February 11, 2008 is the deadline for the first round of proposals to Ohio's Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant program.

DERG was conceived in state budget bill H.B. 66 earmarking $19.8
million over the biennium of Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT)
federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds authorized
through the federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), to reduce
diesel emissions.

The
program is available for all public diesel engine fleets and private
diesel engine fleets (with public sponsor) that have at least 20%
matching funds and who are committed to operating their updated
equipment in Ohio non-attainment-and-maintenance counties at least 65%
of the time.

The entire NOACA service area, which includes Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties, is elibible for DERG funding.

Public Fleets include but are not limited to school buses, mass transit vehicles, trash trucks, government fleets.
Private Fleets include but are not limited to
long and short haul trucks, switcher locomotives and non-road
construction equipment. Non-road vehicles or construction equipment
must be working on a surface transportation construction project (title
23) within an Ohio non-attainment or maintenance area to be eligible.

Additional information can be found at the Ohio Department of Development's DERG website.

DERG Application Form (PDF)