The Port of Los Angeles Harbor Commission will now allow drivers to continue to operate their old trucks beyond the Jan. 1 ban date for those who are waiting for their Prop 1B grants to be delivered.

Through this change to the Port of Los Angeles tariff, older trucks can be operated until April 30, 2010, or until the new Prop 1B funding comes in, whichever comes first.

The extension only applies to those approved applicants for Prop 1B grants, and all other drivers must comply with the Jan. 1 deadline, which applies to pre-1994 engines and un-retrofitted trucks with engines years 1994-2003.

To qualify for the Prop 1B extension, truck owners must be an approved applicant in the Prop 1B program administered by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and they must provide a copy of a valid purchase order for their new truck to the AQMD by Dec. 4, 2009. The application period for the Prop 1B grants ended in August 2009.