The South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board Friday approved $73.1 million to support the acquisition of trucks, charging and fueling infrastructure as part of an effort to reduce emissions in areas most affected by warehouse-related pollution.
Funding will be used to purchase zero-emission trucks on the road and the supporting infrastructure to fuel these vehicles serving warehouses throughout the Southern California region, according to SCAQMD. The agency secured the funding through fees paid by warehouse operators under the Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions Mitigation Program, also referred to as the WAIRE Program.
The program was established under SCAQMD’s Warehouse Indirect Source Rule, which applies to an estimated 4,000 warehouses across the region. Warehouse operators have several options for meeting WAIRE requirments, such as paying mitigation fees in lieu of completing specific actions. About 5 percent of WAIRE participants choose to pay mitigation fees.
These fees are then used for projects designed to reduce emissions associated with warehouse activities.
Warehouses are a major destination for heavy-duty trucks and other sources of emissions like cargo handling equipment, which officials say can contribute to local pollution. Emissions associated with warehouses produce as much smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions as all of the refineries, power plants and other stationary sources in the South Coast Air Basin combined.
“The goal of WAIRE has always been to reduce emissions, not simply to collect fees,” SCAQMD Governing Board Chair Michael Cacciotti said in a statement.
“When warehouses choose the mitigation-fee option, we have a responsibility to ensure those dollars are turned into projects that improve air quality. By investing these funds in zero-emission trucks and infrastructure, we can make sure the money collected is delivering meaningful benefits back to the affected communities,” Cacciotti added.
The $73.1 million first-year fund will support the acquisition of zero-emission class 4-8 trucks, zero-emission yard trucks, electric truck-charging stations and hydrogen-fueling infrastructure.
Interested parties will be able to apply for funds via an online portal that will be made available at the end of September. SCAQMD will provide more information on the application process and requirements closer to the launch date.
The application period will open on Oct. 13, and close Dec. 15. Projects will be funded based on a first-come, first-served basis.