Office of Environmental Education

Office administers six different grant programs: Alternative Fuel Vehicles Conversion Grants; Clean Diesel School Bus Fund; Diesel Emission Reduction Grants; Ohio Environmental Education Fund; Ohio's share of the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Fund; and Ohio Environmental Science and Engineering Scholarships.

Call (614) 644-2873 or email oeef@epa.ohio.gov to be added to the interested parties list for any of these grant programs.

We also provide publications and resources for environmental educators and teachers; workshops on water quality monitoring methods and grant writing; and statewide coordination of the Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) and Healthy Water, Healthy People curricula for elementary, middle and high schools.

We are currently partnering with the Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources and the Environmental Education Council of Ohio to support a statewide network of 500 Environmental Career Ambassadors to introduce Ohio Students to careers in environmental science and engineering.

Volkswagen Mitigation Grants

The 2019 application cycle for on-road vehicles and off-road equipment is now closed and applications are under review. Ohio EPA expects to announce awards in November. The next application cycle for these fleets will open June 1, 2020, with applications due by 3:00 p.m. on August 7, 2020. Ohio EPA also expects to announce a grant application opportunity later this fall for EV charging stations in eligible counties. Click on the VW Mitigation Grants tab above to view Ohio’s Plan, grant application guidelines, and a list of projects funded in the 2018 application cycle.

Ohio Environmental Education Fund

The summer 2019 OEEF grant application cycle is now closed. The next application cycle is expected to open in late November, with electronic Letters of Intent to apply due January 8, 2020 and complete proposals due January 15, 2020. For more information, please click on the Environmental Education tab above.

Clean Diesel School Bus Grants

We are celebrating ten years and more than 3,600 school buses equipped with pollution controls! For information, click on the Clean School Bus Grants tab above. This program is no longer accepting new applications. Interested school districts in eligible counties may apply for replacement buses through the VW Mitigation Grants or Alternative Fuel Vehicle Grants programs.

Diesel Emission Reduction Grants

The DERG Request for Proposals for fiscal year 2020 is now open. For more information and to apply, please click on the Diesel Emission Reduction Grants tab above.

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Conversion Grants

All of the available $5 million in funding has now been awarded in grants. For information on funded projects, please click on the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Grants tab above.

Environmental Science and Engineering Scholarships

The deadline to apply is April 15, 2020. For information, please click on the Scholarships tab above.

The July 2019 Ohio Environmental Education Fund grant cycle is now closed for both mini grants and general grants. Awards are expected to be announced in October, 2019. Updated grant application guidelines for 2020 are expected to be posted in late November, 2019 when the next application cycle will open. Electronic letters of intent for the January 2020 cycle can then be submitted through Ohio EPA’s eBusiness Center by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday January 8, 2020. Completed applications must be submitted through the eBusiness Center by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday January 15, 2020. Application materials from 2019 are still posted below for informational purposes.

To apply, go to the eBusiness Center and create an account (user ID and password). Once the account is approved, follow the web link in your account approval e-mail and click on the OEEF Grant Service link to continue.

The OEEF was created by the General Assembly in 1990 to enhance Ohio citizens’ awareness and understanding of environmental issues. It is administered by the Director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and provides approximately $1 million annually in grants to support environmental education efforts within the state of Ohio.

The OEEF derives its monies from one-half of the civil penalties collected from violations of Ohio's air and water pollution control regulations. The OEEF funds education projects that target three audiences: (1) the general public; (2) the regulated community; and (3) pre-school through university students and teachers. General grants are available for $5,000 to $50,000, and mini grants for projects costing between $500 and $5,000.

Application guidelines spell out application requirements, current funding priorities, the application review process, and preferred characteristics for projects targeting the respective audiences. OEEF grant coordinators are also available to assist in preparing grant proposals prior to the deadline dates, and to advise applicants on the eligibility of possible projects. OEEF grant-writing workshops are also offered around the state several times yearly.

There are two grant cycles annually, with application deadlines on January 15 and July 15. OEEF supports innovative projects that increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues, and provide the skills to make informed decisions and take responsible actions. Environmental education is based on objective and scientifically sound information, and does not advocate a particular viewpoint or course of action. It teaches individuals how to weigh various sides of an issue through critical thinking, and it enhances their problem-solving and decision-making skills.

