Association Testifies in Support of More Incentive Funds for Air Quality

Association President/CEO Roger Isom testified before the Governing Board of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in support of a collaborative effort to bring additional incentive funds to California for businesses throughout the state.  Incentive funds have been used by farmers and agricultural processing facilities for the past several years to replace irrigation pump engines, tractors, loaders, harvesters and trucks.  But there isn’t enough money to meet all of the needs that have been identified.  The use of incentive monies has proven to be the most successful and cost effective means to reduce air pollution emissions and improve air quality in the history of the Clean Air Act.  Isom testified “nowhere has this been more evident than with the use of incentives to replace, repower or retrofit farm equipment.  In 2008, the California Air Resources Board set in motion a plan to regulate farm equipment beginning on January 1, 2014 and achieve to 5 to 10 tons of NOx emissions reductions by December 31, 2017.  Through the use of incentive monies, the State of California has already reduced farm equipment emissions by more than 10 tons as of today on a voluntary basis, thereby proving incentive programs work.  Our organizations wholeheartedly support the incentive program approach and commit our resources to assisting the District and the State in the search for more incentive funds!”