“It seems like a small price to pay for cleaner, healthier air,” said Port Everglades Director Phil Allen. “We were pleased to work with FDEP to make this model work within a port.”
As of 2011, grants resulting from the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) have helped to fund the replacement or retrofit of approximately 50,000 engines throughout the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states: “DERA returns a minimum of $13 for every $1 invested, and by some estimates as high as $20 for every $1, invested through environmental and public health benefits.” This means, at minimum, the $1.32 million that Port Everglades invested in verified technologies to produce significant diesel emissions reductions will realize a return of $17 million through environmental and public health benefits.
FDEP awarded a $750,000 grant to Broward County’s Port Everglades last year for diesel emissions reduction through the EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign. The majority of the grant, $637,508, was used for equipment purchases. The Port contributed an additional $542,038 and the Port Everglades Pilots Association contributed $143,620 to supplement the grant to increase the number of vehicles, heavy equipment and pilot boats that could be retrofitted, repowered or replaced with clean diesel engines that reduce emissions. This $1.32 million paid for eight pre-2007 forklifts and tractors that were retrofitted with Diesel Oxidation Catalyst exhaust filters, 13 old diesel on- and off-road vehicles and one gantry crane generator were completely replaced, and four pilot boats were repowered with Tier 2 marine engines.
In addition to the environmental and health benefits, over the course of one year the clean diesel investment in more efficient engines will save the pilots an estimated 20,250 gallons of fuel worth approximately $78,772 to power their boats. Estimated fuel saving for the Port Everglades equipment is 22,403 gallons of fuel valued at about $87,147.
While diesel-powered vehicles are workhorses, they produce pollutants that pose significant public health problems, especially concerning respiratory health. The implementation of this project is expected to result in the annual estimated reduction of 254 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 19,437 pounds of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, 733 pounds of particulate matter (PM) emissions, 46 pounds of particulate matter (PM10), and 7,373 pounds of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions.
In 2006, the U.S. Congress passed the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). The landmark DERA grant program, which accompanied the law, was originally authorized for five years as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to fund upgrades and modernize the oldest, most polluting diesel engines, complementing the stringent emissions standards EPA set for new diesel engines beginning in 2007. In 2009, Congress provided $300 million for DERA programs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to further assist companies to comply with the Energy Policy Act and mitigate the cost of DERA compliance.
As one of South Florida’s leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Already one of the busiest cruise ports worldwide, Port Everglades is also one of the nation’s leading container ports. And, Port Everglades is South Florida’s main seaport for receiving petroleum products including gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels. The Port Everglades Department is a self-supporting Enterprise Fund of Broward County government with operating revenues of approximately $124.7 million in Fiscal Year 2010 (October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010). It does not rely on local tax dollars for operations. The total value of economic activity at Port Everglades is approximately $14 billion. More than 143,000 Florida jobs are impacted by the Port, including almost 10,000 people who work for companies that provide direct services to Port Everglades.