Cornered into frustration by high gas prices and the low economy? Never fear. The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District is running a program—“Old Car Buyback”—to entice drivers to take their older cars off the road, which will, in turn, lower the amount of greenhouse gases pumping into the atmosphere.
Under the program, the district will pay $1,000 for any car, truck, or SUV, either diesel or gasoline, that’s been registered in Santa Barbara County for at least two years before being purchased by the county.
The program also has other eligibility requirements, including smog certification for all cars made after 1974, the car’s ability to drive forward and in reverse for at least 20 feet, and an absence of any violations or liens.
Once the check has been cut, the district will take the automobile to a licensed demolisher, who will sideline it permanently, preventing any more pollutants from coughing out of the vehicle.
Although these older cars make up only an estimated 15 percent of the vehicular population, they account for an astounding 66 percent of air pollution from automobiles.
“We estimate that the program has cut almost 50 tons of smog-forming air pollutants since 2006 by taking almost 1,400 of these higher polluting vehicles off the road,” Terry Dressler, district director, said in a statement.
The Air Pollution District will post an inventory of parts from cars about to enter “retirement,” for anyone who wants to salvage something.
Fax registration information to (760) 634-0922. For the full list of requirements, or for the inventory of cars that have entered the program, visit sbcapcd.org.
The incentive operates on a first come, first served basis and will stop once all the funds backing it have been exhausted.
Intern Henry Houston wrote this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or items for consideration to News Editor Amy Asman at aasman@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 3-10, 2010.