I just received a copy of EPA's Report to Congress on its Diesel Emissions Reduction Program, and it's encouraging news.

With nearly $50 million in EPA's FY 2008 budget for this program, EPA made 119 grants nationwide that enabled more than 14,000 diesel-powered vehicles to run cleaner. These grants run the gamut of diesel engines - school and transit buses, trucks, farm and construction equipment, cargo-handling equipment at our ports, and so on. And, in many cases, these dirty diesels were equipped with the most advanced diesel soot filters, making them more than 85 percent cleaner.

For years, I've been writing and talking about the cost-effectiveness of diesel clean-up. This report documents that cost-effectiveness clearly: for the government's $50 million investment, the public will receive between $500 million and $1.4 billion in health benefits, thanks to the reduced number of asthma emergencies, bronchitis cases, cancers, heart attacks, and premature deaths that would have been attributable to the diesel pollution that, thankfully, will no longer exist.

Plus, projects funded by these grants will save 3.2 million gallons of fuel per year, saving operators more than $8 million each year (at $2.50/gallon). At a time when many school districts and local governments are struggling with operating budget shortfalls, these cost-savings are critically important.

Much of this money is being spent in nonattainment areas (i.e., cities and towns that don't meet EPA's health-based standards for ozone or particulate soot), in urban environments, and in the low-income communities and communities of color that border many of our nation's ports and other diesel "hotspots." This is good news for those communities that are disproportionately affected by diesel pollution.

The stimulus bill, passed by Congress earlier this year, contains another $300 million for diesel clean-up, which must be spent by next September 30, 2010 in most cases. It's hard to imagine a better investment in cleaner air and improved public health.