On September 24, officials of Ingram Barge Company and the Mississippi River Corridor – Tennessee (MRCT) announced the results of an air emissions reduction program for towboats operating on the Mississippi River. Funding for this effort was awarded to MRCT by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program.
Mississippi River Corridor – Tennessee is a non-profit organization that works on economic development and land and wildlife preservation in the six West Tennessee counties that border the Mississippi River. The diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) units were manufactured by Environmental Solutions Worldwide Inc., a retrofit technology provider. Testing of the units was performed by Emisstar, an energy and emissions consultancy.
Ingram participated in the program by retrofitting six towboats in its inland marine fleet with a unique DOC and closed crank case emission control system. The device fits inside the exhaust system of a towboat engine and reduces the amount of pollution resulting from burning diesel fuel.
At the event a Ingram towboat, the Motor Vessel Patricia I. Hart, which is equipped with the new DOC system, was available for public inspection at Mud Island River Park at 101 North Island Drive.
Representatives from the project partners also discussed results of the program, including announcing significant reductions in particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from exhaust emissions from the retrofitted vessels. Emissions testing has shown that the new DOC systems exhibited average particulate matter reductions of more than 40 percent and carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon reductions of more than 60 percent.
“Ingram is proud to have joined forces with MRCT and the other project partners to demonstrate new ways to further reduce the pollution associated with river transportation, which is already the most environmentally friendly mode of bulk freight transportation,” said David Sehrt, Ingram Barge’s Chief Operating Officer.
Sehrt noted that Ingram’s participation in the EPA’s Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program is part of the company’s overall commitment to environmental sustainability.
In February, Ingram was named as one of the first marine transportation companies to be accepted as a partner in the EPA’s SmartWay Program. Launched in 2004, the EPA program identifies products and services that reduce transportation-related emissions.