Under new eligibility criteria, more diesel engine trucks qualify for a voluntary program offering truck owners a financial incentive to purchase newer, lower-emission trucks to improve regional air quality.
The broader criteria aim to increase participation and help truck owners meet the Port of Tacoma Clean Truck Program's 2015 standard.
The Tacoma Truck Scrappage and Replacements for Air in Puget Sound (Tacoma ScRAPS) program has scrapped about 40 trucks since opening last fall. The program is operated through a partnership between the City of Tacoma and Cascade Sierra Solutions at a Tacoma Tideflats location.
Based on the revised criteria, the program is now open to truck owners who:
- own a Class 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 truck
- with a pre-1998 model year engine
- that operates in Pierce County
Previously, only Class 8 trucks with pre-1994 model year engines operating in the Tacoma area were eligible.
Launched in 2009, the truck program takes a market-based approach to convert the drayage fleet to cleaner trucks and meet goals set by the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy. Currently, trucks serving Port terminals are required to have model year 1994 or newer engines. By 2015, 80 percent of trucks serving the Port are required to have model year 2007 or newer engines.
Depending on the model year of the trucks scrapped and purchased, owners may qualify for incentives of $2,500 to $20,000 to replace their older trucks.
Find out if your truck qualifies by calling 253-617-3201 or visiting the Tacoma ScRAPS office at 2002 Stewart St. in Tacoma between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Tacoma ScRAPS program is funded through a $2.5 million federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) grant, with $707,000 in matching funds from the Washington State Department of Ecology's Air Quality Program.
The CMAQ program, administered jointly by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, provides about $9 billion in funds to support a variety of transportation-related environmental projects across the nation that improve air quality and relieve congestion.
Learn more about the Port's truck program at www.portoftacoma.com/truck-program.
About the Port of Tacoma
The Port of Tacoma is an economic engine for South Puget Sound, with more than 43,000 family-wage jobs in Pierce County and 113,000 jobs across Washington state connected to Port activities. A major gateway to Asia and Alaska, the Port of Tacoma is among the largest container ports in North America. The Port is also a major center for bulk, breakbulk and project/heavy-lift cargoes, as well as automobiles and trucks.
About the City of Tacoma
Located at the foot of Mount Rainier and along the shores of Commencement Bay in Washington state, Tacoma is recognized as a livable and progressive international city. With a population of more than 199,600 residents, the city that incorporated in 1884 has grown from its historical roots as a home of sawmills and a bustling port that exported goods around the world to a center for international exports, the arts and healthy, affordable living. For information about Tacoma, visit www.cityoftacoma.org or find us on Twitter or Facebook.
About Cascade Sierra Solutions
Cascade Sierra Solutions (CSS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving natural resources and enhancing public health through freight transportation energy efficiency improvements and emission reduction. In the past five years, CSS has helped trucking businesses located in all 48 lower states and Alaska save more than 26 million gallons of diesel fuel and prevent more than 265,000 tons of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.
Other media contacts:
Kathy Boucher, Cascade Sierra Solutions, 253-355-9117, kboucher@cascadesierrasolutions.org
Karrie Spitzer, City of Tacoma, 253-591-5790, karrie.spitzer@cityoftacoma.org