On-Road:
-raising the maximum allowed mileage for used on-road trucks;
-reducing the required California registration period for baseline trucks;
-reducing the emission reduction surplus period for on-road small fleet retrofit projects;
-extending eligibility to trucks that previously operated as drayage trucks; and
-increasing the VIP grant amount

Off-Road:
-simplifying the method to determine maximum equipment replacement grants;
-simplifying the usage documentation requirements;
-clarifying the criteria for replacement equipment; and
-eliminating advance approval of district equipment replacement plans.

The mail-out can be found on the Moyer Advisories/Mail-outs page at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/moyer/advisories_005/advisories_005.htm

For more information about the Carl Moyer Program, please go to:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/moyer/moyer.htm

If you have any questions, please contact Peter Christensen (On-Road), at (916) 322-1520 or via email at pchriste@arb.ca.gov, or Rhonda Runyon (Off-Road), at (626) 350-6551 or via email at rrunyon@arb.ca.gov.

BACKGROUND: Since 1998, the Carl Moyer Program has filled a
critical niche in California’s strategy to achieve clean air.
The Carl Moyer Program provides grant funding for the incremental
cost of cleaner-than-required engines, equipment, and emission
reduction technologies. The Carl Moyer Program complements
California’s regulatory program by funding emission reductions
that are surplus (i.e., early and/or in excess of what is
required by regulation). State law authorizes Air Resources
Board to revise the Carl Moyer Program Guidelines when necessary
to improve the ability of the program to achieve its goals.

SOURCE Air Resources Board

SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board today voted to provide relief for fleet owners of medium-sized commercial diesel trucks by streamlining the procedures for testing their trucks’ emissions.

The Board’s decision amended the Periodic Smoke Inspection Program (PSIP) to exempt diesel fleet owners of delivery vans and larger pick-up trucks 1998 and newer from mandatory annual smoke inspections because, under a new law, they must undergo a Smog Check every other year. The Board’s decision is expected to save industry approximately $4.2 million annually.

The streamlined approach removing the PSIP test requirement affects 77,000 lighter trucks with weights between 6,000 and 14,000 pounds. The decision will have a negligible impact on air quality because these vehicles will remain subject to an every-other-year Smog Check, which includes a smoke inspection.

“It makes good sense to amend this regulation,” said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. “Our experts believe there is little air quality benefit to be gained from performing both types of smoke inspection. The Board’s action today will help many business owners save time, save money, and will still help to remove diesel pollution from the air thus protecting public health.”

Enacted in 2007, AB 1488 requires diesel passenger cars and trucks manufactured after 1997 and weighing 14,000 pounds or less to be included in the California Smog Check Program, and thus be subject to biennial emissions testing starting Jan. 1, 2010. Administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Automotive Repair with assistance from ARB, diesel smog check inspections consist of a visual inspection of the emission control devices, a check of the vehicles on-board diagnostic system, and a visual assessment of the vehicle’s smoke level.

The PSIP was signed into law in 1990 to control excess smoke emissions and tampering from fleets of heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses. The PSIP requires owners of California-based fleets with two or more diesel-powered vehicles weighing more than 6,000 pounds to conduct annual smoke opacity inspections. Vehicles that fail the test must be removed from service, repaired and retested.

With the 2010 implementation of biennial Smog Checks for lighter diesel vehicles, nearly 77,000 diesel vehicles are subject to both Smog Checks and the smoke test. Without the amendment adopted today, owners of these vehicles would have to submit to both an annual PSIP test and a Smog Check every other year. Inspections under the PSIP program average $55 per test, while a Smog Check averages $47.

Diesel exhaust contains a variety of harmful gases and over 40 other known cancer-causing compounds. In 1998, California identified diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant based on its potential to cause cancer, premature death and other health problems. In 2000, the ARB established California’s Diesel Risk Reduction Plan, which aims to reduce diesel emissions to 85 percent below 2000 levels by 2020.

Release Date:10/21/2010
SOURCE Air Resources Board

FRESNO, Calif., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Results tabulated from the first two years of a new voluntary air quality program show farmers are making significant improvements in reducing nitrous oxide emissions, precursors of ozone. Ed Burton, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist for California, made today’s announcement at the Souza Dairy Farm near Fresno, where he also committed $24 million to the program for 2011.

The program splits with farmers the cost of replacing the oldest and most polluting combustion engines on the farm, with new technology that runs 75 percent cleaner. Using this program California farmers have replaced engines on 814 old tractors and other farm equipment in the past two years and reduced nitrous oxide emissions by 1,349 tons.

