(WSIL) -- The State of Illinois is announcing the submittal of a revised Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP) to the Volkswagen (VW) Settlement Trustee, focusing Illinois� remaining share of $84.4 million on electric transportation and infrastructure.
Illinois� revised plan will replace old diesel engines with all-electric school buses, public transit, Class 4-8 local freight trucks, and light-duty charging infrastructure to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from mobile sources in areas of Illinois that are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change and air pollution.
“Paired with our nation-leading Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and electric vehicle and charging incentives, our Volkswagen settlement funds will further hasten Illinoisâ€� transition to clean energy with a focus on accessible electric transit options,â€Â�said Governor JB Pritzker. “The settlement alone will deliver more than $106 million in EV upgrades and infrastructure expansions throughout the state.â€�
Of the State’s remaining $84.4 million in VW funds, Illinois expects to allocate:
- Up to 32%, or approximately $27 million for all-electric public transit buses and public passenger/commuter locomotives;
- Up to 32%, or approximately $27 million for all-electric school buses;
- Up to 19%, or approximately $16 million for all-electric Class 4-8 local freight trucks (including municipal trucks, refuse trucks, dump trucks, concrete mixer trucks, delivery vehicles, and Class 8 port drayage trucks;
- Up to 15%, or approximately $12.7 million for light-duty electric charging infrastructure; and
- Up to 2%, or approximately $1.7 million for Illinois IEPA administrative costs.
Illinois EPA accepted comments on the revised all-electric BMP from April 29 � June 21, 2021, receiving a total of 641 comments. A coalition of environmental advocacy groups submitted joint comments which included support of a transition to the all-electric plan. Additional substantive comments received requested or expressed interest in including funding for electric trucks.
The revised BMP is available on the Illinois EPA website at:Â Â . Illinois EPA submitted the revised plan to the Volkswagen Settlement Trustee on April 27, 2022 under the terms of the consent decree.
The Volkswagen Settlement is the resolution of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation that found that Volkswagen violated the federal Clean Air Act by installing “defeat devices� in certain diesel vehicles to circumvent federal vehicle emissions standards.
