Shawn Seals explains the Indiana Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Program.

WARSAW — Indiana Department of Environmental Management representative Shawn Seals presented Indiana’s Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Program and ways to apply to it to attendees of the Michigan Area Council of Government Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Seals gave a detailed walkthrough of how governments could apply for a grant in the $41 million program that will be dispersed throughout Indiana to go toward diesel immersion reduction, hoping to improve the quality of air. Government officials can choose a project to focus on in their area such as emission reduction or light-duty emission infrastructure and apply for a portion of the $41 million to put toward the project.

Along with eligible projects, the Partial Consent Decree states vehicles from 1992 to 2006 “and different percentages of the cost for government-owned and privately-owned vehicles, and requires that the old vehicles be scrapped.” Vehicles from class two to class eight would be eligible for replacement including school buses and shuttle buses.

The $41 million was awarded to Indiana as part of the Volkswagen settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2016, Volkswagen settled a lawsuit with the EPA to address violating U.S. emission laws in diesel vehicles sold over the course of six years.

To submit formal comments regarding the Indiana Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Program, please send an email to [email protected].

Learn more about Indiana Volkswagen Mitigation Trust Program at idem.IN.gov/airquality/2712.htm.