HONOLULU — A $1.7 million federal effort to fund cleaner diesel vehicles for schools and communities has been announced at the University of Hawaii.

State and federal officials said Thursday that the funding will replace five buses from the state Department of Education’s fleet in Kona on the Big Island and five other DOE diesel trucks. In addition, two diesel refuse trucks and a diesel truck owned by the university will be replaced.
The officials say the diesel vehicle replacements will reduce nitrogen oxides and particular matter by over 2.3 tons per year.
The state Department of Health says the use of other clean diesel funding will be used to retrofit 15 Honolulu Board of Water Supply vehicles.