Governor Schwarzenegger Launches 'Breathe Easier'
Public Awareness Campaign

For Immediate Release

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today launched the Breathe Easier public awareness campaign, focused on the connection between high polluting vehicles and negative health effects, particularly on children. "

Our goal today is to get the word out about the harmful effects of smog and ask people to get their high polluting cars off the road. Every time we terminate even one of them we take another step toward cleaner air and protecting our environment," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "This pays big dividends for California. Clean air makes our state a more desirable place to live, visit or to locate a business. It helps pump up our economy and it's good for the health of everyone in our golden state."

According to the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), one of every ten children in California suffers from respiratory disease. The California Department of Health Services reports that asthma hospitalizations cost $480 million in California in 2000. Each year, 15,000 children are hospitalized because of asthma. Asthma disproportionately affects school-age children and is a leading cause of school absenteeism and missed work days and lost productivity for adults.

The Governor has taken significant steps to reduce air pollution by permanently funding the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment program providing up to $141 million each year to replace old diesel engines, including those found in school buses and agricultural machinery, with efficient, cleaner engines. This program has proven to be one of the most effective to immediately reduce air pollution. He also signed legislation to allow hybrid vehicles, which are ultra-clean and fuel-efficient, to use HOV lanes. To help improve air quality in the long-term, the Governor has also created the California Hydrogen Highway network as a down payment on securing our future in the areas of air quality, public health and energy security.

Today's launch of the Breathe Easier campaign is another significant step toward reducing air pollution for all Californians. The Breathe Easier campaign includes public service announcements and advertisements about the harmful effects of air pollution and information regarding the Bureau of Automotive Repair's Consumer Assistance Program (CAP).The CAP program pays motorists to voluntarily retire their high polluting vehicles. Details of the program include:

Eligible consumers whose vehicles fail its biennial Smog Check can now voluntarily retire the vehicle and receive $1000, based on available funds.

The current 2004-05 budget provides $4.5 million for vehicle retirement. As a result of legislation authored last year by Assembly Member Hannah-Beth Jackson, the funding stream increased. In 2005-06 the proposed budget increases funding to $16.3 million.

The program's goal is to take 15,000 high polluting vehicles off of California roadways by the end of the 2005-06 fiscal year. This represents more than 900 tons of reduction in smog-forming pollutants.

Another goal is to sustain the retirement of 15,000 vehicles annually over the next ten years. By 2015, the effort would result in the cumulative elimination of more than 9,000 tons of smog-forming vehicle emissions.

According to the Air Resources Board, on average, older cars (20-25 years old) produce up to 30 times more emissions than newer vehicles. A high polluting car can produce up to 40 pounds of smog-forming vehicle emissions per year. CAP information and applications are available on the Bureau of Automotive Repair Web site at http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/ or by calling the Department of Consumer Affairs toll-free at 1-800-952-5210.

The Bureau of Automotive Repair's Vehicle Retirement program began in 1998. Between July 2000 and January 2002, BAR retired more than 34,000 high polluting vehicles. However, the program was suspended for two years due to budget cutbacks. The Vehicle Retirement program resumed operation in September of 2004.

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