(Madison, WI, April 25, 2012) – Leonardo Academy has received a Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative (MCDI) Leadership Award. Leonardo Academy President Michael Arny accepted the award on April 12, 2012, at a ceremony in Chicago. The MCDI Leadership Group awards recognize individuals and organizations that are innovators, roles models and leaders in reducing air pollution by retrofitting and replacing older diesel engines, reducing idling from diesel engines, developing outreach programs and promoting cleaner fuels.

Leonardo Academy received the award “for demonstrating outstanding leadership by making significant measurable improvements in air quality through the development and implementation of clean diesel actions.” Since 2010, Leonardo Academy has partnered with fleets, school districts, local government and industry to reduce each entity’s diesel emissions. Stakeholders have invested over $6 million dollars of private funds and matching government grants, through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program, to upgrade diesel equipment throughout the Midwest. The upgraded equipment includes diesel engines in passenger ferries, school buses and trucks as well as agricultural and construction equipment.

“Leonardo Academy is tremendously honored with the recognition of our efforts to improve air quality by the EPA and MCDI Steering Committee,” said Michael Arny. “We will continue to collaborate with fleet operators, manufacturers, and governmental and environmental organizations to reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency in the transportation and logistics sector.  This will be accomplished through the advancement of cleaner technologies, outreach, and development of funding mechanisms.”

About the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative
Formed in October 2007, the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative is a collaboration of federal, state and local agencies, along with communities, nonprofit organizations and private companies working together to reduce diesel emissions in U.S. EPA Region 5. It assists with voluntary efforts to reduce emissions from existing diesel engines that are not covered by the U.S. EPA’s stringent standards for cleaner fuels and new, cleaner engines. MCDI estimates that more than 3 million diesel engines in the Midwest would benefit from use of diesel retrofit technologies, repowers, replacement, cleaner fuels, idle-reduction and other clean-diesel strategies.

EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program
Should a fleet or organization be interested in signing up for funding opportunities, please contact Leonardo Academy as soon as possible. For more information contact Andrea Bachrach at (608)280-0255 or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .