. The trust agreement requires each state to develop a plan explaining how funding will be allocated among 10 allowable uses that can reduce NOx emissions and offset damages. Eligible projects include replacement or engine repowers of the following: aging diesel trucks, school/shuttle/transit buses, ferries/tugboats; switcher locomotives, airport ground support equipment, and forklifts and cargo handling equipment in ports. Funds may also be used to install shorepower for ocean-going vessels in Great Lakes ports, and charging or fueling units for light duty zero emission vehicles.
Ohio EPA has posted the draft beneficiary mitigation plan on the Office of Environmental Education web page, and comments may be emailed to derg@epa.ohio.gov. (Please include “VW Comment” in the subject line.) Written comments may also be mailed to Carolyn Watkins, Ohio EPA-OEE, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049.