It’s not like they’re getting hybrid engines or anything, but New York’s Staten Island Ferries are going greener: One by one, the boats are being retrofitted to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from diesel fuel. According to the EPA, one boat has already been updated, resulting in a reduction of 16.5 tons of NOx per year and a 25% decrease in particulate matter.

NOx and particulates both cause asthma, and NOx also contributes to global warming. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York City Department of Transportation joined forces with the EPA to green the ferries’ ports. As part of the program, three more ferries will be retrofitted over the next year, and tug boats will be updated as well.

The Port Authority has also set up a Green Port program to look into other environmental initiatives.

Photo credit: NYC Department of Transportation

[via ENS]