ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
air quality fund;
control measures
Continues the vehicle emissions inspection in-lieu fee and deposits monies in the air quality fund for use in new and existing air pollution control programs.
Every
person who registers a vehicle in the State of Arizona is required to pay an
annual air quality fee of $1.50, which
is deposited in the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)
air quality fund (A.R.S. 49-551). The
air quality fund is used for air quality research and provides monies to the
Department of Commerce clean air fund.
The clean air fund pays for programs such as heavy duty
diesel vehicle conversion and public natural gas refueling stations. An additional source of funding for the
clean air fund is the vehicle emissions inspection in-lieu fee. Owners of vehicles less than six years old
may pay a $25 dollar fee in area A or a
$9 dollar fee in area B, instead of having the vehicle emissions tested. The in-lieu fee was established by the
Legislature in 1989 and is repealed on July 1, 2003.
Persons who
register diesel vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 8,500
pounds are also required to pay an additional annual fee of $10 per vehicle, which is deposited in the voluntary
vehicle repair and retrofit program fund used to provide grants for the repair
of vehicles that do not meet emissions standards.
H.B. 2560 continues the vehicle emissions inspection (VEI) in-lieu fee, and transfers the VIE in-lieu fee monies from the clean air fund to the air quality fund. This bill also establishes the diesel vehicle low emissions incentive grant program, to be supported by the air quality fund.
There is no anticipated fiscal
impact to the state general fund relating to the provisions of this bill.
1. Continues the in-lieu vehicle emissions inspection (VEI) fee for vehicles less than six years old.
2. Places in-lieu VEI fees in the air quality fund rather than the Arizona clean air fund.
3. Allows ADEQ to use up to 3 percent of the monies deposited in the air quality fund from in-lieu VEI fees for administration. The balance is to be used for the following:
a) 5 percent for the voluntary lawn and garden equipment emissions reduction program.
b) 15 percent for the voluntary vehicle repair and retrofit program.
c) 30 percent for the diesel vehicle low emissions incentive grant program.
d) 25 percent for the voluntary accelerated purchase of tier 2 and tier 3 non-road equipment.
e) 25 percent for grants to counties for air pollution control.
f) Other measures evaluated by ADEQ.
4. Allocates air quality fund monies set aside for county air pollution control to:
a) 45 percent for a county with a population of more than 1,000,000 persons.
b) 36 percent for a county with a population between 500,00 and 1,000,000 persons.
c) 9 percent for a county with a population between 175,000 and 500,000 persons.
d) 10 percent for dispersal by ADEQ to any of the counties listed above.
5. Allocates 25 percent of any unexpended monies for purposes other than counties, for disbursal by ADEQ to the counties.
6. Requires ADEQ to include a section in the annual report on the grants awarded to counties.
7. Eliminates the specific use of air quality fund monies for ozone public education programs and accelerated pollution prevention technical assistance.
8. Allows the use of air quality fund monies for monitoring visible air pollution and reducing emissions of pollutants that contribute to visible air pollution, rather than only for determining the cause of visible air pollution.
9. Exempts air quality fund monies from lapsing of appropriations and credits interest earned to the fund.
10. Establishes the diesel vehicle low emissions incentive grant program to provide grants for diesel vehicles to operate on alternative, clean burning, or ultra low sulfur diesel fuel or an engine with low particulate emissions.
11. Requires participating diesel vehicles to be registered in this state, have a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 19,500 pounds, and the vehicle can not be a recreational vehicle.. The grant recipient must sign a statement that the vehicle will be registered in Arizona for at least three more years and will operate in Area A or B more than 50 percent of the time.
12. Allows incentive grants to be awarded for school buses and municipal vehicles.
13. Requires incentive grants to provide for real and quantifiable emissions reductions.
14. Repeals the incentive grant program on June 30, 2005 or one year before diesel fuel that contains 15 parts per million begins national production, whichever is later.
15. Clarifies that county control officers or any law enforcement officer may enforce county ordinances to limit maximum idling times for heavy-duty diesel vehicles.
16. Contains technical, clarifying and conforming changes.
17. Conforms dual enactments.
18. Provides for a delayed effective date of July 1, 2003.
ENV 3/19/02 DPA 6-0-0-4-0
APPROP 4/02/02 DP 9-2-0-5-0
3rd Read 4/08/02 48-6-6-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
April 16, 2002