VW Settlement Funds Maine Rail Upgrades

[Tom M]

According to yesterday's Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/2wM4WOP" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;), the state of Maine is to receive $21 million (of a $14.7 billion total) from their settlement with Volkswagen due to VW's Clean Air Act violations. The distribution details are a bit murky, but indicate that Maine could spend $8.4M on "improvements to the state's port facilities and rail yards." For repowering heavy trucks, locomotives, and buses with cleaner engines or replacing them with cleaner models, it appears that $5.25M would be available. Both Connecticut and New York have created similar plans utilizing grants to distribute the funds. Public comments are being accepted on the MDOT website. Ultimately, Gov. Paul LePage must sign off on the plan. Not surprisingly, it is unknown whether he intends to do so or not.