AB 617 Community Air Protection Incentive Projects

Since 2017 the Legislature has budgeted $495 million for local air district grants to put advanced technologies to work for cleaner air in California communities, in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 617 (C. Garcia, Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017). Incentive grants help owners of older high-polluting equipment to replace it with newer models that have much lower emissions -- or zero emissions. Grant funds may also be used for changes at local industrial facilities that reduce emissions of toxic or smog-forming pollutants, to build zero-emission charging stations, or to support local measures that air districts and communities identify through AB 617 Community Emissions Reduction Programs.

Partnering with communities is essential to the success of these incentives, and both the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and air districts are looking to local community members and groups to help identify funding priorities.

MCAQMD has engaged with community members and identified various grant project types that would support clean air in our community. The District will be allocating AB 617 funds to any one of the following project types, a combination of them, or to a few other project types still under consideration for eligibility.

Here are some examples of projects the District is proposing:

• ·School Filtration: The District proposes to issue grant funding to the Mendocino County Office of Education for area school districts with the aim of providing air filtration and purification for schools’ large indoor spaces such as cafeterias or gyms. Particularly during wildfire season, the need for school age children to have access to safe and clean indoor learning environments is integral to the health of our community.
• ·Cleaner Farm Equipment: The District proposes to issue grant funding to local area farmers to replace older, high-polluting diesel agricultural equipment with new, tier 4 diesel or electric equipment, reducing several tons of toxic diesel particulate emissions per year. These types of projects protect the farm workers of our community from exposure to toxic diesel emissions, in addition to maintaining our region’s clean air. This project type would work seamlessly with the District’s existing Carl Moyer Program.

This project is supported by the California Climate Investments (CCI) program, a statewide initiative that puts Cap-and-Trade dollars to work.

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If you have any questions or would like more information please call the District office at 707-463-4354.