New Incentive Funds to Reduce Emissions in AB 617 Communities (Under Review)

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February 5, 2018

New Incentive Funds to Reduce Emissions in AB 617 Communities

Invitation to participate in public workshops

The California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) and local air districts invite your participation in public workshops to discuss new grant funds available to reduce emissions in the communities most affected by air pollution.  Funds are available for voluntary incentive grants through the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program (Carl Moyer Program), for fleets to replace or repower heavy duty engines—both on-road and off-road—and support clean vehicle infrastructure.  This will reduce public health impacts of mobile source engines consistent with the goals of Assembly Bill (AB) 617 (Garcia, Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017).  We are looking for feedback from local communities to inform air districts’ project outreach and project identification processes for these funds.  In particular: 

  • What types of cleaner vehicles and equipment do you think would most effectively reduce air pollution exposure in your community? 
  • Are there Moyer Program guideline changes to apply to these funds that will help bring about the types of projects you think are needed?

San Joaquin Valley*

DATE:                Tuesday, February 20, 2018
TIME:                 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (PST)
LOCATION:       San Joaquin Valley APCD Offices
                          Board Meeting Room
                          1990 E. Gettysburg Avenue
                          Fresno, California 93726

*This workshop will include a video conference to SJVAPCD regional offices:

          Northern Region Office
                    4800 Enterprise Way, Modesto, California 95356

          Southern Region Office
                    34946 Flyover Court, Bakersfield, California 93308

Sacramento**

DATE:                Wednesday, February 21, 2018
TIME:                 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (PST)
LOCATION:       California Environmental Protection Agency Building 
                          Sierra Hearing Room
                          1001 I Street
                          Sacramento, California 95814

**A webcast of this event will be available at: Webcast Link. Questions and comments may be e-mailed during the workshop.

South Coast

DATE:                Thursday, February 22, 2018
TIME:                 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (PST)
LOCATION:       City of Commerce Council Chambers
                          2535 Commerce Way
                          Commerce, California 90040

Bay Area

DATE:                Thursday, February 26, 2018
TIME:                 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (PST)
LOCATION:       Elihu Harris Building Auditorium 
                          1515 Clay Street
                          Oakland, California 94612

Presentations will be similar in the four locations, with additional information in Sacramento related to distribution of funds outside the South Coast, San Joaquin Valley and Bay Area districts.  Staff presentations and handouts will be posted before the workshops on the Moyer Program webpage.  


Background 

In 2017, the Governor signed AB 134 (Chapter 14, Statutes of 2017) appropriating $250 million in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds to achieve early action emission reductions in the communities most burdened by air pollution.  Assisting engine replacement, repower, and infrastructure projects in disadvantaged and low income areas supports the goals of AB 617 which calls for community air monitoring and action plans to reduce smog-forming and toxic emissions.  Funds this year will reduce mobile source emissions under state guidelines either through the Carl Moyer Program or clean truck projects through the Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program (Proposition 1B).  As a whole, the projects will also result in reductions in greenhouse gases. 

The funds are distributed as follows:

  • $107.5 million to the South Coast Air Quality Management District
  • $80 million to the San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Management District
  • $50 million to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District
  • $12.5 million to other California air districts, as determined by CARB in consultation with the districts

The workshops will provide an overview of the types of projects supported by the Moyer Program which along with Proposition 1B clean truck projects can reduce community pollution impacts and benefit public health as envisioned by AB 617.  CARB and air district staff will seek local ideas and input as the districts prepare to select projects under state guidelines.  Comments on the project types preferred by community groups and individuals will help inform air district project outreach and identification processes.  To facilitate timely expenditures that provide more immediate community benefits, CARB staff also plans to propose limited changes to the Carl Moyer Program Guidelines for these funds for Board consideration at its meeting on April 26, 2018 to April 27, 2018.  Concepts for those guideline changes will be presented at future public workshops for comment and questions.  The public will also have the opportunity to share views on other pollution sources that should be addressed with any future funds beyond the mobile source focus of the Carl Moyer and Proposition 1B programs.    


Since 1998, the Carl Moyer Program has successfully reduced smog-forming and toxic emissions in California through incentive grants to vehicle and equipment owners.  The grants provide a significant share of project costs, and help stimulate manufacture of cleaner technologies.  Projects are solicited and selected by local air districts under CARB guidelines that specify project cost-effectiveness and criteria to ensure projects can receive emission reduction credit in federal air quality plans.  Carl Moyer Program grants can fund a wide variety of project types including replacement or repower of heavy-duty trucks, transit and school buses, off-road construction and agricultural equipment, locomotives, infrastructure, and light-duty vehicle retirement.  Proposition 1B clean truck projects include replacement and repower of heavy-duty diesel trucks that haul goods, plus infrastructure to support truck electrification.   

More Information

For more information and to download workshop materials, go to the Moyer Program webpage.

For questions about this workshop please contact:

Mr. Kyle Goff, Air Pollution Specialist, (916) 324-1988

Mr. Doug Thompson, Manager, Incentives Oversight Section, (916) 322-6922