The South Coast Air Quality Management District’s governing board Friday approved the statewide administration of $27 million in funding to replace higher-polluting trucks with zero-emission vehicles.

The funding is part of the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust program, which is intended to fund projects that will fully mitigate excess nitrogen oxide emissions caused by the use of illegal emissions testing defeat devices in VW diesel vehicles, according to the AQMD.

This is the first installment from the $90 million available for the Zero-Emission Class 8 Freight and Port Drayage Trucks category to replace freight trucks — including drayage — waste haulers, dump trucks, and concrete mixers.

Existing vehicles must be engine model years 1992 to 2012, in compliance with all applicable regulations, and scrapped in exchange for a zero-emission replacement vehicle. Private and public entities that own and operate eligible vehicles in the state may apply.

Applicants must be able to meet basic project requirements which include:

— ownership: proof of ownership for at least one year;

— operation: operate old and new vehicle at least 75% of the time within California;

— scrapping: existing vehicle must be scrapped;

— replacement: new vehicle must be a zero-emission vehicle; and

— certification: new vehicle must be certified or approved by the California Air Resources Board or eligible under the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project.

Maximum funding will not exceed $200,000 per eligible replacement vehicle.

The second installment of funds for this category is expected to be released within the next few years.

Eligible participants will be awarded funding on a first-come, first-served basis. South Coast AQMD will administer the funding statewide, with CARB providing program and fiscal oversight.

Applications for the program will be accepted online only, beginning Aug. 18 at 1 p.m. Visit www.aqmd.gov/vw/to apply.

The AQMD will host an informational webinar on the funding opportunity on Wednesday at 10 a.m. To register, visit learn.aqmd.gov/VW_Settlement_Webinar_Registration.

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