South Shore Clean Cities, Citizens Oversight Committee announce $440,000 in grant opportunities
May 6, 2015
MERRILLVILLE, Ind. and ROCKPORT, Ind. - Leaders at South Shore Clean Cities Inc., a nonprofit organization sponsored through a U.S. Department of Energy program, have announced a competitive grant award program to improve air quality in the Rockport, Indiana/Spencer County area.
The Rockport Spencer County-Cleaner Air through Diesel Emission Reductions grant program will award $440,000 to support qualified projects submitted by Spencer County municipalities, schools, not-for-profit hospitals and other public-focused organizations.
Carl Lisek, executive director, said South Shore Clean Cities will administer the program utilizing a two-phase approach. Phase I will begin with an informational pre-proposal meeting at 1 p.m. May 18, at the Lincolnland Economic Development Corp., 2792 N. U.S. Highway 231, in Rockport. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend.
"The May 18 meeting will set the stage for subsequent engagement between program staff and potential applicants to help identify projects that will yield significant diesel emission reductions and maximize associated health benefits," said Lisek, who also is an executive at Purdue Research Park-based Legacy Environmental Services Inc.
Phase II will begin in early June with the release of the Request for Proposal. Award announcements are anticipated by early fall 2015. Flexibility and guidance have been built into the CADER grant program to help potential recipients identify the most efficient and effective means to reduce diesel vehicle emissions in their organizations.
This grant program is the result of a settlement agreement between American Electric Power and a Citizens Oversight Committee that includes the Citizens Action Coalition, Hoosier Environmental Council, Indiana Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club and the Environmental Law & Policy Center.
All parties agree that by working together toward a common goal much more can be accomplished to decrease diesel emissions, resulting in cleaner, healthier air in our communities.
Deb Backhus, Ph.D., senior environmental scientist and engineer at South Shore Clean Cities, is the primary contact and program source. She can be reached at 219-644-3693, dbackhus@southshorecleancities.org.
Source: Carl Lisek, 219-644-3690
South Shore Clean Cities contact: Paul Medcalf, 812-629-1287, getpaul@live.com
Purdue Research Park contact: Steve Martin, 765-588-3342, sgmartin@prf.org
