Project Clean Air Repair
Through Project Clean Air Repair (or Project CAR), Environmental Initiative creates partnerships with car repair shops to reduce emissions from older passenger vehicles. Project CAR reimburses garages for identifying and fixing vehicle exhaust systems in cars of lower-income residents.
Currently, it is estimated that 25% of passenger vehicles cause 90% of vehicle air pollution. Older cars often have outdated or broken emission controls and exhaust equipment. By partnering with garages to repair broken emissions systems, Environmental Initiative is cleaning up some of the highest polluting cars on the road while reducing barriers to reliable transportation.
Partner garages provide low- or no-cost repairs to emission control systems. This allows car owners to reduce their car’s emissions and prioritize paying for other repairs necessary for the safety and drivability of their car.
Recent accomplishments
586
Cars repaired since 2017.
8
Participating partner garages.
32
Tons of emission reductions achieved.
The value of collaboration
Through our partnership with Cars for Neighbors, we’re making no-cost emission system repairs on vehicles for community members. Thank you to BairStories for collaborating with us to highlight this work.
Clean Air Blogs
Breaking down Minnesota’s cumulative impacts law
Learn more about Minnesota's cumulative impacts law, why it matters, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's rulemaking process, and what is still being decided.
Experts explain Minnesota’s smoky, hazy summer
Environmental Initiative recently sat down with experts at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to learn more about air quality forecasting, recent air quality trends, and what people can do to stay safe.
Voluntary stove swap program warms homes, cleans air, cuts costs
Do you heat your home with wood? Burn more than two cords of wood per year? Have an appliance that was manufactured before 1992? You might be eligible for Project Stove Swap! We connect Minnesota residents to local vendors to swap out old, inefficient wood burning stoves for newer models.
Project Contacts
Rural and urban communities experience high air pollution from mobile sources such as cars. Expand Project CAR by talking to our experts today about offering financial support for this important clean air effort.