A list of past grant recipients illustrates the variety of projects that have been funded. Descriptions of OEEF Outstanding Project Award Winners showcase successful environmental education efforts that we encourage grant applicants to emulate.

2019 OEEF Annual Report

2020 OEEF Annual Agenda

OEEF Program Brochure

Application Guidelines and Resources

OEEF 2020 General Grant Guidelines

OEEF 2019 Mini Grant Guidelines

OEEF Grant Preferred Characteristics

OEEF Application Review Process

Grant Administration Reference Document (GARD)

The document contains reporting guidelines for your general and mini grants. However, we encourage grantees to contact OEEF if a particular circumstance arises that may not be covered in your GARD and we will be glad to assist you.

“Resources for Grant Seekers” and “Resources to Help You Evaluate Your Grant Program” are links (to be updated periodically) that will provide additional  information to help with your funding search and proposal preparation.

General Grants

Mini Grants

Resources for Grant Seekers:

Talk to a reference librarian in your public library!

Resources to Help You Evaluate Your Grant Program:

Past Grant Recipients

Outstanding Projects

Featured Environmental Education Projects

Periodically, the OEEF contracts with the Environmental Education Council of Ohio to conduct an independent review of completed grant projects, in order to select OEEF Outstanding Project award winners. OEEF highlights these projects as examples of effective environmental education. Because of the great variety in OEEF-funded projects, EECO and the OEEF developed a set of holistic instruments for use in reviewing these completed grant projects, Rubrics Cubed: What One Grant Maker Looks for in EE Projects [PDF].  These are the instruments that we use:

For K-12 education projects:

For general public/adult education projects:

For regulated community projects:

OEEF also uses a tool for website evaluation for both K-12 and general public projects that contain a website component.

* Although Ohio EPA cannot endorse, sanction or guarantee the accuracy of information found on external Web sites, we think you might find these outside links useful. When you select a link to an external Web site, you are leaving Ohio EPA's Web site and are subject to the privacy, security and accessibility policies of the owners/sponsors of the external site.

Grant Writing Workshops

Upcoming Workshops

Workshop Descriptions

Grant Writing 102:  Finding the Right Funder (format: half-day interactive workshop)Prospecting tips to help you identify foundations, corporations, and government grant programs, and how to approach different kinds of grantmakers.

Grant Writing 102:  Writing a Winning Proposal (format:  half-day interactive workshop)How to avoid common mistakes applicants make, and develop realistic objectives, activities and budgets.  OEEF will be discussed during this session.

If your organization would be interested in hosting a local workshop, please contact oeef@epa.ohio.gov. The Ohio Environmental Education Fund provides approximately $1 million annually in grants for environmental education projects targeting pre-school through university students and teachers, the adult general public, and the regulated community.  For more information, contact the Ohio EPA, Office of Environmental Education, (614) 644-2873.

Contact Dennis Clement at (614) 644-2048 or dennis.clement@epa.ohio.gov for details.

Environmental Education Resources

Partnerships

The Office of Environmental Education also works closely with partner organizations and other governmental agencies to promote and coordinate environmental education efforts.

* Although Ohio EPA cannot endorse, sanction or guarantee the accuracy of information found on external Web sites, we think you might find these outside links useful. When you select a link to an external Web site, you are leaving Ohio EPA's Web site and are subject to the privacy, security and accessibility policies of the owners/sponsors of the external site.

Ohio EPA is proud to report the results of Clean Diesel School Bus grants awarded between 2006-2015:
  • 2,625 school buses received pollution control equipment
  • 1,037 school buses received idle reduction equipment
  • 44 older diesel buses were replaced with newer clean diesel or alternative fuel buses
  • more than 117 tons of pollutants were removed from Ohio skies
  • more than $9.2 million was awarded

The Ohio Clean Diesel School Bus Fund awarded grants to school districts and county developmental disability programs  to retrofit diesel school buses with pollution controls and idle reduction equipment.  The program sought to reduce student and driver exposure to the harmful pollutants in diesel exhaust and to conserve fuel.  Grants were funded from civil penalties Ohio EPA collects from environmental violations and from federal grants.  The program was discontinued in 2016 because there are so few school buses left of eligible model years 1996-2004 that would continue in service for the required four years after retrofit.  (New buses since model year 2006 have much better emission controls installed at the factory.)   Instead, Ohio EPA is using federal grants received from U.S. EPA to assist local school districts in priority Ohio counties with the early retirement and replacement of aging diesel buses.  School districts in eligible counties may apply for retrofits or replacement buses through Ohio EPA’s Diesel Emission Reduction Grant Program.

