PERP Amnesty

SANTA BARBARA, CA — On September 1, 2005 the California Air Resources Board will open an “amnesty” registration period for owners of portable diesel engines and portable diesel equipment units to register with the state’s Portable Equipment Registration Program, and avoid penalties for not having registered in the past. Examples of equipment covered by the program include the following: cranes, pumps, welding equipment, well drilling equipment, wood chippers, rock/pavement crushing equipment, and concrete batch plants. Engines and equipment units that are registered with the state program can operate throughout the state without the need to get permits from each local air agency. Fees for registration in the program start at $270; penalties for operating unregistered or unpermitted equipment can be much higher. The amnesty ends December 31, 2005. Said Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) Director Terry Dressler, “This is a chance to register now and avoid additional penalties, no questions asked.”

The Santa Barbara County APCD can also help owners of qualified diesel equipment purchase new, lower-polluting engines. “There’s a golden opportunity now to apply to us for grant funds for new engines. These engines will be required by law in 2010. If businesses apply now, we can help fund the purchase,” explained Dressler. The APCD has close to one million dollars in grant funds to help local businesses buy cleaner diesel engines and pollution control equipment. (These funds are available to a wide range of business types, in addition to those covered under the state’s portable equipment program.) Said Dressler, “The catch is, funds are only available to achieve early pollution reductions — over and above those required by law. The longer owners wait, the less time before laws go into effect, and the less likely it is that the project will qualify for grant funds.”

Dressler noted that diesel engines, particularly older ones, produce large amounts of air pollutants that have been linked to numerous health conditions, including lung and heart problems, heart attacks, asthma, and cancer. He remarked: “That cloud of soot that comes out of an older diesel engine is extremely harmful for us to breathe. With the amnesty, and our funding programs, everyone benefits. Businesses can avoid extra fees, save money, and upgrade equipment. And we all benefit from the cleaner air.” For all the information on the APCD funding program, see this page, or call 805-961-8800. For information on the state Portable Equipment Registration Program and facts about the amnesty program contact Mike Guzzetta at the California Air Resources Board at 916-322-6025 or see www.arb.ca.gov/perp/perp.htm.

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Amnesty Starts September 1st for Portable Diesel Equipment Operators Operators Can Avoid Penalties by Registering Now with State Program

Amnesty Starts September 1st for Portable Diesel Equipment Operators
Operators Can Avoid Penalties by Registering Now with State Program