The Valley Air District Governing Board unanimously voted on Thursday to accept $12.9 million in additional California Air Resources Board (CARB) funding to replace heavy-duty trucks through the Valley Air District’s highly successful grant program.

“Grant funds such as these recognize the importance of partnerships to expedite emission reductions in the San Joaquin Valley,” said Samir Sheikh, Executive Director and Air Pollution Control Officer of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.  “With these funds the state is acknowledging the Valley’s unique challenges, and we appreciate these much-needed resources.”

Reducing emissions from mobile sources is key to the Valley meeting federal ambient air quality standards. Heavy-duty trucks, like the ones targeted under this funding, are the single largest source of NOx and diesel PM in the Valley, and are critical to ensuring that goods are moved throughout the state and nation. Emissions from heavy-duty vehicles are primarily under the regulatory jurisdiction of state and federal government, and voluntary incentive programs are critical to transitioning fleets to the next generation of cleaner technologies and achieving reductions needed to meet air quality standards.

The District’s successful truck incentive programs have repowered, retrofitted, or replaced over 7,300 heavy-duty trucks with cleaner alternatives.

Through advocacy efforts, the 2021-22 California state budget included new funding designated for the replacement of heavy-duty trucks with zero or near-zero emission trucks in severe or extreme nonattainment areas, with $12.9 million of that funding allocated for the Valley.  These new funds will be utilized within the District’s existing Truck Replacement Program that provides funding for new, clean truck technologies.

A complete list of program requirements may be found at www.valleyair.org/grants or by calling program staff at (559) 230-5800.