“To put this in perspective, these emission reductions are roughly equivalent to removing 408,000 cars from California highways,” said Burton. “Think about it. That many cars would stretch from Washington State to Mexico.”

Farmers interested in participating in NRCS programs have from now until Nov. 12, 2010 to sign up at their local NRCS office to be considered for the first funding round of fiscal year 2011.
“California’s farmers have responded enthusiastically to our efforts to improve air quality,” added Burton. “We look forward to seeing what they can achieve in 2011.”

The new program, part of the 2008 Farm Bill, was first rolled out in 2009. The primary goal is to help farmers and ranchers achieve air quality conditions set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Producers in the 36 California counties that are currently not in compliance with one or more of these standards were eligible for the new program. The program can operate for two more years under current authorizations.

While the new program in California specifically targets nitrous oxide emissions from combustion engines, NRCS and farmers collaborate on air quality work on nine conservation practices to further air quality goals for PM10, PM 2.5, ozone, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These include practices such as the engine replacement program, conservation tillage, treating farm roads to reduce dust, using machinery that reduces VOCs in orchards and more.

In the past two years, NRCS has received over 5000 applications for the diesel emissions reduction program and has been able to fund 814 of these at a cost of $43.4 million. Additionally, NRCS has joined into 420 contracts for other types of air quality conservation work, at a cost of $6.4 million. Farmers typically contribute 50 percent. In 2009 the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District provided $3 million to increase the cost share rate for some of the farmers in their district.

Burton credited the effective partnership that has supported the policy, technical and educational work necessary to achieve the air quality benefits. “Conservation, farming and environmental groups all got behind the effort to help put California agriculture on the leading edge of conducting business in a cleaner, greener way that protects the air and complies with local and state regulations,” concluded Burton.

The partnership includes the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Environmental Defense Fund, California Farm Bureau Federation, Nisei Farmers League, Western United Dairymen, California Cotton Growers and Ginners, Resource Conservation Districts, California Citrus Mutual, California Grape and Tree Fruit League, California Dairy Campaign, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Several partners joined with NRCS in 2009 to host 15 workshops throughout the Central Valley to alert and educate producers about air quality and the opportunities available through the Farm Bill program.

SOURCE USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service

The Associated General Contractors of America and the staff of the California Air Resources Board have reached an agreement on proposed changes to the state’s off-road diesel rule designed to give the local construction industry time to recover from the recession while protecting air quality. The proposed changes, which will need approval from the board in December, provides needed relief for an industry that has lost 4 out of every 10 jobs since the start of the downturn, and still lowers emissions below the levels that the Board originally sought to achieve.

“The proposed changes promise relief for struggling construction workers and improvements for the state’s air quality,” said Mike Kennedy, the association’s general counsel, noting that the association will continue to work with Board staff on some of the details of the complex proposal.

Kennedy explained that the proposed changes are based on new and far lower estimates of the emissions from the off-road diesel equipment in the construction industry. The association developed the new estimates earlier this year, and over the summer the Board staff largely confirmed them. “The new estimates provided a common starting point for changes that everyone agreed the data should drive,” Kennedy said.

The proposed changes call for the Board to delay its emissions standards for off-road diesel equipment until 2014, to ease the annual burden employers have to bear, and to give contractors greater flexibility in determining how to comply. The proposed changes also call for the Board to give contractors credit for the efforts they have already made to reduce emissions and to reward contractors for voluntarily reducing emissions before 2014. However, the proposed changes would also extend the rule further into the future.

Kennedy said it was encouraging that state regulators took the time to study and confirm the industry’s estimates, and allowed the information to shape their recommendations. “As the estimates evolved, the Board staff demonstrated the courage and wisdom to propose significant changes to the rule,” Kennedy noted. “It was not easy, but we found a way to protect workers and air quality at the same time.”

Release Date:10/07/2010
SOURCE AGC of America



SACRAMENTO – Representatives from the Air Resources Board and the Associated General Contractors of America trade organization today agreed on proposed changes to the state’s landmark “off-road” regulation that will offer affected businesses additional time and more flexible options for compliance.

“This marks a new chapter for California and its effort to clean up emissions from diesel engines. We applaud the AGC for showing leadership on this issue and recognizing that California needs to control all sources of diesel emissions,” said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols.

First adopted in July 2007, the rule affects the state’s estimated 150,000 “off-road” vehicles used in construction, mining, airport ground support and other industries. It calls for installation of diesel soot filters and the replacement of older, dirtier engines with newer emission-controlled models to curb diesel exhaust. Improvements were originally scheduled to begin in March 2010 for larger fleets, with medium and small-sized fleets having staggered implementation through 2015.

