Program had been focusing on repair assistance since last summer

April 24, 2012 (Arlington, Texas) – A program that has helped thousands of qualifying motorists purchase newer, cleaner-burning vehicles, contributing to improved North Texas air quality, has reopened for a limited time.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is restarting the replacement component of the popular AirCheckTexas Drive a Clean Machine Program, which provides vouchers for up to $3,500 to help those who qualify buy more environmentally friendly cars and trucks. More than 25,000 people have received replacement assistance from the program, now in its 10th year.

This portion of the program was suspended last summer, following a significant reduction in state funding during the 82nd Texas Legislature. The program’s vehicle-repair component, offering vouchers of up to $600 toward repairs for cars and trucks that fail the emissions test in the past 30 days, has remained in place. It will continue even after the replacement money is gone. More than 25,000 North Texas cars and trucks have benefited from repair assistance.

Residents with vehicles that have failed the emissions portion of the state inspection in the past 30 days or are more than 10 years old are encouraged to apply for replacement assistance if they meet the income criteria and certain vehicle requirements, available at www.nctcog.org/airchecktexas. For example, a family of four with an income up to $69,150 may qualify. Anyone interested in replacement assistance must complete a new application, which can be downloaded from the website.

AirCheckTexas has helped the area move closer to compliance with federal ozone standards. Nine Dallas-Fort Worth area counties (Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall and Tarrant) are designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as nonattainment for ozone pollution.

Applications and income documentation for all adults in the household must be submitted to NCTCOG by fax (metro number 817-608-2315) or mail. The mailing address is AirCheckTexas Program, P.O. Box 5888, Arlington, TX 76005-5888. NCTCOG is not able to assist walk-ins because of limited resources.

Assistance through this application-based program is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. After enough applications have been received to exhaust the available funds, the replacement portion will be closed, and replacement applications will no longer be accepted this fiscal year. Replacement applications will be accepted for a limited time next year. For information on the status of the program, visit www.nctcog.org/airchecktexas.

About the North Central Texas Council of Governments:

NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development. NCTCOG’s purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication and make joint decisions.

NCTCOG serves a 16-county region of North Central Texas, which is centered on the two urban centers of Dallas and Fort Worth. Currently, NCTCOG has 240 member governments including 16 counties, 170 cities, 24 school districts and 30 special districts.