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Germany Funds €1 Billion in Diesel Pollution Aid for Cities

The German government has released €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in funding to help the country’s cities reduce air pollution caused primarily by diesel-powered vehicles.
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The German government has released €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in funding to help the country’s cities reduce air pollution caused primarily by diesel-powered vehicles.

Environmental groups estimate 90 German cities could face penalties for nitrogen oxides (NOx) that exceed limits that were set by the European Union in 2010. Funding to help with the problem was approved two months ago but wasn’t released until this week.

The government is eager to avoid the need for cities to lower NOx by issuing outright bans on diesels. The new federal funding will be used to help implement tools to streamline traffic flow, install chargers for electric vehicles and pay to replace diesel buses with battery and fuel cell-powered models.

German environmental group DUH insists the announced programs won’t be enough to improve air quality until at least 2020. Chancellor Angela Merkel agrees that additional measures will be needed over the next several years, but she hasn’t indicated what they would be.

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