The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public input on two programs with a cumulative investment of $4 billion in technologies to reduce climate pollutants at ports and protect the health of the people living and working near ports, schools, and other truck routes.

The two programs –“The Clean Ports Program” and “The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program” — will use $3 billion and $1 billion, respectively, from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

EPA Administrator Michael S. Reagan believes the EPA’s investment in clean ports and clean transportation, owing to IRA, will help to achieve cleaner air and healthier communities, generate well-paying jobs, and reinforce local economies.

The EPA has previously granted the Georgia Ports Authority over $9 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) funds, which replaced and upgraded older freight trucks, cargo handling equipment, and marine engines with cleaner models, resulting in reduced diesel emissions and improved air quality.

The Clean Ports Program expands on EPA’s Ports Initiative and will modernize port infrastructure and increase investments in zero-emission port equipment and technology.

The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program will fund the replacement of heavy-duty commercial vehicles with zero-emission vehicles, the infrastructure required to charge, fuel, and maintain these vehicles, and the development of the necessary workforce.

The programs also support President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to direct 40% of certain federal investments’ benefits to underprivileged communities.

Through the Request for Information (RFI), EPA is inviting input to enhance the agency’s understanding of zero-emission trucks and port equipment, as well as the associated charging and fuelling infrastructure requirements.

It is also seeking feedback on the extent to which the content and components of these systems are manufactured in the United States.

A report by renewable energy company Masdar said reducing emissions in hard-to-abate industries like shipping, cement, steel, aluminum, petrochemicals, aviation, heavy industry, and manufacturing was crucial in the effort to mitigate climate change. Decarbonization budgets are a significant source of concern for executives in these industries, the report said.