Stretching VW settlement dollars: Chattanooga weighs in on how to spend emissions money

Volkswagen employees work around vehicles moving down the assembly line at the Volkswagen Plant Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Volkswagen employees work around vehicles moving down the assembly line at the Volkswagen Plant Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

More charging stations for electric cars and expanding battery-powered vehicles in public fleets were ideas raised Friday on how to spend Tennessee's share of penalties Volkswagen is paying for cheating on emissions tests of its diesel vehicles in the past.

At a public meeting in Chattanooga, about 20 people showed up to give input on crafting Tennessee's plan to spend $45.7 million in VW money allocated to the Volunteer State.

Chattanoogan James Dillard said he'd like to see electric vehicle charging infrastructure expanded.

"It's a perfect opportunity to build out infrastructure," he said. Also, Dillard said, he'd like more emergency vehicles such as fire trucks to transition to electric power, though it was unclear if that could be done under the VW court agreement.

Stan Johnson, executive director of a Knoxville-based group called Seeed, said he'd like money given to help the poor pay utility bills, though he wasn't sure that was eligible under the settlement.

VW SETTLEMENT

Below are 10 areas in which states may spend money from the VW diesel emissions settlement to reduce pollution:› Class 8 local freight trucks and port drayage trucks› Class 4-8 school buses or shuttle or transit buses› Freight switchers› Ferries/tugs› Ocean-going vessels shore power› Class 4-7 local freight trucks› Airport ground support equipment› Forklifts and port cargo handling equipment› Light-duty zero-mission vehicle supply equipment› Diesel Emission Reduction Act option

"A lot of people suffering in poverty also suffer from pollution," he said, adding that at least some of the money shouldn't go toward supporting electric vehicles.

Byron Trantham, who with brother Bruce founded Chattanooga-based Tranco Logistics, said he was hopeful some of the funds could go toward compressed natural gas trucks or infrastructure. But he, too, wasn't sure that use was certified under the settlement.

Alexa Voytek, a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation program manager in Nashville, went over the 10 areas in which states may spend the settlement to reduce pollution.

These include cutting emissions of heavy duty diesel sources such as large trucks near population centers or replacing older city transit buses with new electric-powered vehicles.

Voytek said TDEC along with Gov. Bill Haslam will decide how the money is allocated by mid-2018 after added public input.

The funds for Tennessee are part of the $2.9 billion national Volks- wagen diesel emissions court settlement.

The settlement resolves allegations that Volkswagen violated the Clean Air Act by the sale of about 590,000 model year 2009 to 2016 diesel vehicles equipped with so-called "defeat devices," including some Passat sedans made in Chattanooga.

Each state's allocation of dollars from the settlement is based on the number of registered illegal VW vehicles within its boundaries.

In Georgia, its initial share of the settlement is about $58.1 million. Alabama is slated to receive about $25 million under the VW settlement.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

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