The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has released for public comment the State of Tennessee’s Proposed Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (proposed BMP) for purposes of implementing the State’s initial allocation under the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement (VW Settlement) Environmental Mitigation Trust (EMT). The proposed BMP is intended to provide the public with insight into the State’s plan for use of the mitigation funds. Specifically, the proposed BMP outlines the Eligible Mitigation Actions (EMAs) or project categories that the State proposes to fund from the State’s initial EMT allocation of $45,759,914.40.

To read the proposed BMP, see the PDF below or click here to access TDEC’s main BMP page: State of Tennessee’s Proposed Beneficiary Mitigation Plan. Additionally, TDEC has recorded a presentation that addresses the various sections of the State’s proposed BMP. This presentation may be accessed from TDEC’s main BMP page, and here: Recorded Presentation of the State of Tennessee’s Proposed Beneficiary Mitigation Plan. A copy of the presentation slide deck may be accessed here.

The State’s proposed BMP has been developed in accordance with the terms of the Environmental Mitigation Trust for State Beneficiaries (“State Trust Agreement“). This proposed BMP is not a solicitation for projects. As such, this proposed BMP includes limited detail on the application or project selection processes. Such information will be provided on the TDEC Webpage after the BMP has been finalized.

The public is encouraged to review the proposed BMP and submit comments via the public comment form or via email to [email protected]. The public comment period will remain open for thirty (30) days from the proposed BMP release date – through 5:00 p.m. CT on August 17, 2018. All comments and input received will be reviewed and considered by TDEC personnel. The BMP will then be finalized, submitted to the Trustee, and released to the public.

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The East TN Clean Fuels Coalition will host a Zoom webinar for all Tennesseans to discuss the proposed BMP funds in Tennessee. The webinar will be on Tuesday, July 24 at 2pm ET / 1pm CT. Please register via this link and you will automatically receive the login and call-in information!

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Following the finalization of the BMP, TDEC will release funding opportunity announcements and/or project solicitations for corresponding programs. TDEC will also host workshops throughout the state and/or via webinar in order to provide the public with information regarding the proposal process, program and project eligibility, timelines for implementation, and reporting requirements.

As part of periodic evaluations, the State may revise the final BMP as necessary to reflect major changes in project demand, the State’s priorities, and/or any increases to the state’s EMT allocation in future years. Interested persons and entities are advised to sign up for the VW email list at https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1843437/1737620/ in order to receive related email updates on topics including, but not limited to, BMP finalization, funding cycles and project solicitation. For additional information on the VW Settlement, visit the TDEC Office of Energy Programs website here: http://www.tn.gov/environment/VWSettlement.