CAC Celebrates Earth Day Unveiling Emissions Upgrade of NYC Department of Sanitation Fleet

QUEENS, N.Y.--April 19, 2006--Clean Air Communities (CAC), through its Queens Clean Air Project, granted the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) $422,000 to install advanced pollution controls on 65 refuse collection trucks operating in northwest Queens. On Wednesday, April 19, 2006, at 1 pm, at the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the project partners will unveil three of the newly retrofitted trucks and demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology in reducing harmful pollutants from diesel exhaust.

Among the scheduled speakers at the special Clean Streets + Clean Air = Clean Communities event to celebrate Earth Day are Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, US Environmental Protection Agency Air Senior Policy Advisor William Baker, DSNY Commissioner John J. Doherty, NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Emily Lloyd, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, New York Power Authority Director of Public and Governmental Affairs Joseph Leary, and James F. Gennaro, NYC Councilmember (D-Fresh Meadows), who is Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection.

The DSNY fleet retrofit is one of four projects in CAC's Queens Clean Air Project (QCAP), an initiative funded by the New York Power Authority. Also completed are the installation of the largest green roof in New York atop Silvercup Studios and the deployment of 50 solar-powered trash compactors throughout Queens. The partnership is currently working with Delta Airlines to replace its diesel-powered ground-service equipment with fast-charging electric equipment at the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia airport.

"The Queens Clean Air Project is an important component in the combined effort to reduce pollution and improve health in this county," said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. "Like the trash compactors and green roof, these retrofitted trucks will help address the staggering statistics linking air pollution and diseases like cancer and asthma. I thank Clean Air Communities, the New York Power Authority, the Department of Sanitation, and all the public and private partners who are committed to improving our environment for future generations."

The project with DSNY, which uses innovative technologies to reduce diesel exhaust pollution from trucks that frequently travel residential streets, exemplifies CAC's commitment to partnerships that create air quality and health benefits for the residents of New York's neighborhoods, who suffer from asthma rates that are among the highest in the nation. "DSNY is setting an example for both the public and private fleets operating in New York and in urban areas throughout the Northeast," noted Debbi Edelstein, Director of CAC. "Today we'd like to challenge good corporate citizens to invest in clean air and public health by reducing emissions from diesel engines in their fleets."

DSNY Commissioner John J. Doherty said: "NYC Sanitation is proud to be an integral part of QCAP, proud to be among the first fleets in the nation to participate in EPA's Voluntary Diesel Retrofit Program, and proud to be the first City agency to use ultra-low sulfur diesel citywide. This program will further DSNY's experience in utilizing the latest cutting-edge technology to reduce diesel exhaust emissions."

"The New York Power Authority is pleased to partner with Clean Air Communities and the Department of Sanitation in implementing new ways to cut emissions on our city's streets," said Timothy S. Carey, president and chief executive officer of NYPA. "We know this is just the beginning of an ongoing initiative to add 'New York's Cleanest' to the Sanitation Department's identification as 'New York's Strongest.'"

The three innovative emission control technologies installed on DSNY's refuse collection fleet will significantly reduce emissions of both harmful particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Fifty trucks were retrofitted with Environmental Solutions Worldwide Inc's (ESW) Particulate Reactor(TM) integrated into a unique packaging solution custom engineered and manufactured by Fleetguard Emission Solutions.

The Particulate Reactor(TM), a proprietary high-performance diesel oxidation catalyst/substrate is the world's first California Air Resources Board (CARB) verified Level II device that reduces PM by a minimum of 50 percent. Ten trucks received a Cleaire Lonestar(R) lean NOx catalyst and high-performance diesel oxidation catalyst combination that effectively reduces NOx by 25 percent and PM by 50 percent. Five trucks received a Cleaire Longview(R) lean NOx catalyst and diesel particulate filter combination that is CARB verified to effectively reduce NOx by 25 percent and PM by 85 percent.

The Lonestar and Longview products are manufactured by Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls LLC, a division of Cummins West, Inc., and marketed by Fleetguard Emission Solutions. Cummins Metropower, a New York distributor of Fleetguard Emission Solutions products, provided consultation and support for the final installations and training in this project.

