Low-income truckers who would have been shut out of working at the Port of Oakland on Jan. 4  now have a reprieve, thanks to the the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the California Air Resources Board.

These two entities have come up with an additional $3 million in what Mayor Dellum's spokesperson, Paul Rose, describes as "grants."

In addition to this money, the truckers will have a two-week grace period during which they can retrofit their trucks before returning to work at the port. The new program will be announced Monday morning at 9 AM at City Hall.

The $3 million in funding should allow approximately 580 truckers to each receive $5,000 to offset the cost of new filters that can run up to $15,000. Truckers who fill out the paperwork by Jauary 15th  will have until April 30th to get their rigs into compliance.

“While the new emissions regulations for Port trucks embraces Oakland’s goals of reducing environmental impacts, my office has been working collaboratively to provide the much-needed support for the truckers trying to comply with such regulations,” Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums said in a prepared statement. “This announcement is a significant step in the right direction.”