Auburn, Calif., – The Placer County Air Pollution Control District today announced that it is awarding $1 million in 2010 Clean Air Grant funds to 17 projects that will reduce air pollution in Placer County.
‘The Clean Air Grant program directly supports our primary goal of improving Placer County’s air quality,’ said Tom Christofk, Placer County Air Pollution Control Officer. ‘It’s important that we support proactive approaches to reduce harmful emissions in the County. By funding the approved grant projects this year, an estimated 59 tons of emissions will be reduced within the county over the next several years.’
In all, the District received 45 project applications seeking nearly $3.7 million in grant funding.
The 2010 grant awards were approved by the Placer County Air Pollution Control District Board of Directors at its April 8, 2010 board meeting. Types of projects that received grant awards were: upgrades of heavy duty off road equipment, school bus replacements, public education and outreach projects, and forest waste (biomass) to energy conversion projects.
The Clean Air Grant program is an annual program that has been implemented since 2001. It is designed to reduce criteria air pollutants primarily from mobile sources which are not already regulated by air quality laws. Over the past decade, a total of $11 million in funds has been awarded through the grant program and an estimated 843 tons of criteria pollutant emissions have been reduced within the County.
The next Clean Air Grant open solicitation period will be open from January through February of 2011.