"Emission Solutions is delighted to work with DSNY, Clean Air Communities, and our technology partners on providing effective emission reduction technology. DSNY continues to be a progressive partner in proving and utilizing our products," said Amy Boerger, Retrofit Business Leader - Fleetguard Emission Solutions. "This was a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate our products, build local relationships, and improve the community's air quality. It is a win-win for everyone."

The project also advances a new regional effort, in which CAC is a partner, to reduce emissions from the large existing fleet of diesel vehicles, which are not subject to the more stringent controls of newer engines. "Emissions from diesel engines create a significant risk to public health, and reducing them is one of the most important air quality challenges facing the region," said Alan J. Steinberg, US EPA Regional Administrator. "One way this is being done is through the Northeast Diesel Collaborative, which is a public-private partnership to reduce diesel emissions and protect public health in New York, New Jersey, and the six New England states. Creative partnerships and the adoption of new technologies such as this are good examples of what is being accomplished through the Collaborative."

About the Project Partners

Clean Air Communities (CAC)

CAC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to implementing air pollution reduction and energy efficiency strategies in New York City communities that are disproportionately affected by air pollution. Since its inception in 2000, CAC has directed almost $7 million to projects ranging from advanced truck stop electrification at Hunts Point Cooperative Market in the Bronx to installation of a microturbine cogeneration project at Clinton Hill Apartments in FortGreene, Brooklyn. For its groundbreaking partnership approach and impressive benefits to the community, CAC was honored with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Excellence Award in 2002 and with one of the first Environmental Excellence Awards by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in 2005. See www.cleanaircommunities.org.

Queens Clean Air Project (QCAP)

QCAP is a collaborative partnership of Northeast States Center for a Clean Air Future, New York Power Authority, Office of the Queens Borough President, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the New York Public Interest Research Group.

Department of Sanitation New York City (DSNY)

The Department is the world's largest, collecting over 12,000 tons of residential and institutional refuse and recyclables a day. The City's businesses, whose waste is collected by private carting companies, generate another 13,000 tons of refuse each day. To meet these challenges, the Department's resources are 6,988 Uniformed Sanitation Workers and Supervisors and 1,866 Civilian Workers, who serve the City out of 59 Districts using approximately 5,700 vehicles, including 2,230 collection trucks, 450 mechanical street sweepers, 275 specialized collection trucks, 353 salt/sand spreaders, 298 front-end loaders, and 2,360 other support vehicles. See www.nyc.gov/html/dsny/html.

New York Power Authority (NYPA)

The New York Power Authority uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. NYPA is a leader in promoting energy-efficiency, new energy technologies, and electric transportation initiatives. It is the nation's largest state-owned electric utility, with 18 generating plants in various parts of the state and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. NYPA provides lower-cost power to government agencies, to municipally-owned and rural-cooperative electric systems, to job-producing companies and nonprofit groups, and to private utilities for resale--without profit--to their customers and to neighboring states, under federal requirements. Please visit www.nypa.gov.

Fleetguard Emission Solutions

Fleetguard Emission Solutions is a division of Cummins Inc. and a leading global designer, manufacturer, and distributor of exhaust after-treatment devices for the on- and off-highway medium duty, heavy duty, and high horsepower engine markets. Products include technology that reduces particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide emissions. With key operations in Indiana, Wisconsin, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, Fleetguard Emission Solutions products serve both the OEM first-fit and retrofit customers. Please visit www.cummins.com.

Environmental Solutions Worldwide Inc. (ESW)

With headquarters in Concord, Ontario, Environmental Solutions Worldwide, Inc. is a publicly traded company engaged through its subsidiaries ESW Canada, Inc. and ESW America, Inc. in the design, development, ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturing and sales of environmental technologies. ESW currently manufactures and markets a line of catalytic emission control conversion products and catalytic support technologies for diesel, gasoline and alternative fueled engines for a multitude of applications. For updated information, please visit the Company's Web site at: www.cleanerfuture.com

Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls, LLC

Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls, LLC (www.Cleaire.com) of San Leandro, California, develops and manufactures retrofit systems that reduce emissions from diesel engines. Cleaire products are distributed through the Cummins distribution network.