“We worked closely with the Associated General Contractors using a common set of data and assumptions about emissions to develop a set of proposals that will be cost effective and improve air quality,” said Nichols. “Our efforts today recognize the severe financial hardships that many businesses are experiencing due to the recession, while also ensuring that we meet our clean air obligations under Federal law.”

The newly proposed amendments, which will be presented for approval at ARB’s December 16-17 hearing, would streamline the compliance process and offer businesses additional time and flexible options to meet requirements. They would also provide credits for efforts already made to reduce emissions, and incentivize continued early actions.
If approved, the changes will:

• Delay start of requirements until January 1, 2014
• Increase the number of “low-use” equipment exempted
• Provide simpler compliance options for the smallest fleets
• Extend benefits for businesses that comply before their deadline
• Lower annual requirements to clean up engines

Other portions of the regulation that went into effect this year, including reporting, idling and equipment labeling requirements for all fleets, remain intact and are being enforced.

Diesel particulate matter, or diesel “soot,” was identified as a toxic air contaminant in 1998. In 2000, the ARB established California’s Diesel Risk Reduction Plan, which aims to reduce diesel emissions to 85 percent below 2000 levels by 2020. Other sources of diesel particulate matter such as port trucks, private fleet trucks, transit buses, cargo-handling equipment, trash trucks and ship engines have already been addressed through regulations, along with diesel fuel.

A recent ARB study, using peer-reviewed U. S. EPA methodology, found that very fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is responsible for 9,000 premature deaths in California, underscoring the need to address the health risks associated with this form of pollution.

Release Date:10/07/2010
SOURCE Air Resources Board

EL MONTE, CALIF – Today the Air Resources Board, Department of Consumer Affairs/Bureau of Automotive Repair and Assembly member Mike Eng marked the adoption of AB 2289, a new law restructuring California’s Smog Check Program, streamlining and strengthening inspections, increasing penalties for misconduct, and reducing costs to motorists.

The new law, sponsored by the Air Resources Board and the Bureau of Automotive Repair, promises faster and less expensive Smog Checks by taking advantage of diagnostic software installed on all vehicles since 2000. The new law also directs vehicles without this equipment to high-performing stations – rewarding these stations – helping ensure that these cars comply with current emission standards. As a result, this legislation could reduce up to an additional 70 tons per day of smog-forming emissions from vehicles statewide.

“This is definitely not your father’s old-fashioned smog test,” said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “Smog Check version 2.0 is plugged-in, wired and a winner. It’s all about faster, cleaner and cheaper tests that will catch and clean up far more dirty cars than now. Your car’s on-board computer has been enlisted in the battle for cleaner air.”

“AB 2289 revamps the current smog check program by using the latest technology to ensure air quality improvement and lower consumer costs,” said Assembly member Eng (D-Monterey Park). “Cleaner air saves lives, reduces adverse effects on children and the elderly as well as Native American, African American, Latino, and Asian populations who are more likely to be affected by asthma.”

“The Smog Check Program is a key element in California’s fight for clean air,” said BAR Chief Sherry Mehl. “AB 2289 provides BAR with new tools in its clean air efforts by holding stations and technicians accountable and by improving consumer convenience while reducing costs.”

The program will reduce consumer costs by having stations take advantage of diagnostic software that monitors pollution-reduction components and tailpipe emissions. This technology, known as On-Board Diagnostics, has been required on all new vehicles since 1996. Under the new law, testing of passenger vehicles using OBD will begin mid-2013 on all vehicles model years 2000 or newer. This should result in reduced consumer costs by up to $180 million annually.

Vehicles manufactured without these diagnostic systems will continue to be subject to a tailpipe inspection. Only Smog Check stations with a demonstrated history of high performance will be authorized to inspect these older vehicles. This change will improve testing, diagnosis and repair of these vehicles.

An independent review of the Smog Check Program in 2009 revealed that within a short period of time after passing a Smog Check inspection, 19 percent of vehicles failed a subsequent emissions audit conducted by state officials. The same study also found that 49 percent of vehicles that had failed an audit conducted by BAR staff had failed and then subsequently passed an inspection at a licensed Smog Check station.

California’s Smog Check Program, administered by the Bureau of Automotive Repair, was established in 1984 to identify high emitting vehicles in need of repair. Currently, the Smog Check Program removes approximately 400 tons of smog-forming emissions from California’s air each day.

Release Date:10/18/2010
SOURCE Air Resources Board