HERMITAGE, Pa. - A $2.9 million grant will help cut diesel admissions in Mercer County.

The grant funding will allow Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Co. to reduce its diesel emissions by replacing a diesel-powered locomotive with an electric model.

State Rep. Mark Longietti announced the funding Monday under the Marine and Rail Freight Movers Grant Program that will allow the railroad to replace a 50-year-old model with a lithium-ion battery-powered model.

The lithium-ion-powered model will reduce the diesel-based nitrogen oxide emissions that are harmful to humans.

"Securing this funding to allow B&LER to replace some of its aging, diesel-powered equipment with low-emission electric equipment means the company can keep freight moving efficiently while at the same time reducing an important health risk," Longietti said. "Exposure to diesel emissions is linked to a higher risk of lung cancer and other diseases, so any steps we can take to reduce that exposure directly benefits workers as well as residents in the vicinity."

The grant is part of a package of $9.5 million in "Driving PA Forward" funding that aims to reduce lifetime nitrogen oxide emissions from mobile sources by as much as 27,700 tons.