High-Polluting Vehicles Targeted by Governor's Budget Increase

For Immediate Release

SACRAMENTO - The newly signed state budget fulfills Governor Schwarzenegger's pledge to crush high-polluting vehicles, taking them off the road and reducing California's air pollution.

A Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) program allows motorists to voluntarily scrap their vehicles if they fail the smog check and qualify to participate. BAR's Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) will pay motorists $1,000 to retire their polluting vehicle or up to $500 in smog-related repairs.

"If your vehicle fails its Smog Check, it is not the end of the world, but it is an opportunity to get your high-polluting vehicle off the road for good and to be paid $1,000 for it," said Consumer Affairs Director Charlene Zettel. "Reducing air pollution is a priority for California - every crushed polluter adds to cleaner air."

The 2005-06 budget funds BAR's Consumer Assistance Program with an $18.5 million budget increase to retire or repair vehicles that fail Smog Check.

As part of his environmental agenda, Governor Schwarzenegger kicked off the Breathe Easier public awareness campaign on March 16, 2005 to promote vehicle retirement and raise awareness about high-polluting vehicles, their contribution to air pollution and the associated negative health effects, particularly on children.

The vehicle retirement program restarted in September, 2004 after a two-year suspension. As of June 30, 2005, BAR has retired nearly 5,000 vehicles. The average retirement age of high polluting vehicles is 18-20 years old. These older cars can produce up to 30 times more emissions than newer vehicles.

According to the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), one out of ten children in the state suffers from respiratory disease. In another study, the California Department of Health Services reported that asthma hospitalizations cost $480 million in California in 2000. Each year, 15,000 children are hospitalized because of asthma, forcing parents to miss work and children to miss school.

The program's goal is to crush 15,000 high polluting vehicles by the end of the 2005-06 year, which represents more than 900 tons of reduction in smog-forming pollutants. BAR also plans to continue its vehicle retirement program in future years to help maximize reductions in air pollution.

The money for the CAP program comes from a portion of a $12 annual fee paid by new vehicle owners, who are exempt from Smog Check for the first six years. Drivers who have failed their Smog Check, can get a CAP application from any Smog Check station, by calling (800) 952-5210 or by going online to http://www.breatheeasier.ca/ gov. Information is available in both English and Spanish.

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