$19M In Volkswagen Deal To Purchase Cleaner Transit Engines
(AP) -- Illinois officials have allocated the first grants to buy cleaner-burning engines from an emissions lawsuit settlement Volkswagen reached with federal officials.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced that $19 million will finance cleaner-burning public-transit trains and buses.
Illinois is receiving $108 million from Volkswagen's multibillion-dollar settlement after allegations that the automaker sold 60,000 vehicles with software designed to cheat air-quality tests.
EPA Director Alec Messina says the state's program is meant primarily to take old diesel engines out of service. Metra will get $14 million to purchase eight cleaner diesel engines.
Chicago and suburban bus lines will get a combined $4.2 million to buy six natural gas-burning and three all-electric buses. And there's $754,000 for three all-electric school buses for Chicago Public Schools children.
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