SACRAMENTO– The California Air Resources Board (ARB) will hold a public meeting Tuesday, January 5, 1999, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to discuss this year's proposed projects for the Rice Straw Demonstration Project Fund (Rice Fund). The meeting will be held at the following location:

Air Resources Board
Lower Level Hearing Room
2020 L Street
Sacramento, California 95814

The meeting will include presentations of the proposals that passed the initial screening process. Prototypes and samples of products made from rice straw will be on display, including:

• Building Materials
• Citric Acid Production
• Cattle Feed
• Compost Production
• Erosion Control Products

Thirteen grant requests were received and after a preliminary review, eight are under consideration for funding from the $2.25 million available this fiscal year.

The Rice Fund was enacted through legislation in 1997 and provides up to 50 percent funding for projects that use a significant amount of California rice straw.

The final decision on which projects will receive funding will take place at the regular Air Resources Board meeting scheduled for April 22, 1999.

For more information about the Rice Fund program, please visit the ARB website at:

www.arb.ca.gov/smp/rice/ricefund/ricefund.htm.