U.S., Canada sign MOU to cut freight 
industry emissions and save fuel

WASHINGTON (9/19/05) -- The U.S. EPA and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) have announced they will coordinate voluntary cross-border projects with the freight industry focusing on idle reduction, deployment of clean technologies, and driver training and awareness. There are 13 million truck border crossings between Canada and the United States each year.

The partnership is expected to save up to 440 million gallons of fuel and prevent emissions of an estimated 5 million tons of carbon dioxide -- a greenhouse gas -- per year.

Suzanne Rudzinski, EPA Director of Transportation and Regional Programs Division, and Anthony Taylor, NRCan Director of Transportation and Energy Use Division, signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on September 14 in Michigan.

The collaboration brings together the complementary strengths of EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership and NRCan's FleetSmart. SmartWay emphasizes the deployment of innovative technologies. FleetSmart specializes in driver education and training. 

More information on the MOU and SmartWay and FleetSmart is available online.