SACRAMENTO -- The California Air Resources Board (ARB) today announced the results of its audit of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District's (SMAQMD or District) Carl Moyer Program, a grant-funded effort to reduce emissions through the replacement or retrofit of dirty diesel engines.

The ARB audited the District's Moyer Program as part of a plan to examine the statewide allocation of $50 million to local air pollution control districts in the 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 fiscal years. ARB staff also reviewed whether the District's implementation in fiscal years 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 were compliant with current program requirements.

"The Sacramento District's Carl Moyer Program is a good example of a well-managed process based upon a successful collaboration among the District, the ARB, the private sector and the community. Safeguarding the Carl Moyer program is good for all Californians because its focus on cleaner and more efficient technologies will significantly reduce air pollution and protect public health," said ARB Chairman, Dr. Robert Sawyer.

The audit identified several commendable efforts achieved by the District's local program:

• Development of a comprehensive database for quality assurance and control of the projects.
• Implementation of pre- and post-inspections to ensure reductions obtained were accurate and old engines were no longer operated in California.

The SMAQMD administers the Carl Moyer Program for all the air districts in the Sacramento Federal Ozone Non-attainment Area which includes Yolo-Solano, El Dorado and Placer. Over the past eight years, ARB has provided the Sacramento region with over $21.5 million in Carl Moyer Program funding, which have been used primarily to pay for new cleaner replacement engines for agricultural pumps and construction equipment. The District has leveraged the financial support with $7.4 million in local funds.

During the first six years of the program, the SMAQMD's Carl Moyer Program funds have been expended on 1,059 cleaner engines, which reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by 3,169 tons and diesel particulate matter (PM) by 130 tons over the life of the projects. The average cost-effectiveness for the Sacramento region is about $6,700 per ton of NOx.

The program review showed that the District Carl Moyer Program efficiently and effectively obtained surplus emission reductions and served as a resource for other local districts by providing advice and mentoring. The four findings from the ARB review are limited to administrative issues, such as missing documentation or absence of certain contract requirements. The District has already begun to rectify all findings to bring them into full compliance with the Carl Moyer program guidelines.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy cost, see our website at http://www.arb.ca.gov.