Forms for Grant Recipients

 

School BusU.S. EPA also has a Clean School Bus program designed to reduce children's exposure to diesel exhaust and reduce the amount of air pollution created by diesel school buses. According to U.S. EPA, 24 million children ride a school bus every day and, on average, students spend 90 minutes each weekday in a school bus.

U.S. EPA’s Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative also provides funding for school bus retrofits and replacements. More information is available at http://archive.epa.gov/midwestcleandiesel/web/html/index.html.

 

 

An interview with Granville Local Schools transportation staff about their pre-heater installations is featured in a webinar about idle reduction on the Ohio Department of Health’s School Environmental Health and Safety page.  The webinar also features an interview with researchers about the effectiveness of anti-idling education in reducing emissions and improving air quality around schools in Cincinnati.

The University of Cincinnati's Department of Environmental Health is conducting a multi-year study to determine if children with higher levels of exposure to diesel exhaust particles are at increased risk for hypersensitivity to specific allergens and related respiratory disorders.

For more information about this project and similar publications from the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study, visit www.eh.uc.edu/ccaaps/.

The Diesel Emission Reduction Grant (DERG) program is supported with federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) dollars awarded by the Federal Highway Administration to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Interested parties may send contact information to DERG@epa.ohio.gov in order to receive email notifications about the DERG program.  

For questions about the grant program, please contact Carolyn Watkins at Carolyn.Watkins@epa.ohio.gov or (614) 644-3768. For questions about eligible clean diesel technologies and estimating emissions reductions, please contact Alan Harness at Alan.Harness@epa.ohio.gov or (614) 644-4838.

Request for Proposals 2019 (Open to Public Transit Systems only)

Grant applications must be submitted online, in the electronic form posted at https://odot.formstack.com/forms/2019_derg.

Note that the form will calculate some formulas. Public transit system applicants should carefully read the entire 2019 Request for Proposals (RFP) to understand the supporting documentation that must be uploaded with the application. Appendices A and B and a project scope description must be completed and uploaded with all applications. The other appendices provide supplemental information.

Print entire RFP Instructions and Appendices as a single PDF file (PDF)

Previous DERG Grant Awards

Forms for use by DERG Grant Recipients

Related Information

All available funds for this program have now been awarded, and Ohio EPA is no longer accepting new applications. Ohio EPA received 37 complete applications, and awarded $5 million in grants to pay a portion of the costs of 258 new heavy duty alternative fuel vehicles, including 76 propane school buses, 2 compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses, 44 CNG transit buses, 107 CNG refuse trucks, 1 propane refuse truck, 2 CNG tractor trucks, 18 liquid natural gas (LNG) tractor trucks and 8 CNG plow/dump trucks. These grants are supported with dollars from the Alternative Fuel Transportation Fund of the Ohio Developmental Services Agency. These grants leveraged more than $57 million in new alternative fuel vehicle purchases. Grants were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Conversion Grants were used to reimburse Ohio owners of large diesel or gasoline vehicles for a portion of the cost of replacing or converting the vehicle to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) or propane autogas (LPG), including bi-fueled or dual-fueled vehicles that can run on both an alternative fuel and on gasoline or diesel fuel. Eligible vehicles must be registered in Ohio for operation on public highways and weigh at least 26,000 pounds (class 7 and 8). The program was open to applicants in every Ohio county. The purchased or converted vehicle must be used for business purposes, and at least half the miles driven by the new or converted AFV vehicle must be within the state of Ohio. This program did not require the destruction of the engine of the vehicle being replaced.

Application Information

The maximum grant amount allowed per alternative fueled vehicle will be the lesser of:

  • 50% of the adjusted purchase price of the new AFV
  • 50% of the cost of the conversion, or
  • $25,000

NEW! The adjusted purchase price includes the following components:

  • CNG, LNG or LPG storage tank
  • Fill receptacle
  • Fuel filters
  • Pressure regulator
  • CNG, LNG, or LPG fuel feed system
  • Dash mounted fuel selector switch and gauge
  • Electronic control module
  • Exhaust system

Grant applicants proposing to purchase a new AFV may submit a vendor quote for the new alternative fueled vehicle and for the equivalent new traditional fueled (diesel or gasoline powered) vehicle. The applicant may propose the cost differential between the two as the adjusted purchase price of the new AFV, for purposes of determining the amount of the grant.

