Ill. to fund cleaner engines with $19M from Volkswagen deal

Source: By Associated Press • Posted: Thursday, December 6, 2018

Illinois officials have allocated the first grants to buy cleaner-burning engines from an emissions lawsuit settlement Volkswagen reached with federal officials.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that $19 million will finance cleaner-burning public-transit trains and buses.

Illinois is receiving $108 million from Volkswagen’s multibillion-dollar settlement after allegations that the automaker sold 60,000 vehicles with software designed to cheat air-quality tests.

State EPA Director Alec Messina said the state’s program is meant primarily to take old diesel engines out of service. The Chicago-area public transit agency Metra will get $14 million to purchase eight cleaner diesel engines.

Chicago and suburban bus lines will get a combined $4.2 million to buy six natural-gas-burning and three all-electric buses. And there’s $754,000 for three all-electric school buses for Chicago Public Schools children. — Associated Press