VENTURA — On December 12, 2019, the City of Ojai celebrated the successful conversion of its gasoline-powered landscaping equipment to zero-emissions, electric-powered alternatives. This conversion was supported in part by a $60,000 Clean Air Fund grant approved by the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board. The celebration at the Ojai City Hall was attended by Fillmore City Council Member Lynn Edmonds, Ojai City Council Member Ryan Blatz, and representatives of Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, Assembly Member Monique Limón, the California Air Resources Board, and the city governments of Ventura, Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Port Hueneme. The event was concluded by Mayor Johnny Johnston taking the lead in ceremoniously destroying the old equipment by using drills and sledgehammers and inviting all attendants to join in.
“We are very excited and extremely proud of this collaborative effort with the City of Ojai and the air quality benefits it brings to its residents. We hope this will inspire other cities to replicate Ojai’s success and help improve air quality for all residents of our county.” said Dr. Laki Tisopulos, Air Pollution Control Officer for Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.
Over the last two years, VCAPCD has worked closely with the City of Ojai, American Green Zone Alliance and community members to achieve the first municipal conversion to zero-emission landscape maintenance equipment in Ventura County, and the second AGZA Green Zone City in the nation. This collaborative effort was in part funded through VCAPCD’s Clean Air Fund incentives program. This project is expected to reduce criteria pollutant, toxic air contaminant and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 80 tons per year.
The Clean Air Fund is one of the incentive programs administered by VCAPCD to provide financial incentives for local communities to reduce their air emissions and was used to fund the installation of 13 electric vehicle charging stations throughout Ventura County in 2019.
The VCAPCD has a variety of incentive programs that offer funding for projects that improve air quality in the region; examples include: the retirement of older vehicles, cleaner air emission technology in school buses, installation of EV charging stations for public access, and other unique projects which reduce air pollution emissions such as landscape equipment electrification.
We are currently accepting project applications for VCAPCD incentive programs. Funding is offered on a first-come-first-serve basis. To receive information about how incentives can help fund your project and to submit applications, interested parties can email Danny McQuillan at danny@vcapcd.org.
Further information can also be found at the following links:
VCAPCD Grant Programs:
http://vcapcd.org/grant_programs.htm
VCAPCD Clean Air Fund:
http://www.vcapcd.org/grant_programs.htm#Clean_Air_Fund
VCAPCD Lower Emission School Bus Program:
http://www.vcapcd.org/grant_programs.htm#Lower_Emission_School_Bus_Program_
VCAPCD Old Car Buyback Program:
http://www.vcapcd.org/grant_programs.htm#Old_Car_Buy_Back
http://www.oldcarbuyback.com/ventura.php