California Air Resources Board

This webpage includes information related to the incentive funding available for chrome plating facilities who want to eliminate the use of hexavalent chromium.

1. Community Air Protection (CAP) Incentive Funding

In 2017, AB 617 (Garcia, Stats. 2017, Ch. 136) was signed into law to further environmental justice efforts in California. Pursuant to AB 617, CARB has been implementing community-focused air quality programs to address community-scale air pollution through new community-focused and community-driven actions to reduce exposure and improve public health in communities that experience disproportionate cumulative burdens from exposure to air toxic pollutants. These actions include addressing hexavalent chromium emissions from chrome plating operations.

CARB’s 2018 Community Air Protection Blueprint (Blueprint) sets forth CARB’s strategy to reduce air pollution in these communities. The Blueprint states that CARB would amend the Chrome Plating ATCM in order to reduce emissions in communities impacted by stationary sources or other sources of hexavalent chromium.

The Board approved the first iteration of the CAP Incentives Guidelines in May 2019, which included guidance for air districts to implement incentives projects to support the Community Air Protection Program.

In October 2023, the Board approved Blueprint 2.0, which outlines new pathways to bring more resources to a larger number of communities, specifically those that have been consistently nominated but not selected.

On February 16, 2024, CARB released the 2024 CAP Incentive Guidelines Proposed Revised CAP Incentives Guidelines.

CARB invites you to participate in a public workshop to discuss the 2024 CAP Incentives Guidelines, which will be held via Zoom webinar on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

2. Chrome Plating Incentive Funding from AB211

In addition to CAP incentive funding, the 2023-2024 Budget Act (chrome plating incentive funding) made ten ten million dollars ($10,000,000) available to CARB to assist with the necessary transition away from the use of hexavalent chromium in chromium electroplating and chromic acid anodizing (chrome plating) operations. Assembly Bill 211 stated that at least 50 percent of this funding be available for small businesses to convert to trivalent chromium plating technology or an alternative that is at least equally health protective.

Any future updates about incentive funding process will be posted on this webpage.