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Port of New Orleans Grant from EPA Provides Financial Incentives

[ September 20, 2016   //   ]

The Port of New Orleans is launching its Clean Truck Replacement Incentive Program (Clean TRIP), providing financial incentives for local short-haul truck owners to voluntarily replace approximately 20 Class 8 drayage trucks from model years 1993-2006 with trucks from model year 2012 and newer. The cost-share program provides 50 percent of the vehicle sale cost (up to $35,000) and a maximum of two trucks per owner or fleet. It is open to those who service cargo terminals and warehouses along the Mississippi River and the Industrial Canal.
“This program is a win-win,” said Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange. “Local trucking companies can replace inefficient vehicles cost-effectively with commensurate emissions reductions and we have the opportunity to start a conversation about air quality.”
Applications for the program are due at noon on Oct. 12, 2016, and must be delivered in person at one of two Port of New Orleans locations: Facilities Services, 5350 Coffee Drive, New Orleans; or the Port Administration Building, 1350 Port of New Orleans Place, New Orleans. If more than 20 complete and eligible applications are received by the due date, a public lottery will be held at the Port Administration Building on Oct. 19 at 6 p.m.
To attract as many qualified applicants as possible and minimize potential confusion during the detailed, multi-step application process, the Port will host two informational sessions, on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 9 a.m. at the Port Administration Building. Information is also available at cleantrip.portno.com. Interested truck owners can also call a hotline, (504) 528-3538 or email cleantrip@portno.com.
Applicants need to provide a signed application, available on the website, a copy of their Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC), copy of the current truck registration and title and a photo with license plate legible, and proof of the past 12 months of port service (gate tickets or otherwise) since Sept. 1, 2015.
The Clean TRIP program is part of a $727,000 Clean Diesel competitive grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans. The grant supports the local port trucking community; helps reduce local air emissions and increases reliability and efficiency of on-road goods movement. The program also provides an opportunity for community discussion and outreach about air quality.
The total Clean TRIP project cost is $1.537 million, with $700,000 coming from mandatory cost-share with eligible truck owners and $110,636 coming from the Port for administrative costs. Key local partners in the two-year program include the Regional Planning Commission, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, University of New Orleans and the Environmental Defense Fund.

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