—story by Kate Prengaman —photograph by TJ Mullinax
Agricultural gas use is exempt from the surcharges imposed by Washington’s Local weather Dedication Act and, below a brand new program, the state’s Division of Licensing can difficulty assist funds for agricultural producers and transporters who paid these surcharges. (TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower)
The Washington State Division of Licensing launched its Agriculture Assist Program in late August to assist eligible trade members impacted by necessities within the Local weather Dedication Act. Agricultural producers and transporters who paid gas surcharges imposed by the act’s cap-and-invest program can apply for assist funds starting from $600 to $4,500.
Agricultural gas use is exempt below the brand new program, which requires main emitters — together with gas suppliers — to pay “allowances” for his or her greenhouse gasoline air pollution below a system designed to provide such corporations a timeframe and incentive to cut back emissions. However as this system rolled out, it turned clear that there was no system in place to make sure that farmers and truckers hauling produce wouldn’t be topic to pass-along charges from gas distributors.
So, the state legislature funded a brand new $30 million program to supply rebates to growers and truckers who can exhibit that their gas use was just for agricultural functions or for transporting agricultural merchandise on public highways.
Funds below the brand new program can be made based mostly on a tier system, relying on the quantity of qualifying gas bought in 2023. Funds vary from $600 to be used of lower than 1,000 gallons to $4,500 for over 10,000 gallons. In keeping with the Division of Licensing, the sorts of gas that qualify embrace: gasoline, diesel, propane, pure gasoline, kerosene and biodiesel.
Qualifying agricultural producers and transporters can apply on-line or by mailing in a paper software that may be discovered on the similar web site: dol.wa.gov/agriculture-support-program.
This system will proceed till funding runs out. •
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