COMMERCE, Calif. — On July 22, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was joined by senior leadership from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) to announce nearly $500 million in funding for South Coast AQMD. According to a press release from Padilla’s office, the funds will help decarbonize the transportation and freight sectors and improve air quality for Southern California residents. This historic funding comes as part of the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program and was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, which Padilla supported. Padilla led EPA officials on a tour of freight transportation operators in the Inland Empire to experience firsthand the effects of air pollution in the region and discuss opportunities for continued collaboration to transition to a zero-emission transportation sector. The tour included a visit to WattEV in San Bernardino, the Inland Empire’s first heavy-duty truck charging depot. “Today’s historic half-a-billion-dollar investment marks a consequential step in curbing the harmful effects of toxic air pollution for current and future generations,” Padilla said. “Southern California is the heart of our nation’s goods movement, and by making these crucial investments in zero-emission infrastructure, we are one step closer to protecting our planet, decarbonizing the heavy-duty sector, and improving air quality for underserved communities who for too long have been left behind.” According to Padilla’s office, this CPRG investment will slash emissions generated by goods movement near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (San Pedro Ports) by incentivizing the development of zero-emission vehicle charging equipment, zero-emission freight vehicles, battery electric cargo equipment, and electric switcher locomotives. “With the Inflation Reduction Act’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, the Biden-Harris Administration is empowering community-driven solutions to fight climate change, protect public health, and grow our economy,” said Joe Goffman, assistant administrator for EPA’s office of Air and Radiation. The CPRG funds will help the South Coast’s Invest Clean project bring about “transformative change for the Southern California goods movement corridor by addressing the most significant challenges to deploying zero emissions vehicles and equipment,” Goffman noted. In addition, he said, reducing greenhouse gas emissions will protect public health and support economic development and job creation. “The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants being unveiled today will deliver unprecedented resources to states, local governments, and tribes — here in Southern California and across the U.S. — for local solutions that can provide national examples to accelerate the needed transition off of fossil fuels,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “These efforts will create jobs, reduce the emissions fueling climate change, and clean up the dirty, dangerous air that too many already overburdened communities have breathed for too long.” CARB chair Liane Randolph pointed to the importance of the freight industry in the state. “The goods movement in California is an economic pillar, and investments in moving the sector toward zero-emissions technology will pay off in clean air and a healthier future, especially for communities that for far too long have been at the frontlines of pollution,” Randolph said. “The award also represents an important partnership between federal, state and local agencies to accelerate solutions that tackle climate change and reduce pollution.” Vanessa Delgado, chair of South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board, expressed gratitude for the funding. “Over the next 25 years, these funds will help reduce 12 million metric tons of carbon emissions. On top of that, 1600 tons of smog-forming emissions will be avoided annually while creating green jobs and fostering economic growth,” she said. In total, EPA awarded 25 applicants a combined $4.3 billion through the CPRG program to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition. When combined, the proposed projects would reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, roughly the emissions from 5 million average homes’ energy use each year for over 25 years.
