I'm imagining that school districts with nimble leadership will try to take advantage of this offering. Those whose decision-making apparatus is tangled in tape will be less able.
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If you've ever wondered why air quality is such an issue in California, a visit to Los Angeles in person might answer part of that question. This city, and most of the coastal cities on the Pacific, are situated in basins with mountains stretching up on the East and an incoming breeze from the ocean. It's like a bowl that cataches and holds all the smog, zone and particulate matter. An atmospheric inversion occurs which causes it all to form a "pollution dome" over the city.
Most major cities have a slightly discolored dome hovering over them, but wind and weather usually cleanses this cloud in most places. The cities on the West Coast, being hedged by mountains, find themselves with a unique drawback.
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California has been wrestling with air quality issues for a century now and San Francisco has not been exempt. Jack Broadbent, the Bay district’s executive officer, said the grants would pay for “cleaner-than-required equipment to improve air quality in neighborhoods that need our help most." The funding comes from the Carl Moyer Program and Community Health Protection Program.
NOTEWORTHY
The announcement was made on December 11, and these funds will be distributed on a first come first serve basis.
To apply or for more information, go to www.baaqmd.gov/AB617grants or call (415) 749-4994. Applications will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis until funds run out.
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Story Source: The Independent News
Because diesel engines can last up to 20 to 30 years or longer, it will take many years before the bulk of the existing diesel engines may be retired and be replaced with diesel engines that meet more stringent emissions standards. Therefore, it is important to provide incentives for these in-use engines to be retrofitted with emission control devices or be replaced. There are many available sources to fund diesel retrofit projects. Funding sources include federal, state and local programs.
ReplyDeleteThere's money out there: As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) authorized funding of up to $200 million annually in the U.S. EPA's budget for FY 2007 through FY 2011 to help reduce emissions from the existing diesel fleet. Congress appropriated funds for the first time under this program in FY 2008 in the amount of $49.2 million. In addition, $300 million was appropriated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Recovery Act of 2009, $120 million was appropriated for FY 2009-2010, and $49.9 million for FY 2011. As stipulated under DERA, 70% of DERA funds are to be used for national competitive grants, with the remaining 30% allocated to the states.
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