DENVER – The state of Colorado has come up with a plan for spending more than $68 million it’s set to receive as part of Volkswagen’s settlement of its emissions cheating scandal.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is the designated agency in charge of allocating the estimated $68.7 million, which is intended to mitigate diesel emissions that resulted from VW cheating on emissions tests and violating the Clean Air Act.
In order to determine how best to spend the money, state officials started taking recommendations from the public in 2016. Those recommendations resulted in the following proposed spending breakdown:
- $18 million: Replace medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks, school buses and shuttle buses with vehicles that run on alternative fuels or electricity
- $18 million: Replace diesel transit buses with more eco-friendly buses
- $10.3 million: Install charging/fueling stations for zero-emission cars and trucks
- $5 million: Reduce emissions from other diesel engines/equipment
- $12.2 million: Establish a fund that can be allocated to other projects on demand
Officials estimate that Colorado will begin receiving the money in 2018.
The state will be holding a community meeting about the proposed plan on Sept. 18 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the CDOT headquarters, 4201 E. Arkansas Ave. in Denver. Comments on the plan will be accepted until Oct. 13.
For more information, log on to Colorado.gov/cdphe/VW.
