VCAPCD News

New tractors, other equipment will cut pollution

The Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board on Feb. 10 awarded $1.94 million to 23 agricultural businesses to help purchase 30 tractors, four loaders/skid steers, two forklifts and one pump to replace equipment that emits more pollutants.

Replacing the equipment will result in total annual emissions reductions of:

• 83 tons of ozone precursors
• .96 tons of diesel particulate matter
• 7 tons of carbon dioxide

Pete Hansen with 3H Custom Farming in Camarillo is using a $400,000 grant to help replace the 2001 tractor shown in the photo and another with a single new lower-emitting version. Of the 23 grants awarded through this round of the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program, this one for Hansen’s project will result in the biggest reduction in annual emissions:

• 12 tons of ozone, or smog, precursors
• .11 tons of diesel particulate matter
• 335.3 tons of carbon dioxide

The other recipients are:

• Camarillo — Ito Brothers, JNB Farms, Leon Farming, Padilla Farms, Rio Farms, RNM Farms and Willow Farms
• Fillmore — A.P. & J. Ranches, Devil Mountain Wholesale Nursery, J&M Gonzalez Farm, Jeff Fontes and Pacific Coast Floral Farms
• Moorpark — Jeffrey S. Yong and Valley Growers Nursery
• Oxnard — Lucas Transplants
• Santa Paula — Coultas Farming, Kenter Canyon Farms and Penarme
• Somis — Brenda R. Leon and Jose Ramon Romero Sandoval
• Ventura — Santa Clara Farms and William Levinson

For more information on this program and others that provide grants for cleaner-than-required engines and equipment, visit Carl Moyer/ AB 617 CAP / Farmer page.