VENTURA COUNTY — On November 12, 2019, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board approved $3.5 million in emission reduction grants for Ventura County businesses. This year’s grants will help pay for new, lower-emission equipment to replace 54 older, higher-pollution diesel engines in agricultural equipment and commercial fishing boats. In addition, this year’s grants will help fund the installation of 6 electric vehicle charging stations at California State University, Channel Islands. The total investment in 2019 air quality projects, including the cost-share contributed by grant recipients, will be over $5.6 million. Since 1999, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District has awarded over $46 million to help businesses operating in Ventura County replace older equipment with cleaner, low-emission equipment.
“Our incentive programs provide local businesses, farmers, and other stake holders with a great opportunity to modernize their equipment and help us clean the air for all residents and especially those in disadvantaged and low-income communities of Ventura County,” said Dr. Laki Tisopulos, Air Pollution Control Officer of the VCAPCD.
The VCAPCD has three separate incentive programs through which grants are awarded to the most cost-effective projects. These grants seek to maximize the reduction of smog-forming and toxic diesel particulate emissions countywide, with a large portion of the grants focusing on reducing pollution in disadvantaged and low-income communities.
The total annual emissions reductions from this year’s grants are 31.1 tons per year of ozone precursors, 2.3 tons per year of diesel particulate matter, and 223 metric tonnes per year of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
VCAPCD will begin accepting applications for next year’s combined incentive program grants in the spring of 2020. To be placed on an email list to be notified when applications become available or when community meetings are being held for our incentive programs, interested parties can email Miles Bergeson atmiles@vcapcd.org and specify the mailing list.
Further information can also be found at the following links:
VCAPCD Grant Programs:
http://vcapcd.org/grant_programs.htm
VCAPCD CAP Program:
http://vcapcd.org/Community-Air-Protection.htm
CARB Carl Moyer Program:
CARB CAP Program:
https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/cap/capfunds.htm
CARB FARMER Program: