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The Latest Headlines:

• FCC Chairman to Resign
• EPA Offers $1 Million in Grants for Emission-Cutting Projects
• AirIQ Names New Chief Operating Officer
• Canadian Group Cuts Truck Idling Through Education

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FCC Chairman to Resign

Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said Friday he would resign from the position in March, the Associated Press reported.

Powell was nominated by President Bush in 2001. He is the son of former secretary of state Colin Powell.

In April, the FCC voted to allow longer and more powerful radio transmissions to and from electronic security tags for sealed cargo containers. (Click here for previous coverage.)

The FCC has also set aside an area of broadcast spectrum to transmit warning signals automatically to drivers, rather than have them share space with electronic toll sensors and cell phones, as part of a test program in McLean, Va. Transport Topics

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EPA Offers $1 Million in Grants for Emission-Cutting Projects

The Environmental Protection Agency announced $1 million in grants for projects that would reduce diesel emissions in several western states.

Federal, state, county, regional and local governments, universities, non-profit organizations and public organizations, are eligible, EPA said, but private companies are not.

The agency said it would accept grant proposals until Feb. 11 and would announce projects in the summer. The agency said projects could include engine replacement, idle reduction technologies or retrofits.

“Areas of particular interest include trucking, marine vessels and ports, construction and distributed generation, locomotives and rail, agriculture equipment and international border projects,” EPA said.

It said longhaul and shorthaul trucks were eligible, but school or municipal buses were not. States included in the program were: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Mindy Long

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AirIQ Names New Chief Operating Officer

AirIQ Inc. said Wednesday it named Kenneth Wiesner as its new chief operating officer. Wiesner had been president of Aircept.com, which AirIQ purchased during 2004.

AirIQ operates wireless Internet applications specializing in telematics, sending messages wirelessly to and from vehicles.

"Our reorganization plan with Ken's appointment is the next natural step of integration after the acquisitions of Aircept and Boatracs in 2004," said Donald Simmonds, president of AirIQ. Transport Topics

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Canadian Group Cuts Truck Idling Through Education

The Canadian Center for Pollution Prevention said Wednesday its education program had reduced truck idling.

The group said in a statement that staff members spent six weeks speaking with 1,500 drivers at several locations about ways of "reducing their impact on the environment, through idling their engines less."

CCPP said more than 160 drivers committed to reduce their idling for one hour a day for one week, thus cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 12 tons. Transport Topics

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