American Lung Association

2021 Visionary Leadership Award Winner:

American Lung Association

For more than 115 years, the American Lung Association (ALA) has been a champion for healthy lungs and clean air. In the Southeast Region, EPA Region 4, the ALA has completed 5 DERA projects. The completed projects have replaced or upgraded 468 vehicles, with a total estimated lifetime reduction of NO_x emissions by 4,649 tons, PM emissions by 116 tons, HC emissions by 15 tons, CO emissions by 7 tons, and CO₂ emissions by 255,458 tons. These completed projects have affected over 51.7 million people with an average annual health benefit estimates of over $1.1 million.

In addition to DERA projects, the ALA was awarded and is currently working on a Volkswagen Settlement project that will replace 20 heavy-duty diesel vehicles in North Carolina. When it has been completed, this project is expected to reduce lifetime emissions of NO_x by over 26 tons, PM by over 2 tons, HC by over 3 tons, and CO by over 12 tons. The project will impact over six million people and result in over $270,000 in annual health benefits from reductions in PM.

Since the ALA began working on clean diesel projects, they have partnered with over 148 fleets in multiple sectors, including locomotives, short- and regional-haul heavy-duty trucks, refuse haulers, marine and ports, and construction equipment. Diesel exhaust is one of the most pervasive sources of outdoor air pollution and the reduction of diesel emissions directly impacts the air quality of the communities in which the ALA operates. The ALA’s DERA projects have resulted in measurable air quality and health benefits for millions of people nationwide and the is committed to the continuation of these benefits going forward.