The maximum grant award allowed to a person that purchases or converts multiple AFVs is $400,000.

Forms for use by AFC Grant Recipients After Grant Award

Rulemaking Information

As required by statute, Ohio EPA conducted a formal rulemaking and three rounds of public comment in order to implement the program. The effective date of the rules is December 31, 2017.

Chart of Vehicle Class Sizes

Please direct questions to:
Carolyn Watkins
Ohio EPA, Office of Environmental Education
PO Box 1049
Columbus, OH 43216-1049
Phone (614) 644-2873
derg@epa.ohio.gov

If you would like to be added to the Interested Parties list to receive email updates about the program, please send your full contact information to derg@epa.ohio.gov or call (614) 644-2873. If you are already on the Interested Parties list for Ohio EPA’s Diesel Emission Reduction Grant program, you are automatically on the list of Interested Parties for the new AFV program.

Thank you for your patience as we develop this new program and website.

Ohio VW (DMTF) Program 2019 Funding Opportunity for Diesel Fleet and Equipment Owners is now closed. Next Application Cycle will Open June 1, 2020.

The 2019 application cycle is now closed, and applications are under review. Ohio EPA expects to announce awards in November 2019. Information from the 2019 grant application is still posted below for informational purposes. Owners of eligible medium and heavy diesel fleets in 26 Ohio priority counties are invited to apply for grants to repower or replace diesel vehicles and equipment with new clean diesel or alternative fuel (CNG, LNG, propane, diesel electric hybrid) or all-electric vehicles and equipment. A total of $15 million is available for grant awards between $50,000 and $2 million. All projects required a minimum match of 25 percent, with larger matches required for some project categories. The next opportunity to submit grant applications online will open June 1, 2010, and grant applications must be submitted online no later than 3 p.m. August 7, 2020.

Ohio EPA offered two webinars. June 5 and June 11, for those interested in applying to the 2019 grant cycle for the Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund, supported with dollars from the VW settlement. Program staff explained project eligibility, the application process, and changes from Ohio’s 2018 application cycle.

Webinar Video
Webinar Slides

DMTF 2019 Request for Applications

Grant applications must be submitted online, in the electronic form posted in Ohio EPA’s Customer Support Center.

All applicants will be required to upload the following attachments for each application:

  • Completed Fleet Data Spreadsheet 
  • Signed Applicant Certification statement 
  • Purchase quotes for new engines and new vehicles
  • For locomotive, tug and ferry projects ONLY: New engine certifications issued by U.S. EPA or California Air Resources Board (required for projects requesting new clean diesel, CNG, or propane replacements or repowers. These certificates are not required for projects requesting all-electric and fuel cell replacements and repowers.)
  • For business and non-profit applicants: proof of creditworthiness

Click here for a chart of vehicles by class size.

Ohio's DMTF Program Schedule for 2019-2020

Outlook for 2019-2020 (Subject to Change):

2019
June 3: Release RFA for 2019 fleet projects; webinars and application assistance.
August 2: Application deadline for 2019 fleet projects.
October: Announce 2019 fleet project awards. Release first RFA for EV charging stations.
 

 

2020
March: Release second RFA for EV charging stations.
June: Release RFA for 2020 fleet projects.
August: Application deadline for 2020 fleet projects.
September: Release RFA for two-year electric school bus pilot project.
October: Announce 2020 fleet project awards.
 

DMTF 2018 Application Rankings

In June, 2018, owners of eligible medium and heavy diesel fleets in 26 Ohio priority counties were invited to apply for grants to repower or replace diesel vehicles and equipment with new clean diesel or alternative fuel (CNG, LNG, propane, diesel electric hybrid) or all-electric vehicles and equipment. A total of $15 million was available for grant awards between $50,000 and $2 million. All projects required a minimum match of 25 percent, with larger matches required for some project categories. Ohio EPA received 116 grant applications, requesting more than $47 million.

