| May 2, 2008 To
Accelerate the Reduction of Diesel Emissions
Southland air quality officials today adopted a measure that will help
accelerate emission reductions from diesel construction and other off-road
vehicles by requiring fleets to apply for incentive funding to help replace
or rebuild their older, dirtier engines.
“Construction and off-road vehicles are among the top three largest
sources of diesel emissions in the Southland,” said Roy Wilson, Ed.D.,
Governing Board Vice Chairman of the South Coast Air Quality Management
District Board. “Until recently, little has been done to control their
emissions. This program will help us speed up pollution reductions from
construction equipment and reduce the public health burden of dirty air.”
AQMD today elected to implement a special opt-in provision in a statewide
regulation to significantly reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from
construction and other off-road vehicles. The special provision, known as
SOON (Surplus Off-Road Opt-In for NOx) was identified in AQMD’s 2007 Air
Quality Management Plan. That plan calls for significant reductions in NOx
emissions from mobile sources in order to meet federal fine particulate
(PM2.5) standards in the Southland by 2014.
Under the
SOON program, owners of construction and other off-road vehicle fleets in
the Southland will be required to meet more stringent fleet average targets
for NOx emissions after April 2, 2009.
An innovative compliance provision of the SOON regulation requires owners
to apply for funding, if available, to reduce diesel emissions by either
retrofitting existing vehicles with emission control devices, replacing
existing engines with cleaner engines, or retiring high-polluting vehicles
to meet more stringent emission reduction targets than required under the
statewide regulation. The stricter provisions of the program apply to the
largest fleets that have the most significant emissions.
In addition
to today’s action, the AQMD released a new program announcement to solicit
project proposals under the SOON program. Individual fleets are limited to
10 percent of available funding. AQMD plans to award funding in spring
2009.
With future funding, the SOON program is expected to reduce 12 tons per
day of NOx emissions in the Southland by 2014.
In other action today, the AQMD Board:
- Adopted a $132.1 million budget for fiscal year 2008-09,
including a 4.1 percent Consumer Price Index increase for select fees and
the final phase-in of a 30 percent increase – 10 percent each year for three
years -- adopted in 2006 for permit processing, annual permit renewal and
emissions fees; and
- Awarded nearly $3.5 million to Fossil Energy Research
Corporation to develop and implement a research study to identify and
demonstrate the most advanced control technologies available to help reduce
fine and ultrafine particulate emissions from natural gas-fired power
plants.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major
portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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