Seattle succeeds in eliminating polluting old trucks

ScRAPS grew out of a partnership between Port of Seattle, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and Cascade Sierra Solutions (CSS), working towards the goals of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, which aims to lower industrial port emissions. Through the programme, truckers receive $5000 or the blue book value of their truck – whichever is greater – in return for scrapping their old truck. The scheme combines a buy-back and scrap programme for trucks fitted with pre-1994 engines, truck replacements, and exhaust retrofits using a combination of grant funding sources from Ecology, the Clean Air Agency, Port of Seattle, and CSS. Later this year funding from the US Department of Transportation via the City of Tacoma will be added to the programme to expand its reach. Truckers then have the option of taking their buy-back money and purchasing a newer truck with loan assistance from CSS or going to a third party. “This is great news for the region, as these are concrete steps that take high-polluting trucks off the road and replace them with cleaner models,” said Tay Yoshitani, Port of Seattle CEO. Kathy Boucher, Seattle branch manager of CSS who is implementing the truck scrappage and retrofit programme, commented: “We have seen more than half of these drivers turn around and buy a newer truck. This has had a significant impact in upgrading the drayage fleet, and is great news for clean air efforts around the port.” In the six months up to April CSS reports that the programme had spent over $450,000 to take pre-1994-engined trucks out of service. CSS also is reimbursed from sales of scrap metal off the older trucks, funds that cover its administrative costs.