Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has drafted a plan to spend $51 million to reduce the number of high pollutant cars on Connecticut roadways. The money comes from the Volkswagen settlement after the carmaker admitted to tricking emissions tests and polluting the air much more than claimed.
Connecticut's municipalities are to submit grant requests for things like installing public charging stations for electric cars or switching school bus engines to electric.
Claire Coleman, a lawyer with Connecticut Fund for the Environment, says, "The plan focused on zero emission technology, over hybrids or propane and other low emission technologies."
Volkswagen sold roughly 12,000 cars in Connecticut that used software to reduce nitrogen oxide only during emissions tests. Once back on the road, they emitted more pollutants that contributed to respiratory and cardiovascular illness.