2018 applications ranked by Cost Effectiveness of NOx emission reductions (PDF)

Twenty-one projects were selected to receive full or partial funding, on the basis of cost effectiveness of the expected emission reductions and other factors. Descriptions of those projects are listed on the Ohio Grants Awarded by Sector section below.

Ohio Grants Awarded by Sector

NEW! Chart of Ohio planned allocations by sector and amounts awarded by 10/19/18 (PDF)

School Buses

Ohio’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan allocates $15,000,000 for school bus replacements. $5,275,325 has been awarded to date for the following projects:

Big Walnut Local Schools, Delaware County, $137,771 for 49.8% of the cost to replace three model year 2001-2002 diesel powered school buses with three model year 2019 propane powered school buses, #V19F-001. Contact: Jeremy Buskirk, jeremybuskirk@bwls.net or (740) 965-8964.

Black River Local Schools, Medina County, $68,637 for 75% of the cost to replace one model year 2002 diesel powered school bus with one model year 2019 diesel powered school bus, #V19F-002. Contact: Chris Clark, cclark@blrv.org or (419) 736-3300.

Columbus City Schools, Franklin County, $2,000,000 for 50% of the cost to replace 40 model year 1991 diesel powered school buses with 40 model year 2018 diesel powered school buses, #V19F-006. Contact: Ronald Tumblin, rtumblin@columbus.k12.oh.us or (614) 365-5263.

Dayton Public Schools, Montgomery County, $275,325 for 25% of the cost to replace fifteen model year 2002-2004 diesel powered school buses with fifteen model year 2019 diesel powered school buses, #V19F-022.  This project is also receiving $55,050 from a US EPA grant to Ohio EPA under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act.  Contact:  Thomas Gray, tcgray@daytonpublic.com or (937) 542-4044.

Durham School Services LP, Butler, Clermont, Franklin, Hamilton, Summit and Warren Counties, $2,000,000 for 25% of the cost to replace 99 model year 1994-2003 diesel powered school buses with 99 model year 2019 diesel powered school buses, #V19F-008. Contact: Keshav Ragunathan, Keshav.Ragunathan@nellc.com  or (630) 821-5343.

First Student, Inc., Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Lorain, and Summit Counties, $538,960 for 20% of the cost to replace 16 model year 2007 diesel powered school buses with 16 model year 2020 propane powered school buses, and to replace 14 model year 2005-2007 diesel powered school buses with 14 model year 2020 diesel powered school buses, #V19F-010. Contact: Bo Trenkamp, bo.trenkamp@firstgroup.com or (513) 419-3220.

Norton City Schools, Summit County, $254,632 for 50% of the cost to replace six model year 1995-2008 diesel powered school buses with six model year 2018-2020 diesel powered school buses, #V19F-016. Contact: Stephanie Hagenbush, shagenbush@nortonschools.org or (330) 825-2114.

Transit Buses

Ohio’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan allocates $15,000,000 for transit bus replacements.  $5,000,000 has been awarded to date for the following projects:

Butler County Regional Transit Authority, Butler County, $424,356 for 20% of the cost to replace four model year 2005 diesel powered transit buses with four model year 2018-2019 diesel powered transit buses, #V19F-003. Contact: Robert Ruzinsky, ruzinskyre@butlercountyrta.com  or (513) 785-5396.

Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), Franklin County, $1,013,253 for 30% of the cost to replace five model year 2008 diesel powered transit buses with five model year 2020-2022 electric powered transit buses, #V19F-004. Contact: Kevin Dinan, DinanKA@cota.com or (614) 275-5926.

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), Cuyahoga County, $2,000,000 for 68% of the cost to replace six model year 2003-2007 diesel powered transit buses with six model year 2018 CNG powered transit buses, #V19F-011. Contact: Daniel Dietrich, ddietrich@gcrta.org or (216) 356-3370.

The Ohio State University, Franklin County, $1,562,391 for 50% of the cost to replace six model year 2002 diesel powered transit buses with six model year 2019 CNG powered transit buses, #V19F-017. Contact: John Marlow, marlow.25@osu.edu or (614) 247-7808.

