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newsrel -- ARB Approves Funding Targets for $1 Billion

Posted: 28 Feb 2008 18:27:40
Please consider the following Air Reseources Board press release
announcing the distribution allotments for funding from
Proposition 1B.  You can as well review the release here:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr022808b.htm .
Thank You
Dimitri Stanich
ARB/PIO

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Release 08-18
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2008
	  	  	
Patricia Rey
916-322-2990
www.arb.ca.gov

ARB approves funding targets for $1 billion from Proposition 1B

$250 million readily available to fund goods movement projects
along major trade corridors

SACRAMENTO - The California Air Resources Board approved today
the implementation guidelines to distribute the overall $1
billion of Proposition 1B, passed by voters in 2006.

Governor Schwarzenegger signed the 2007-08 budget which contains
the first installment of $250 million for air quality improvement
projects.

"With this funding, Californians will make a significant down
payment on cleaning up one of the last and most serious sources
of air pollution-the downside of our economic success as a
gateway for trade. Communities along the path of goods movement
have for too long been hit hardest," said ARB Chairman Mary D.
Nichols. "As these funds begin to roll out in the coming months,
we will see cleaner trucks, cleaner locomotives, and cleaner port
and truck terminal operations. State funds will be matched by
fees imposed by the ports to speed up the introduction of new
equipment and retrofit older trucks with state-of-the art
pollution controls."

Bond monies will go to four major regions for goods
movement-related projects affecting the state's trade corridors.
Funding targets to each corridor are based on population, goods
movement emissions and federal attainment needs to focus bond
monies on the areas most heavily impacted by freight-related
pollution. The ARB approved the staff recommended allocation of
funds as follows:

    * $550 million--Los Angeles/Inland Empire trade
corridor--55%
    * $250 million--Central Valley trade corridor--25%
    * $140 million--Bay Area trade corridor--14%
    * $60 million--San Diego/Border trade corridor--6% 

Since this program looks at the trade corridors as part of a
single goods movement system for California, local agencies
administering bond monies will fund projects based on the total
emission reductions expected in the entire state, not just in
their local area.

Within the approved guidelines, ARB will aim for different
funding categories as follows:

    * $400 million--Diesel trucks serving seaports and
intermodal rail yards
    * $360 million--Other diesel trucks that haul goods; truck
stop or distribution center electrification
    * $100 million--Diesel freight locomotives
    * $100 million--Shore power for cargo ships; cargo handling
equipment used at seaports and intermodal rail yards
    * $40 million--Commercial harbor craft 

www.arb.ca.gov/gmbondDuring today's hearing, the ARB also
approved allocations for the $25 million early grants, funding
originated by Proposition 1B. The monies for this part of the
program will be distributed among the local air districts in Los
Angeles/Inland Empire ($13.8M), Central Valley ($6.5M), Bay Area
($3.4M) and San Diego/Border ($1.3M). This translates into the
upgrade of over 1,000 trucks through retrofit or replacement
with cleaner technology.

Emissions from goods movement result in significant human health
risks and adverse environmental effects, particularly when such
sources operate near already heavily-impacted communities
located in the state's trade corridors. Goods movement pollution
contributed to 2,400 premature deaths in California in 2005.

ARB estimates that the distribution of $1 billion in bond monies
to the approved source categories will decrease harmful emissions
by about 7,800 tons of diesel particulate matter and 190,000 tons
of nitrogen oxides. Diesel particulate matter has been identified
by ARB as a toxic air contaminant, and nitrogen oxides contribute
to regional ozone and particle levels that exceed state and
federal air quality standards.

The emission reductions will also provide co-benefits by
decreasing greenhouse gases and black carbon soot that
contribute to climate change (approximately 1.3 million of
carbon dioxide).

For more information on the Proposition 1B: Goods Movement
Emission Reduction Program, please visit www.arb.ca.gov/gmbond.

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.

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