Additional Resources

State Budget Funding For "Moyer Program" A Win For Cleaner Air

The Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program is credited with retrofitting nearly 5,000 engines statewide and cutting more than 4,500 tons per year of nitrogen oxide emissions - a key ingredient in the formation of smog. These retrofits have also reduced emissions of diesel particulate matter by thousands of tons per year.

The budget agreement just announced provides $61 million annually for the program.

Governor Schwarzenegger proposed last month that the 2004-2005 state budget include provisions to establish permanent funding of the Moyer program, which according to the California Air Resources Board, currently has no remaining funding.

"The strong support of Governor Schwarzenegger and legislators of both parties to commit permanent funding to the Moyer program is all the more extraordinary in light of the difficult fiscal decisions they confronted in this budget," said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

"The success of the Moyer Program, and this budget agreement, are testament to the dramatic technological advances that have transformed the diesel industry. Just as technological innovation has improved automobile emission performance, the heavy-duty diesel engines of today produce just one-eighth the emissions of those manufactured a decade ago. Cleaner fuels, advanced exhaust systems and highly efficient clean engine technologies have made clean diesel a reality."

"The success of the Moyer Program is in its voluntary incentive approach. Businesses and farmers can speed up their retirement or retrofit of older diesel powered equipment, saving money by increasing fuel efficiency while helping all Californians by reducing emissions," continued Schaeffer. "It is not surprising that other states are looking to California's leadership with the Moyer Program as they consider similar strategies for reducing diesel emissions."

# # #

The Diesel Technology Forum represents engine makers, fuel producers and emissions control manufacturers. It brings together the diesel industry, the broad diesel user community, civic and public interest leaders, government regulators, academics, scientists, the petroleum industry, and public health researches, to encourage the exchange of information, ideas, scientific findings, and points-of-view to current and future uses of diesel power technology. For more information about the Forum visit our web site at www.dieselforum.org.