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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC RES 98-053RESOLUTION NO. 98-53 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, TO CONTINUE CLEAN FUELS PROGRAM UNTIL 2010, ASSURING THAT IT WILL BE AN INTEGRAL PROGRAM TO THE REGIONAL EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE THE FEDERAL AIR QUALITY HEALTH STANDARD FOR OZONE BY 2010, AB 2194 (WASHINGTON): AIR POLLUTION: CLEAN FUELS TECHNOLOGIES WHEREAS, in 1988 the State Legislative authorized the adoption of a $1 surcharge on vehicle registrations within the South Coast Air Quality Management District to fund a clean fuels program to find and nurture new technologies to reduce air pollution, and WHEREAS, since 1988, every dollar invested from this vehicle surcharge has been matched by another four dollars invested by private industry, universities and other public agencies, effectively leveraging the program's $60 million investment to obtain $250 million in public -private matching funds to finance research and development projects valued at more than $310 million, and WHEREAS, the existence of this program has resulted in a vibrant public/private partnership engaged in developing new technologies to combat air pollution, with 87 of these projects currently underway, and WHEREAS, this program has been instrumental in the development and deployment of low -and -zero -emission technologies in critical transportation applications, including but not limited to: advanced electric cars; the world's first fuel cell buses; hybrid -electric delivery trucks; and locomotive engines running on liquefied natural gas, and WHEREAS, the local Southern California economy has benefitted from tens of millions of dollars in public/private investments in clean fuel technologies since 1989, and WHEREAS, 40% of the emission reductions needed in the South Coast District to meet the federal clean air standard for ozone by 2010 rely upon advanced technologies which do not exist today, and WHEREAS, a variety of projects funded by this program have resulted in real emission reductions through the introduction of zero -emitting vehicles powered by fuel cells and clean fueled public transit buses, and WHEREAS, the existing program has provided necessary research and development resources to technologies that might not have become commercially available without such investment, and WHEREAS, the successful commercialization of technologies essential to achieving acceptable air quality in the South Coast is dependent on the continuation of the advanced technology program, and WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 2194, authored by Assembly Member Carl Washington, and introduced in the 1998 session of the California Legislature, would continue the clean fuels program until 2010, assuring that it will be an integral program to the regional efforts to achieve the federal air quality health standard for ozone by 2010, NOW, BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the City of Palm Desert supports AB 2194 by Assembly Member Washington, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution and/or letter communicating the City's support for AB 2194 be sent to Barry Wallerstein, Acting Executive Officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. PASSED, APPROVED, and ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California, this 14 tblay of May , 1998, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Crites, Ferguson, Kelly, Spiegel, Benson NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Jean : enson, Mayor Sheila R. Gi i:. , Directo .-f Community Affairs/City Clerk VED AS TO FOM: