Volume 1: EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) National Grants Program

Abstract

This report, part of the Policy Pathways to a Low Carbon Fishing Fleet series, explores the effectiveness of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act’s (DERA) national grants program in supporting emissions reduction efforts within the commercial fishing sector.

Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), DERA provides funding for diesel engine replacements and retrofits that improve air quality. While marine vessels, including fishing boats, are eligible, program priorities often favor projects in high-population areas that promise immediate public health benefits, downgrading the competitiveness of marine projects based in rural or remote areas.

This report consolidates findings from case studies involving recipients of the DERA national grant and their partners in the fishing industry, as well as fishing industry organizations who contemplated a DERA proposal but did not ultimately apply (whom we call non-applicants). Through interviews with both recipients and nonapplicants, we uncover the program’s strengths and barriers for fishing industry stakeholders and provide preliminary suggestions that could make the program more accessible to this sector.

Success factors identified through our interviews include robust project partnerships, collaboration of fishing associations, and awareness-building efforts, while challenges include complex application processes, air quality metrics that disadvantage rural projects, and limited staff capacity among applicants and their partners. Possible recommendations include advocating for flexible timelines, incorporating greenhouse gas metrics in funding prioritization criteria, and enhancing outreach and technical support to enable broader fishing industry participation.

While the DERA national grants program was designed with the goal of mitigating the impacts of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and other air pollutants on human health, it offers a template that can be modified or replicated as a basis for programs that reduce emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gas pollutants like carbon dioxide (CO2). This report is a starting point for fishermen and their partners in government and beyond to collaboratively design incentive programs that support a transition to a low carbon fishing fleet.