The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has announced $34 million in Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust funding is available statewide now for multiple types of projects.
Those include:
• Scrap-and-replace airport ground support equipment, port cargo handling equipment and forklifts with new zero-emission technologies
• Scrap-and-repower marine engines for ferries, tugboats, and towboats with new zero-emission, all-electric or fuel-cell, technologies
• Installation of shore power at berths that serve ocean-going vessels
Applications are being accepted online at www.CaliforniaVWTrust.org and the application deadline is 5 p.m. PDT, Sept. 22, 2021.
The funding is being offered statewide through a first-come first-served solicitation. Applications will be evaluated for eligible equipment based on ability to reduce NOx emissions. All funded equipment and vehicles must operate in California. At least 75 percent of the $34 million is expected to benefit disadvantaged and low-income communities.
A separate solicitation for this category offering an additional $35 million is expected to be released in fall 2022.
For more information, visit the program website Zero-Emission Freight and Marine Projects (californiavwtrust.org). The program solicitation describes eligible projects and funding requirements, lists webinars being offered to describe this funding opportunity, and answers frequently asked questions.
The VW Environmental Mitigation Trust is a nationwide program that provides funding for states to fully mitigate the excess NOx emissions caused by VW’s use of illegal emissions testing defeat devices in VW diesel vehicles. In California, the Zero-Emission Freight and Marine along with four other categories will provide VW Environmental Mitigation Trust funding to eligible projects. The four other categories and the regional air quality agency assigned to administer the funds statewide on behalf of the California Air Resources Board include:
• Zero-emission transit, school and shuttle bus projects, administered statewide by San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
• Zero-emission class 8 freight & port drayage trucks, administered statewide by South Coast Air Quality Management District
• Light-duty zero-emission vehicle infrastructure (charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations), administered statewide by Bay Area Air Quality Management District
• Combustion freight and marine projects, administered statewide by South Coast Air Quality Management District
CARB expects that the funding for all five categories will fully mitigate the NOx impacts caused by the VW defeat devices.
For more information on the VW Environmental Mitigation Trust, visit www.californiavwtrust.org.
CARB is the lead agency in California for cleaning up the air and fighting climate change to attain and maintain health-based air quality standards. Its mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare and ecological resources through the effective reduction of air and climate pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area. Connect with the Air District via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
The Bay Area Air District is serving as administrator of the funding for the ZEF&M category in partnership with CARB.
