Truck drivers serving the Port of Oakland now have until Feb. 16 to comply with California's port truck rule aimed at reducing diesel emissions in and around port communities

, the Associated Press reports.

The California Air Resources Board has decided to grant truckers a second extension to line up financing to help meet new standard at the Port of Oakland, a regulation originally set for Jan. 1.

Last week, officials announced that Port of Oakland truck drivers would have an extra two weeks to meet the rule or apply for $11 million in new funding that was recently announced. The funds will partly pay for more than 1,200 retrofits and more than 100 new trucks serving the port.

The extension applies to about 800 drivers who have applied for grant funding. In addition, those who get financing before Feb. 16 will be able to operate their old trucks at the port until April 30, according to the AP.

The additional Proposition 1B funding will provide $5,000 per truck for 1,216 additional trucks to install particulate matter filters on their rigs, and provide $50,000 for owners of 103 old trucks to purchase newer models.

CARB passed the port truck rule in December 2007, which requires truck owners operating in and out of ports and intermodal rail yards to retrofit and replace their trucks over the next several years. CARB estimates that the regulation will prevent 580 premature deaths over the next five years.