The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) garnered an Environmental Leadership Award from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) on April 10 for the success of its Clean Truck Replacement Incentive Program. Clean TRIP made use of federal and state clean diesel grants to voluntarily improve air quality by replacing old diesel cargo trucks with newer cleaner-burning models. The cost-share program allowed eligible truck owners to receive up half the cost of a new truck (or a maximum of $35,000) to pay for a replacement.
Forty trucks have been replaced, resulting in significant air quality improvements that include:
More than 40 truck owners are currently on a waiting list with keen interest in benefitting from the Clean TRIP program to convert to cleaner-running vehicles. Port NOLA is seeking grant funding to continue the program to support the local trucking industry and further improve air quality.
Photo: Andree Fant (left), Port NOLA Vice President of Planning & Facilities, and Robert Lloyd (right), Port NOLA Environmental Scientist, accept an Environmental Leadership Award from Dr. Chuck Carr Brown (center), LDEQ Secretary.