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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/air/vwsettle.php#notice"><span style="color:#0563C1">Volkswagen Settlement- Rhode Island -Department of Environmental Management (ri.gov)</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DEM is proposing to expand Rhode Island’s Volkswagen Beneficiary Mitigation Plan to include environmental mitigation action (EMA) #10, the “DERA Option”, which allows beneficiaries to use trust funds for their non-federal voluntary match
on state Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grants. The Department is proceeding with a public comment period to request public input on the proposed expansion of the plan. The approved DERA workplan is included. At minimum, all voluntary state match funds
($338,537 from the interest earned on the VW account) will be dedicated to school bus electrification project(s). The Department’s proposed expansion of the plan will allow for support of school bus electrification project(s) while the overall goal for the
use of funds will remain the same as outlined in the <a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/air/documents/vwmitplanf.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">August 2018 Rhode Island Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP</span></a>).<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/air/documents/vw-bmp-ex-dera.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">Public Notice: DEM Seeks to Expand Mitigation Efforts Under the Existing State of Rhode
Island’s Beneficiary Mitigation Plan</span></a><o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><a href="http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/air/documents/vw-bmp-ex-dera-workplan.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0563C1">Diesel Emission Reduction Act Program Summary</span></a><o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You may submit your comments by email to Madeline Haines at <a href="mailto:Madeline.Haines@dem.ri.gov?subject=Expanded%20RI%20VW%20BMP"><span style="color:#0563C1">Madeline.Haines@dem.ri.gov</span></a> with the subject line “Expanded RI
VW BMP”. Comments will be accepted through August 31, 2021. Thank you for your assistance in helping DEM maintain a Volkswagen Beneficiary Mitigation Plan that best meets the needs of Rhode Island.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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