Does your landscape services provider use gasoline-powered equipment? Along with the familiar gas smell and loud noise, the emissions from gasoline-powered equipment can have negative impacts on employee health and the air quality in your community.

Now that winter is here, it is a great time to replace your old equipment, or ask your landscaper to make the switch!

Up to $300,000 is available to buy electric-powered landscaping equipment such as pole saws, string or hedge trimmers, leaf and backpack blowers, lawn mowers, and chain saws.

Benefits of electric-powered equipment:

• Safer for employees & communities – No smell reduces respiratory impacts and is generally more pleasant to work with, and quieter use lessens hearing loss.
• Lighter -- Easy to use, haul up, and carry across distances and multiple locations. Reduces cord and lifting-related injuries.
• Powerful -- Equal performance to gas in many applications.
• Saves money -- No more buying gas. Save lost productivity - less maintenance and time spent in the shop as well down time from flooding.
• Battery life -- Often a short charge time and battery lasts.

Eligible applicants: businesses under 500 employees, governmental agencies, educational institutions, non-profits, or trade groups/associations. Strong preference for minority-owned organizations in highly populated, environmental justice areas.

The maximum grant amount is $24,000. Get up to a 50% match to replace and scrap equipment, and a 30% match to keep current equipment.

Apply now! Deadline: December 5, 2018.

Find grant materials on the MPCA grants to improve air webpage. For general questions, contact kari.cantarero@state.mn.us or 651-757-2875.

The estimated 20 million small engines sold each year in the U.S. are the largest single contributor to air pollution emissions from mobile non-road sources. The average gasoline push-mower creates nearly 15 pounds of air pollution an hour – the same as driving your car for 200 miles. Landscaping equipment emissions are not regulated and are a large contributor to bad air quality, which is why the MPCA is relying on voluntary efforts to reduce these emissions in populated areas.

MPCA recognizes the success of two green chemistry & engineering internship grant recipients at the 2018 MN Cup, a free, annual competition that seeks to support and accelerate development of the best breakthrough ideas from across the state. It is the largest statewide startup competition in the country.

Competing in the Energy/CleanTech/Water division, these two companies rose to the top among the MN Cup’s impressive field of over 600 entries.

• remooble (2018 grantee) was the first runner-up for their development of non-toxic and effective chemical removers of inks, paints and adhesives. Interns at remooble used green chemistry principles to design, blend, and test dozens of formulations for safer paint stripper.
• The CD3 boat-cleaning station developed by Connect Ecology (2016 grantee) to protect Minnesota waters from invasive species won the division.

CD3’s Mark Apfelbacher expressed appreciation of MPCA's support. “In our early stages, the MPCA internship grant helped us pick safer, low-impact materials and coatings for the CD3 boat-cleaning station. Product innovators should really consider applying.”

The MPCA is pleased to play a small part in growing Minnesota’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem through our green chemistry & engineering internship grant program.

Redeveloping brownfields—land that is environmentally impacted and underused—is a win for Minnesota's environment, economy, and communities.

A 2018 report on the Benefits of Brownfield Redevelopment in Minnesota highlights how redevelopment of brownfields helps grow the economy and revitalize communities, while improving the environment for all Minnesotans.

Environmental benefits

While focused on addressing contaminated groundwater and soil, brownfield redevelopment has positive environmental impacts on surrounding communities:

• Reduces air pollution by 32 to 57% through compact development.
• Reduces energy consumption and emissions by 43 to 67% relative to conventional development by reducing transportation-related vehicle miles.
• Curbs sprawl and conserves land. For every acre of brownfield redeveloped 4.5 greenfield acres are preserved.
• Reduces stormwater runoff by 43 to 60%. Managing stormwater on brownfields requires less pavement and protects Minnesota's water resources from stormwater-related pollution.

Economic benefits

Brownfield redevelopment requires significant up-front financial investment, but the initial costs are quickly outweighed by the ongoing improvements to local tax base, property values, job market, public health, and economic vitality associated with brownfield cleanup.

• Every dollar of public brownfield grant funding leverages $38 in private investment.
• Creates jobs. In 2017, DEED grants for brownfield redevelopment projects created/retained 2,213 jobs in Minnesota.
• Increases neighboring residential property values by 5 to 11.5% following brownfield cleanup and redevelopment.

Community benefits

Brownfield cleanup and redevelopment makes Minnesota’s communities safer, stronger, and more vibrant.

• Increases tax base. From 1995 to 2017, brownfield cleanup projects funded by DEED increased Minnesota's tax base by $114 million.
• Residents benefit from job opportunities, new businesses and services, and increased use of existing infrastructure.
• Many brownfields are in ideal locations to provide aff‑ordable housing, shorter commutes, and multiple transit options.

MPCA grants to upgrade old non-road diesel equipment - Due Nov 16th!

$1.1 million in MPCA grant funding is now open to replace or upgrade non-road diesel equipment such as forklifts, cranes, excavators, towboats, and locomotive engines. 

Several small businesses have utilized clean diesel grants. Recent projects included replacing two diesel forklifts, purchasing more efficient diesel delivery truck engines, replacing a scrapyard excavator with an all-electric machine, and installing idle reduction devices on two short-line locomotives. Additional grant success stories can be found on the MPCA Awarded DERA grants webpage.

Apply today! Due: Friday, November 16, 2018! 

To apply, visit the MPCA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grants page. Questions should be sent to grants.pca@state.mn.us using subject “DERA Non-Road Grant 2018-19”. All answers will be posted in the Questions and Answers tab on the web page. Click on the Training Event tab for a how-to video on completing application forms.

Additional grants for diesel trucks and electric vehicle replacement projects using VW settlement funds will be forthcoming over the next year. Learn more about Minnesota’s plan for VW settlement funds. This is the fourth in a series of grant opportunities using funds provided by the national Volkswagen settlement.

RETAP is hiring consultants

The Minnesota Retiree Environmental Technical Assistance Program (RETAP) is currently looking to hire a facility assessment consultant in Greater Minnesota with working knowledge of HVAC systems, computerized building management systems, modern building technologies, or residential energy auditing. 

Applicants can be retired engineers, scientists, managers, or other retired professionals from a wide range of technical and non-technical fields. Applicants must be a self-starting, independent workers who have transportation and the ability to drive, and be comfortable working with computers. More information on who RETAP is looking for can be found on the Join RETAP page and by reviewing biographies of current RETAP members. Send questions about RETAP and the application process to retap.pca@state.mn.us.