First International Diesel Retrofit Project Awarded to Mexico City

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 23 Jun 2004 - 11:00 PDT

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EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Administrator Mike Leavitt joined colleagues from the World Resources Institute, Mexico City government, the Mexican Ministry for Environment and Natural Resources, and the Mexico City Center for Sustainable Transport to announce the launch of the Mexico City Diesel Retrofit Project. This pilot project will reduce emissions of particulates and other pollutants by as much as 90 percent or more in a fleet of 20 Mexico City diesel buses. The fine particulate matter and other emissions from older diesel-powered trucks and buses are known to pose serious public health concerns and are a major cause of air pollution in Mexico City.

"EPA is excited to be here in Mexico to launch our first international retrofit project," said Leavitt. "This collaborative project builds on the success of our domestic diesel retrofit programs, and when replicated, will help improve the air quality for the people of Mexico City."

The project is designed to demonstrate how the combined use of low sulfur fuels and diesel retrofit technologies can improve air quality and reduce impacts to public health. The project is similar to diesel retrofit projects now underway in U.S. cities including Seattle, New York City, and Washington, DC, where fleet owners and operators have committed to retrofit more than 150,000 diesel vehicles. The Mexico City Diesel Retrofit Project is EPA's first international retrofit project, and is already serving as a model for EPA projects in other areas of the world.

EPA and EMBARQ, the World Resources Institute's Center for Transport and the Environment, are awarding grants totaling $511,000 to the Center for Sustainable Transport, a Mexico City-based non-governmental organization to implement the project. This project represents a unique international collaboration between two countries, two non-governmental organizations and a capital city. The pilot is expected to last one year.

More information about the Mexico City Diesel Retrofit Project and EPA's Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program is available at:
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/retrofit/latestnews.htm.

Contacts: Enesta Jones, 202-564-7873 / jones.enesta@epa.gov
Lisa Lybbert, 001-202-251-3354 / lybbert.lisa@epa.gov

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