O'Hare Airport gets EPA grant to reduce carbon emissions

CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago's O'Hare International Airport will receive a $640,000 grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to buy zero emissions ground support equipment.

City officials said Monday that the grant will let the Chicago Department of Aviation and United Airlines invest $1.4 million to buy 26 new pieces of equipment to replace older, diesel-fueled equipment. The city and airline say the effort will save more than 1.4 million gallons of diesel fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Officials say the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions that will be eliminated is equal to emissions from 3,100 passenger vehicles or 2,200 homes' electricity use.

Chicago's aviation department has been awarded nearly $18 million in grant money since 2011 to reduce emissions from cars, trucks, support equipment and power units.