California to offer aid to truckers on air quality

Truckers in California will be offered financial support to help them drive down their vehicles' effect on the state's air quality.

Bill Lockyer, state treasurer, announced that his office, in collaboration with the California Air Resources Board (ARB), will be establishing a $48 million (£33 million) loan guarantee programme to enable truck drivers to meet state regulations on diesel emissions.

Mr Lockyer added that the scheme would not only help the state play its part in battling climate change but it would also give much-needed assistance to truckers during difficult economic times, the Union of Grass Valley reports.

"We applaud this partnership loan program that will help truckers meet the state's clean air standards, rules that set the high bar for other states to follow," said ARB chairman Mary D Nichols.

The ARB recently released a proposed regulation which would diversify the variety of fuels available and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 16 million metric tons by 2020.