The Southeast Diesel Collaborative Funding Forum, held on March 7-8, 2007 in Nashville Tennesee, provided attendees a unique opportunity to learn about federal, state, local, and private funding sources available to help reduce diesel emissions in the southeast and to network with presenters, discuss potential projects, and foster partnerships. The presentations from the forum forum are below:
Southeast Diesel Collaborative
Funding Forum Workshop
Final Agenda
March 7-8, 2007
Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN
DAY 1
12:00 Registration opens
1:00 Welcome and Logistics (Scott Davis, EPA Region 4)
1:05 Opening Remarks (Jimmy Palmer, Regional Administrator, EPA Region 4)
1:25 National Clean Diesel Campaign/Diesel Emissions Reduction Act – Update
(Jim Blubaugh, EPA Office of Transportation & Air Quality (OTAQ)
1:45 Recognition for the State of Tennessee’s Innovative Use of Transportation Funding for Air Quality Benefits
Tennessee Deputy Governor Stuart Brunson;
Commissioner Gerald Nicely, Tennessee Department of Transportation;
Commissioner Jim Fyke, Tennessee Dept of Environment and Conservation;
Deputy Commissioner Paul Sloan, TDEC;
Ed Cole, Chief of Environment and Planning, TDOT;
Jimmy Palmer, EPA Region 4 Administrator;
Merrylin Zaw-Mon, EPA OTAQ
2:00 Federal Programs
Moderators: Jim Blubaugh (EPA OTAQ) and Scott Davis (EPA Region 4)
This session will focus on federal funding opportunities and the variety of grants, loans and other programs that are available, including programs under the US Dept of Transportation (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), State Infrastructure Banks, Section 129 loans), US Dept of Energy (infrastructure grants, other programs), EPA (SmartWay Transport Partnership loans, Energy Policy Act (EPAct) retrofit funding, Innovative strategy programs), and US Dept of Agriculture (SARE, EQIP, Conservation programs)
Presentation Topics:
-Federal Highway Administration grant and loan programs, 129 loans, CMAQ (Mike Koontz and Jim Hatter, FHWA)
- DOE Programs (Dave Pelton, Middle Tennessee Clean Cities )
-EPA: EPACT grants, SmartWay Transport (Annie Kee, EPA OTAQ)
-USDA: SARE, EQIP, NRCS programs, ARS (Michele Laur, U.S. Dept. of Ag)
3:45 BREAK - Meet the Presenters
There will be an extended break to allow attendees to meet the presenters and ask specific questions related to your proposals or potential projects. This is also the beginning of the networking efforts designed to produce good, quality partnerships for future efforts.
4:25 State and Local Strategies (Part 1)
Moderators: Alan Powell (EPA Region 4) and Keith Head (Mississippi DEQ)
This session will focus on innovative state funding mechanisms which can be duplicated in other states or local areas. Representatives will give an overview of how these programs were established and implemented.
Presentation Topics:
-North Carolina Mobile Source Emission Reduction Grant Program (Heather Hildebrandt, NCDENR)
-Texas Emission Reduction Program (TERP) (Tod Wickersham, Emistar)
-Georgia Adopt-A-School Bus Program (William Cook and Stacy Allman, GA EPD)
5:30 BREAK - Meet the Presenters
This will be the second session of networking which is designed to allow attendees to meet the presenters and ask specific questions to help them develop similar programs and fund projects. This session will continue during the evening reception. The SmartWay Transport calculator and a demonstration of the “Grants.gov” website (which will be required for all future government grants) will also be available during this session.
6:00-7:30 Reception and Exhibits-Hosted by Exhibitors and other SEDC Supporters
DAY 2
7:30 Registration
8:00 State and Local Strategies (Part 2)
Moderators: Sally Newstead (EPA OTAQ) and Stacy Allman (GA EPD)
Presentation Topics:
Pinellas and Hillsborough County (FL) Pollution Recovery Funds-Enhancing Grants through Local Funds (Tammy Allen, Pinellas County Dept of Env. Mgmt and Allana Glusica, Hillsborough County EPC)
Carl Moyer and other funding programs (Mike Neuenburg, Sacramento CA Metro AQMD)
Sun Grant Initiative (Sam Jackson, University of Tennessee)
9:30 BREAK - Meet the Presenters
This will be the last opportunity scheduled to allow attendees to ask specific questions of the presenters and network with participants.
10:00 Tennessee Volunteers - Funding State and Local Diesel Reduction Efforts
Moderator: Lynne Liddington (Knox County AQM)
-Tennessee CMAQ Retrofit Grants (Alan Jones, TDOT)
-Tennessee Bioenergy and Alternative Fuel Grant programs (Joe Gaines, TN Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture)
- Caterpillar Retrofits (Brett Alkins, Caterpillar Corporation)
Speakers will discuss efforts to promote a variety of diesel emission reduction efforts and enhance funding opportunities in Tennessee. Presentations will include success stories and stumbling blocks associated with funding and suggest potential ways that innovative diesel strategies might be replicated by other organizations. This session will also include a 15 minute question and answer portion instead of a break.
11:30 Large Scale Projects and Innovative Funding
Moderator: Kelly Sheckler (EPA Region 4)
This session will focus on one or two case studies on how large projects are funded and other innovative funding efforts.
-Finding funds for Biodiesel plants (Bruce Crain, Crain Consulting)
-Federal Income Tax Credits for Renewable Energy (Brett Weal, Reznick Group)
-Strategic Environmental Project Pipeline (Denise Rayburn, StEPP Foundation)
12:30 Wrap up / End of Workshop
