Comment Log Display

The Central California Asthma Collaborative here-bye states is
complete support for Item 19-12-2 San Joaquin Valley Agricultural
Equipment Incentive Measure, often known as the FARMER Program. 
Agriculture is critical to the economy of the San Joaquin Valley
and the food it grows support the nutrition needs of hundreds of
thousands of people both nationwide and around the world. However,
air emissions from agricultural diesel internal combustion engines
produce both; elemental black carbon-both a form of directly
emitted PM 2.5 and a short lived climate pollutant-and; oxides of
nitrogen (NOx)-a precursor to to both PM 2.5 and ozone. 
Farmers have continued to adopt cleaner alternatives to diesel
engine powered equipment through programs like Carl Moyer and DERA
however, those programs are focused primarily on mobile sources
and/or extremely large engines, often leaving the hundreds of
smaller tractors and other equipment without any kind of incentive
funding or support. 
The San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Equipment Incentive Measure is
the answer to that problem. This new program specifically focuses
incentive funding and support to farmers and their equipment which
has been left out of existing programs. This measure provides the
resources farmers need to upgrade or completely replace older high
pollution equipment with new high tier or electric alternatives. 
Additionally, this funding will also provide at least a portion of
much needed incentive funding for diesel emission reductions
mandated by the 2019 SJV PM 2.5 State Implementation Plan. 
Last but most importantly, both of these pollutants also have
significant health impacts that are felt the greatest in low income
and communities of color. The San Joaquin Valley has one of the
highest rates of childhood asthma in California and these
pollutants are significant asthma triggers, so reducing them is
critical to improving the health of these children.
CCAC requests a yes vote for this program and for CARB to recommend
Governor Newsome include full funding for this program in his
upcoming state budget. 
Thank you for your kind attention to this matter,
Kevin Hamilton, RRT,ACS
CEO Central California Asthma Collaborative
www.centralcalasthma.org