Class 4-7 Local Freight Medium Duty Trucks

Ohio’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan allocates up to $10,000,000 for replacement of class 8 heavy duty and class 4-7 medium duty trucks. $223,315 has been awarded to date for class 4-7 truck replacements for the following projects:

Fairfield County Engineer, Fairfield County, $31,649 for 25% of the cost to replace one model year 2002 class 7 diesel powered local freight truck with one model year 2019 heavy duty diesel powered local freight truck, #V19F-009. Contact: Jason Grubb, jgrubb@fairfieldcountyohio.gov or (740) 652-2482.  

Lykins Energy Solutions, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties, $135,071 for 25% of the cost to replace seven model year 1994-2007 class 7 diesel powered local freight trucks with seven model year 2019-2021 class 7 diesel powered local freight trucks, #V19F-014. Contact: Jeffery Goetz, jgoetz@lykinsenergy.com or (513) 965-6266.

Madison Township Trustees, Lake County, $27,100 for 25% of the cost to replace one model year 1996 class 7 diesel powered local freight truck with one model year 2019 class 7 diesel powered local freight truck, #V19F-023. Contact: Timothy Brown, 440-428-7551 tbrown@madisontownship.net or 440-428-7551.

Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio, Erie, Cuyahoga and Lorain Counties, $29,495 for 25% of the cost to replace one model year 2008 class 6 diesel powered local freight truck with one model year 2019 class 6 diesel powered local freight truck, #V19F-024. Contact: Phil Simulcik, psimulcik@secondharvestfoodbank.org of 440-444-0705.

Class 8 Local Freight Heavy Duty Trucks

Ohio’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan allocates up to $10,000,000 for replacement of class 8 heavy duty and class 4-7 medium duty trucks. $2,487,125 has been awarded to date for class 8 truck replacements for the following projects:

Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Consolidated, Franklin, Hamilton, Lake and Summit Counties,  $587,854 for 25% of the cost to replace 28 model year 1997-2006 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks with 28 model year 2020 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks, #V19F-005.  Contact: Ray Higgins, ray.higgins@ccbcc.com or (980) 321-3003.

Fairfield County Engineer, Fairfield County, $88,461 for 25% of the cost to replace two model year 2001-2003 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks with two model year 2019 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks, #V19F-009.  Contact: Jason Grubb, jgrubb@fairfieldcountyohio.gov or (740) 652-2482.  

The Kroger Co, Delaware and Hamilton Counties, $150,000 for 24% of the cost to replace 5 model year 2002-2009 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks with five model year 2019 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks, #V19F-013.  Contact: Paul Pridemore, paul.pridemore@kroger.com or (513) 762-4308.  

Local Waste Services, Franklin County, $181,712 for 25% of the cost to replace two model year 1999 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks with two model year 2019 class 8 CNG powered local freight trucks, #V19F-014.  Contact: James Weaver, jweaver@localwasteservices.com or (614) 409-9375.

Lykins Energy Solutions, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties, $149,836 for 25% of the cost to replace five model year 1996-2001 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks with five model year 2019-2021 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks, #V19F-014.  Contact: Jeffery Goetz, jgoetz@lykinsenergy.com or (513) 965-6266.

Republic Services of Ohio Transportation, LLC, Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, Lorain, Madison, Medina, Portage and Summit Counties, $573,953 for 7% of the cost to replace 11 model year 2000-2009 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks with 11 model year 2019 class 8 CNG powered refuse trucks, and to replace 21 model year 1998-2009 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks with 21 model year 2019 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks, #V19F-018.  Contact: Geoff Stayer, gstayer@republicservices.com or (480) 627-7111.

Rumpke Transportation Company, LLC, Franklin and Hamilton Counties, $755,309 for 23% of the cost to replace ten model year 1999-2001 class 8 diesel powered local freight trucks with ten model year 2019 class 8 CNG powered local freight trucks, #V19F-019.  Contact:  Jeff Lay, Jeffery.lay@rumpke.com or (614) 774-6282.

Tugboats and Ferries

Ohio’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan allocates $2,000,000 for repower of tugboats and ferries.  $1,427,183 has been awarded to date for the following project:

The Great Lakes Towing Company, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga and Lucas Counties, $1,427,183 for a portion of the engine components to replace eight Tier 0 tugboats with four new tugboats with tier 3 emission rated engines, including diesel-electric hybrids, #V18F-001.  Contact:  Robert Zadkovich, rjz@thegreatlakesgroup.com or (216) 367-8130.  This project was reviewed and selected through the DERA Option, to match $804,482 awarded by U.S. EPA to Ohio EPA under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act state allocations for 2017 and 2018.  The combined DMTF and DERA funds are providing 40% of the engine component costs for the four new vessels.  The Company is providing $3,336,000 for 60% of the engine component costs.

