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Valley air district to collect development fee as part of unique program
| Tuesday, Feb 28 2006 11:00 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Mar 1 2006 12:07 AM
The Bakersfield Californian
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The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's fee for new housing and commercial development takes effect today.
By 2010, the rule is expected to cut particulates and smog-forming nitrogen oxides by 10.5 tons per day, according to the air district.
The air district will evaluate new building projects and assess how much additional pollution they would contribute through car trips, lawn equipment, etc. Developers can then pay a fee to offset a portion of that pollution off-site, or they can incorporate air-friendly features on-site, such as bike lanes, public transit corridors and mixed retail/residential buildings.
The district is the first air agency in the United States to implement a program like this, according to the district.
The district expects to review 1,200 projects each year. It will likely collect $103 million in the first three years, according to district calculations.