Connecticut received $50,000 in federal money to refit part of its fleet of diesel-powered maintenance equipment with advanced pollution control technology.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency awarded the money to the state Department of Environmental Protection to help fund a project that will help improve Connecticut’s air quality.
DEP will install diesel oxidation catalysts on 13 heavy-duty diesel engines in the state maintenance fleet, and on up to four pieces of construction equipment.
The agency also will team with the state Department of Transportation to install up to seven diesel particulate filters on air compressors used on highway construction sites around the state.
Both types of pollution-cutting equipment are verified by EPA to reduce particulate emissions by approximately 90 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
Diesel engines contribute significantly to air pollution, especially in urban areas, the EPA said. The fine particles in diesel exhaust pose serious health risks, including aggravating heart or lung disease.
The Northeast has some of the highest asthma rates in the nation, including a childhood asthma rate above 10 percent in all six New England states. Lifetime asthma rates in children in Connecticut are estimated to be 13.7 percent, the EPA said.