Switcher Locomotives

Ohio’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan allocates $5,000,000 for repower of switcher locomotives.  No awards have been made in this category to date. 

Airport Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and Port Cargo Handling Equipment

Ohio’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan allocates $12,000,000 for replacement or repower of Airport GSE and Port Cargo Handling Eqipment. .  $1,948,384 has been awarded to date for the following projects:

Kent State University Airport, Summit County, $51,399 for 75% of the cost to replace one model year 1992 piece of diesel powered airport ground support equipment with one model year 2018 piece of all-electric airport ground support equipment, #V19F-012. Contact: David Poluga, dpoluga@kent.edu  or (330) 672-1943.

United Airlines, Cuyahoga County, $1,896,985 for 75% of the cost to replace 14 pieces of model year 1997-1999 diesel powered airport ground support equipment with 14 pieces of model year 2018 all-electric airport ground support equipment, #V19F-021. Contact: Ed Eckardt, Ed.Eckardt@united.com or (827) 825-4000.

Infrastructure Projects

Ohio’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan allocates $11,295,378 million for supply equipment for light-duty zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), including electric vehicle charging stations.  No awards have been made in this category to date.

Ohio DMTF Plans for EV Charging Stations

Early in 2019, Ohio EPA staff met with stakeholders from the 26 VW-eligible counties to explore interest in and current availability of local charging infrastructure for zero emission vehicles. Their input is helping us develop a new grant program to fund the installation of both Level 2 and DC fast-charging stations. Please see the following link to the presentation slides from those meetings: EV Charging and the Ohio VW Plan (PDF). 

Currently, Ohio EPA is assisting the Ohio Department of Administrative Services in creating Invitations to Bid (ITB) on state term contracts for EV charging equipment vendors. This will facilitate purchasing of this equipment by Ohio communities, with or without VW grant funds. Ohio EPA is also working with ODOT on mapping publicly available DC Fast Chargers in Ohio to identify charging deserts. This sill also help us develop the Request for Applications (RFA) for DCFCs. We hope to release the first RFA for EV charging stations in October 2019 and a second one in March 2020. Decisions have not yet been made on whether the first RFA will be for DCFCs or Level 2 chargers.

Ohio's Beneficiary Mitigation Plan

Ohio EPA developed a Beneficiary Mitigation Plan, as required for the state to accept and distribute funds allocated to Ohio from the Volkswagen settlement. The plan directs these funds to eligible projects to achieve the maximum air quality benefits for the people of Ohio. The plan was developed with multiple opportunities for public comment. Ohio EPA reached out to the public, fleet owners, interest groups, government officials and transportation organizations for information and ideas about how the settlement money should be spent within the allowable uses. More information is included below about the VW settlement and allowable uses of the funds.

Ohio’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP) is based on mitigation actions that can produce the greatest air quality benefit in terms of NOx emission reductions, reduced public exposure to the pollutants in diesel exhaust, and the promotion of clean vehicle technologies. Ohio EPA included nine of ten eligible categories of mitigation actions in the plan. 

Ohio EPA expects to award $15 million in competitive grants for fleet and equipment projects in each of the first three years of the program (2018, 2019 and 2020). Separate funding opportunities will be offered for infrastructure projects such as electric vehicle charging. Ohio EPA will continue to award funding annually until the remaining available funds have been spent.

Under the terms of the VW Settlement, states’ Beneficiary Mitigation Plans must direct funding to areas that bear a disproportionate share of the increased pollution burden. This includes densely populated areas and communities adjacent to rail yards, shipping terminals, and distribution centers where diesel emissions have been concentrated. Based on air quality (Ohio counties designated 4/30/18 as Nonattainment under the Clean Air Act due to ozone levels), historical levels of diesel emissions, the locations where the most VW vehicles equipped with defeat devices were registered in Ohio, and U.S. EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool, Ohio EPA developed a map showing the counties where eligible projects should receive first priority and secondary priority for the available funds.

As we implement the plan and the new grant program, we will continue to provide as much information as possible on this Web page.

