Improving air quality and public health

The investment of federal settlement funds is intended to fully mitigate the total lifetime excess NOx emitted by the violating vehicles. We estimate 24,000 vehicles were in Washington, emitting approximately 3,000 excess lifetime tons of NOx. To meet the intent of the federal settlement, we are funding projects that reduce NOx emissions and accelerate adoption of electric vehicles, equipment, and vessels. The projects below, funded through the federal settlement through fall 2020 will reduce an estimated 5,600 tons of NOx.  

• Electric transit buses
• Workplace charging stations for electric vehicles
• Hybrid electric ferry
• Electric school buses
• Corridor charging stations for electric vehicles
• Electric shore power for ocean going vessels

We are investing in projects that not only reduce NOx emissions, but will also greatly increase public confidence in and exposure to zero emission transportation technologies.

Estimated NOx emissions from current and upcoming projects

We are prioritizing investments that maximize air pollution reductions and improve public health in those communities that have historically borne a disproportionate share of the air pollution burden in Washington. 

Along with the Washington Department of Health, local clean air agencies, and environmental justice community organizations, we used a variety of tools (Washington Tracking Network, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Highly Impacted Communities analysis, Ecology Comprehensive Emissions Inventory, etc.) to identify and consider beneficial impacts of projects in disproportionately impacted communities. The Department of Health incorporated the new index, “Diesel Pollution and Disproportionate Impact”, into their Washington Tracking Network online mapping tool.

The index combines two factors — Pollution Burden and Priority Populations — to produce a score for a selected census tract relative to other census tracts in the state. 

• The Pollution Burden factor represents the amount of diesel emissions allocated to a census tract. 
• The Priority Populations factor averages a set of five socio-economic factors that include relative scores for each individual component:
  • Limited English:
    percent of population five years and older that don’t speak English very well
  • Income spent on housing:
    percent of household income spent on housing
  • No high school diploma:
    percent of people who have not received a high school diploma or GED by age 25
  • Population living in poverty:
    percent of people earning less than or equal to 185% of the federal poverty level
  • Unemployed:
    population 16 years and older in the workforce and registered as unemployed

Washington is prioritizing mitigation actions that provide air quality benefits in disproportionately impacted communities.