Silver Eagle Distributors, based in Houston TX, was recognized at a special event as a Clean Air Leader by the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) and US Rep John Culberson (R-District 7) for being the first privately owned fleet in Texas to convert to clean diesel technology.
By implementing this technology, the Silver Eagle beer distribution fleet will reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides released in the air by 8.9 tons annually.
Under the Federal Clean Air Act, the Houston-Galveston region has until 2007 to meet the health standard for ground-level ozone smog. Failure to meet this air quality criterion will result in the loss of about $1 billion in annual transportation funding, greatly restricting expansion and enhancement of infrastructure in the Houston area.
“Let me assure you that 2007 is a serious deadline and pivotal milestone for this region,” said Culberson. “It’s companies like Silver Eagle, utilizing federally funded programs such as the Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles initiative, that are helping Houston reach its emissions reduction goal.”
Clean Cities/Clean Vehicles is an H-GAC program designed to provide money and assistance to area businesses and local governments for conversion of their fleets to more environmentally friendly vehicles. As a participant in this initiative, Silver Eagle will receive $267,750, a 75% reimbursement of the incremental cost of equipment and technology for the project. Additionally, all of its trucks will be branded with a special logo, designating them as clean-air vehicles.
