The NAFA Fleet Management Association is seeking an extension of the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) and is writing letters to select members of Congress to further that effort.
"Millions of older diesel engines are still in use by fleets. Thankfully, emissions from these older engines may be controlled with the use of modern, American-made control technologies that reduce emissions and create jobs here at home," said NAFA CEO Phillip Russo in the group’s letters.
"Enacted through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, DERA provides funding for fleets to install retrofit technologies on existing heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines, or replace engines and equipment, reducing harmful emissions by as much as 90%," he stressed.
Russo added that if funds are not appropriated for DERA, the Obama Administration’s 2015 budget proposal will reduce DERA funding from the $20 million in its fiscal year 2014 budget down to zero in 2015.
“We believe that modest increases in funding for DERA can and must be achieved within the framework of the overall budget agreement approved by Congress late last year,” he explained. “In this vein, I respectively ask that you recognize the enormous economic and clean air benefits of the DERA program, and encourage you to support $30 million in funding for fiscal year 2015."
