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Comment 56 for Volkswagen Settlement - California ZEV Investments (vw-zevinvest-ws) - 1st Workshop.


First Name: Tamara
Last Name: Perry
Email Address: tamara.perry@laedc.org
Affiliation: LAEDC

Subject: Recommendations: Volkswagen Settlement Investment Priorities
Comment:
Sir/Madam:

On behalf of the Los Angeles County Economic Development
Corporation (LAEDC), an organization whose purpose is to raise
standards of living for the residents of Southern California,
defined as the Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside
counties, by increasing economic opportunity and regional
prosperity, I am writing to respectfully submit this letter with
proposed recommendations for the Volkswagen settlement investment
priorities. 
 
Since 2012, Southern California has become a center for the world’s
clean vehicle consumer and producer markets.  On the consumer side,
a 2016 Clean Edge report  revealed that the number of electric
vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles in Southern California
(including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino
counties increased from 9,822 in 2012 to 79,866 in 2016 – a more
than eight-fold increase, and total electric vehicle charging
stations increased from 353 in 2012 to 1,097 in 2016. 

On the development and production side, Southern California has
seen a precipitous escalation in the amount of investment (an
estimated $768 million from 2013-2014) directed towards the
region’s “clean technology” industry, especially within the
sub-disciplines of clean vehicles and alternative fuels. What’s
more, further industry growth is being driven by the more than 20
automotive manufacturers and design centers domiciled throughout
the region, as well as some of the nation’s most forward-looking
metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies who, with
adequate support, stand ready to aggressively deploy infrastructure
to support the widespread and accelerated deployment of zero
emission vehicles (ZEVs). 

The confluence of governmental leadership, concentration of
industry firms, and the regional need to improve air quality has
laid the groundwork for the Southern California’s advanced
transportation ecosystem. And, the region’s unique blend of assets
also provides significant upside opportunity to accelerate a
megaregional clean vehicles adoption and deployment strategy. But
much-needed and targeted investment into ZEV infrastructure is
urgently needed here in Southern California to achieve these ZEV
aspirations, providing the impetus for local leaders, businesses
and residents to push for increased ZEV adoption and usage. Adding
to this urgency, it is clear that investment in Southern California
would not only have significant direct economic, environmental and
quality of life impacts, but also stimulate further “spillover”
economic and job  benefits from continued innovation,
commercialization, deployment and export of ZEV technologies,
services and products from our geographically concentrated
industry.  With this in mind, we urge you to consider the following
recommendations: 
	
1) It is imperative that Southern California receive a proportional
distribution of resources remitted though the settlement, a minimum
of $90 million. Southern California is home to approximately 45
percent of the California population and its goods movement
industry moves more than 40 percent of nation’s containerized
goods. Passenger vehicles, and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles all
contribute to the concentration of air pollutants which negatively
affect health outcomes for many residents, especially those in
disadvantaged communities. Proportional funding will encourage
early adoption and innovation of products, processes, services and
technologies to ensure a cleaner, healthier environment. 
2) Funds designated for disadvantaged communities (25 percent)
should be proportionately directed to the jurisdictions that
contain these census tracts. Disadvantaged communities includes
those that are disproportionately affected by pollution and
environmental hazards, and with socioeconomic vulnerability. By
this definition, established by SB 535, of the 1,994 census tracts
in the state of California, 1,018 of them (51 percent) are located
in in Los Angeles County alone. Indeed, of the 9.4 million
residents who live in these census tracts, 4.348 million live in
Los Angeles County - nearly 46 percent of the total disadvantaged
population for the state. It is critical the Los Angeles County and
the Southern California region receive proportionately directed
funding. 
3) Infrastructure development and deployment must be prioritized.
Southern California has ongoing efforts that present pathways to
immediate “in the ground” infrastructure applications, which would
amplify the effect of the investment. 
4) Disadvantaged communities ought to receive at least 25 percent
of the appropriated investment resources, of which 10 percent
should be allocated to installments that immediately benefit
disadvantaged communities at central or adjacent sites. 
5) The City of Los Angeles should receive special consideration as
a candidate for the “Green City” initiative. Not only does the City
of Los Angeles contain more than its “fair share” of disadvantaged
communities (as determined by the calenviroscreen), it is home to
some of the most significant traffic congestion in the country, two
of the busiest ports in the nation, and a consistently top-ten rank
in worst metropolitan air quality in the United States. The
investment proposed in the Green City initiative would support Los
Angeles’ current efforts already enacted to address these
unfortunate claims, and would also kick-start the next wave of
disruptive invention, innovation, and radical change necessary to
improve health outcomes for residents. 

It is our hope that an appropriate settlement investment level,
along with the investment application called for in this letter,
will be made in the Southern California region, which is not only
prepared to receive and expeditiously deploy targeted resources,
but is positioned to be the standard-bearer for the entire state in
setting best management practices precedent for ZEV investment,
development, deployment and adoption.  For all of these reasons, we
encourage Volkswagen and the California Air Resources Board
adequately consider the above recommendations and ensure that
Southern California receives balanced and proportional share of
investment. 

Should you have any additional questions and/or comments, please do
not hesitate to contact Tamara Perry, Director of Strategic
Initiatives with the Los Angeles County Economic Development
Corporation, at tamara.perry@laedc.org


Sincerely,

David Flaks
President  & COO, LAEDC

Attachment: www.arb.ca.gov/lists/com-attach/61-vw-zevinvest-ws-BnBdLFcJAiIGZQl9.pdf

Original File Name: VW settlement LAEDC letter_FINAL.pdf

Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2016-12-16 12:53:21



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