Volkswagen Settlement

US EPA has resolved a civil enforcement case against Volkswagen (VW) and its affiliated companies, subject to reservations set forth in three partial settlements. These settlements resolve allegations that VW violated the Clean Air Act by the sale of approximately 590,000 model year 2009 to 2016 diesel motor vehicles equipped with “defeat devices” in the form of computer software designed to cheat on federal emissions tests. The major excess pollutant at issue in this case is oxides of nitrogen (NOx), a serious health concern.

You can learn more about the Volkswagen Clean Air Act Partial Settlement here.

An Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund has been established as part of the settlement, to provide funds to the states to mitigate the air quality impacts of the higher vehicle emissions from the offending action. The share to Ohio from the Trust is $75,302,522.67. The Trust establishes a process to administer the funds, and identifies 10 categories of mitigation actions that will be eligible for funding, along with reimbursement rates for these actions.

An Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund has been established as part of the settlement, to provide funds to the states to mitigate the air quality impacts of the higher vehicle emissions from the offending action. The share to Ohio from the Trust is $75,302,522.67. The Trust establishes a process to administer the funds, and identifies 10 categories of mitigation actions that will be eligible for funding, along with reimbursement rates for these actions.

Trust funds may be used to pay a portion of the cost to repower or replace eligible diesel-powered vehicles with new diesel or alternative fueled or all-electric engines or vehicles. Appendix D-2 to the VW State Beneficiary Trust Agreement spells out eligible model years and different percentages of the cost for government-owned and privately-owned vehicles, and requires that the old vehicles be scrapped.

Eligible Mitigation Actions

States are allowed to use no more than 15 percent of the allocated funds to cover their costs for administering the program. States may also use trust funds to provide the required match for US EPA funds allocated to states under the Diesel Emission Reduction Act.

Separate parts of the settlement require VW to earmark About $10 billion in funding to buy back affected vehicles, terminate leases early, or repair the vehicles. Approximately 16,000 affected vehicles were registered in Ohio. Owners of these vehicles are urged to visit www.vwcourtsettlement.com for more information about buyback and modification options, and claims may be submitted here. Additionally, VW is required to invest $2 billion over 10 years in zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure, access and awareness initiatives. VW, US EPA and California will administer these parts of the settlement.

VW Settlement Timeline of Events

Event Approximate Time Frame
Court approves the partial settlement Oct. 25, 2016
Trust takes effect and VW deposits funds Oct. 2, 2017
States elect to become beneficiaries of the trust (i.e. to participate in the settlement) Fall 2017 (Trust Effective Date = 60 days)
Ohio filed to become a beneficiary on 11/3/17
States are notified of beneficiary designation Jan. 29, 2018
States file a Beneficiary Mitigation Plan describing broadly how funds will be used Ohio filed its Beneficiary Mitigation Plan 5/31/18
States may request funds 30 days after filing Beneficiary Mitigation Plan, and as funded projects are completed
Ohio EPA releases Request for Proposals for first annual round of Ohio Diesel Mitigation Grants 6/4/18
   

Ohio EPA will continue to update this website to inform the public about the Settlement, and gather information and ideas from the public and stakeholders as we implement the state’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan. To be added to the Interested Parties list to receive emailed updates, please send your email address and contact information to derg@epa.ohio.gov. Please send any questions and comments about Ohio’s implementation of the VW Mitigation Trust funds to derg@epa.ohio.gov or contact Carolyn Watkins at (614) 644-3768.

Forms for use by Ohio DMTF Grant Recipients After Grant Award

Phone: (614) 644-2873
Fax: (614) 644-2738		 Email Webmaster

Physical address:
Ohio EPA - Public Interest Center
Lazarus Government Center
50 W. Town St., Suite 700
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Mailing address:
Ohio EPA - PIC
Lazarus Government Center
50 W. Town St., Suite 700
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049 
Environmental Education Staff
Watkins, Carolyn Office Chief   (614) 644-2873
Shuman, Justin Administrative Professional 4 (614) 644-2873
Clement, Dennis Ohio Environmental Education Fund (614) 644-2048
     

Ohio Project WET (Water Education for Teachers)
This video is an introduction to the Ohio Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) Program, which is an award-winning national curriculum facilitated in Ohio by the Office of Environmental Education at Ohio EPA.

 
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