Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission
Press Release
CONTACT: Kristin Heery, PVPC Environmental Planner, Phone: 1 (413) 781-6045
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2007
Changes Made to Vehicle Recycling Program
The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, with support from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, is making changes to the cash incentives aspect of its new Vehicle Recycling Program, in response to the program’s success.
Owners of suitable vehicles in operating condition are eligible to receive a cash incentive in return for recycling their vehicles. In order to stretch available funds, the maximum cash incentive has been reduced to $500. However, owners of abandoned or inoperable vehicles are now eligible to receive a $50 incentive in addition to the free towing originally offered.
Qualifying vehicles include:
Registered automobiles, vans, and light duty trucks older than 1996 that are subject to tailpipe emissions testing and that can be driven to a participating salvage yard
Operating automobiles, vans, and light duty trucks older than 1996 that have failed the state emissions test
Unregistered, non-drivable vehicles clearly owned by an individual
The Vehicle Recycling Program aims to reduce air pollution in the Pioneer Valley region by removing older polluting vehicles from the road, and to prevent groundwater contamination by towing abandoned vehicles to scrap yards for disposal.
More than 40 vehicles have been recycled since the program’s launch in November 2006. There is currently a wait-list of an additional 80 vehicle owners who are interested in participating in the program. Applications are still being accepted as priority is based on the vehicle’s age, with older vehicles prioritized for recycling first.
For more information about how to recycle a vehicle, please visit the Voluntary Vehicle Recycling Program link at www.pvpc.org, or contact Kristin Heery, PVPC Environmental Planner, at1 (413) 781-6045 or kheery@pvpc.org.