SACRAMENTO – In a move to help entrepreneurs bring clean air technologies to market, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) approved over $600,000 in grants at its hearing last week.  The ARB is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency.

    Administered through the ARB's Innovative Clean Air Technologies (ICAT) program, the grants go to businesses that have proven technologies but need financial assistance to get their pollution-control equipment into the marketplace.

    "Grants awarded to ICAT applicants will further air pollution control programs in California, protecting the health of our residents and providing jobs for our workforce," said Dr. Alan Lloyd, ARB Chairman. "Promising new technologies, like those funded by ICAT, are necessary to improve air quality in our state."

    Five projects were chosen for 2000 fiscal year funding.  Two of the five companies were previous ICAT grant recipients who were awarded additional funding.  The most recent projects to be funded include:
 

• Afterburner technology that can reduce up to 99 percent of woodsmoke emissions from woodstoves and fireplaces ($123,300);
• Demonstration of a catalytic NOx reduction system for stationary source natural gas engines that uses hydrogen injection ($149,635);
• Demonstration of emission control systems for stationary source diesel and natural gas engines ($250,000);
• Augmentation of electric airport ground support equipment project at the Sacramento International Airport ($35,000 in addition to $229,693 received in 1998); and,
• Augmentation of VOC (volatile organic compound) control to microwave-cleaned ceramic filter technology for restaurant charbroiler particulate emissions ($58,557 in addition to $338,008 received in 1998) .

    Since the ICAT program began in 1994, $5.2 million dollars have been approved to help fund 22 projects.  Approximately three-fourths of all ICAT project funding comes from applicants, bringing total program cost to $18.4 million.   Any type of clean air pollution control technology is eligible for ICAT funding.  Specifically, the ARB looks for new technologies that reduce emissions or offer increased efficiency or cost-effectiveness.

    Past ICAT funded projects include a high-efficiency catalytic converter, an ultra- low-NOx (nitrogen oxide) gas fired burner, zero-VOC metal coatings, a hybrid-electric heavy-duty truck, and a cleaner-running two-stroke utility engine.

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