DEP Accepting Applications for Nitrogen Tire Inflation Grants

HARRISBURG — Automotive service providers can now apply for financial assistance to purchase and install systems that will help their customers get better gas mileage and increase the life of their tires by inflating them with nitrogen.

Under the Pennsylvania’s Nitrogen Tire Inflation System Grant Program, service providers are eligible for up to $5,000 in reimbursement costs. Applicants must provide a 50-percent match of the equipment’s total cost.

The equipment must deliver at least 95 percent nitrogen according to manufacturer specifications and it must have been installed after July 1, 2010.

A total of $100,000 is available for reimbursements.

“Automotive tires filled with nitrogen rather than conventional air maintain their pressure up to four-times longer,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger. “Properly inflated tires are safer and more fuel efficient, which translates into saving money at the gas pump.

“All motorists should check tire pressure on a regular basis,” said Hanger. “Because tires inflated with nitrogen maintain their pressure longer, they have to be checked less frequently and run at cooler temperatures — improving safety and handling.

“In the program’s first two years, DEP provided grants to 56 businesses in 24 counties. By providing a stimulus to invest in advanced fuel-saving technology, Pennsylvania is helping its residents to better manage our natural resources and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

Applications should be mailed to the DEP Grants Center, Nitrogen Tire Inflation System Grant, P.O. Box 8776, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8776.  Funding is limited and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The program will remain open until funds have been exhausted or until June 30, 2011.

For more information and applications, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword “Alternative Fuels,” call 717-783-8411, or e-mailepafiginfo@state.pa.us.