Cash Offered for High-Pollution Cars

In an innovative approach to fighting smog, a Glendale company is offering qualified car owners $500 to $600 to take their high-pollution vehicles off the road.

On Thursday, representatives of Market-Based Solutions kicked off the American Lung Assn.’s Clean Air Month with a smashing demonstration of how their Old Vehicle Clearinghouse program works.

Three high-emission cars recently purchased by the company were fed into the jaws of a large crusher at its Sun Valley facility. A few steel-crunching moments later the cars emerged somewhat longer, considerably flatter and certain to never pollute again.

“Unfortunately, with our unseasonably warm weather, this year’s smog season is off to an early start,” said Jon Owyang, president of Market-Based Solutions. “What we have done is use our entrepreneurial spirit to help solve one of Southern California’s worst social problems, air pollution.”

Owyang said his company offers other businesses a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to meet emissions standards set by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. As part of its efforts to reduce pollution, the district has established emissions-reduction requirements for businesses based on the number of car trips made by employees.

Heather Cumming of Wells Fargo Bank said her company opted for the program after being unable to meet its AQMD requirements through traditional methods such as ride-sharing.

“When you consider how difficult it is to get ride-share going, this program makes a lot of sense. We’re spending less money and getting better results,” Cumming said.

Since the program began four years ago, Market-Based Solutions has purchased and destroyed about 3,500 vehicles. About 100 local businesses subsidize the program to help meet their AQMD requirements.

To ensure the cars being destroyed are the ones contributing to the smog problem, Owyang said, the company purchases only vehicles built before 1982, when stricter emissions standards were introduced. The vehicles must also be registered and in working order.