reprinted with permission from the Rockridge News

With money to support a settlement reached in January between Caltrans and the Fourth Bore Coalition, state Sen. Loni   Hancock, D-Berkeley, and Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, presented a check for $3 million to Oakland Unified School District officials on April 17 on the baseball field at Chabot Elementary  School .

Specialized air-filtration systems and trees will be installed  at Chabot Elementary School and Claremont Middle School.   These measures will help mitigate  air quality  and noise impacts  from increased traffic caused by the fourth Caldecott Tunnel bore, scheduled to begin construction this summer.

Of the funds, $2 million comes from the state Air Resources Board for upgrades to the ventilation systems of all buildings and classrooms at both schools. An additional $1 million grant was provided by CalFire’s Urban Forestry Program for landscape barriers to mitigate noise expected from increased traffic  expected to occur after construction of the new tunnel bore.