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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Free money for car haulers*

Proposition 1B Funding: "Proposition 1B, the wide-reaching transportation bond voters approved in 2006, included one billion dollars to fund projects that reduce air pollution associated with freight movement along California’s trade corridors. The first $25 million of that funding was allocated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in February, 2008 to “early start” projects that are ready for quick implementation, and the AQMD received $13.8 million for truck projects."

*Sort of. Kim Foster of Pasha Group actually managed to finagle some of this money for his company, which is in the process of acquiring seven new Cottrell strap units.
Kim says that in return for $100,000 grant money per truck, recipients have to meet California's more stringent environmental regulations. He says it's an 8 year agreement with the state of California. Here are just a few of the requirements:

200 visits to the port per year, per truck
All trucks have to be California plated vehicles (all in-state)
98% of the miles have to be in the stated corridor (I 15 corridor from San Diego up to L.A. Mira Loma area.)
Company trucks are subject to GPS monitoring by state. There is also additional compliance reporting, viz.; fuel reports and drivers' logs (on top of regular reports)
They have to DESTROY the old trucks they are replacing.
And if anything changes in the eight years of the agreement, the company agrees to pay California ALL of the money back.


But in exchange for this, the Prop 1B funding is giving this particular company $700,000 to go toward new trucks. Only in California.